# Brother KH260 jamming in KC setting



## antsyd (Nov 22, 2012)

Hi there - I saw some similar posts but nothing exactly like this. I just got my first machine, the KH260, and have had no trouble with plain stockinette and with using the ribber. But tonight I tried the punch card and hit a snag with the first L to R pass of the carriage on KC setting. It stops half way across and the carriage jams (but will keep moving if I switch to plain knitting at that point.) 

I double checked the position of the rubber wheels in the sinker plate, since I saw that the next step was to move them to working position. They were in non-working to start, so that wasn't the issue. I also checked that the end needle selection cams in the carriage were active, which they were. Basically, I've exhausted all troubleshooting the manual has to offer (I think.) Any thoughts? 

The previous owner, who was also the original owner and kept this thing in pristine condition, told me that she could "never get the punch cards to work.".....

Thank you!


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## antsyd (Nov 22, 2012)

oh also I should add, I was using punch card #1, trying to do a simple tuck stitch. thx.


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## ValT (Aug 15, 2012)

I don't know whether your model has these, but my older Brother knitting machine has a pair of orange cams on the underside of the carriage which need to be toggled on/off for punchard knitting.

If you take the carriage off the machine and look underneath, you might see 2 pink/orange/other triangular plastic shapes - one of the left and one on the right. You toggle them off and off by a quarter turn with your transfer tool.

Do not use force to turn, they should move quite easily.

See page 42 of your manual.

Best wishes
Val

Just re-read your post ... you may have already been down this route.


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## Tallie9 (Jul 24, 2012)

The yarn may be too thick for the tuck pattern you've chosen....Try another pattern (that isn't a tuck) with the current yarn.......If that doesn't work...then switch the yarn...and repeat the same patterns ....


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## ValT (Aug 15, 2012)

Try going through the process without any yarn at all. You wiil then be able to pin the problem down to whether its the mechanics of the machine or the yarn.

I don't think anyone has mentioned the needle retainer/sponge bar ... Have you checked this?


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

ValT said:


> I don't know whether your model has these, but my older Brother knitting machine has a pair of orange cams on the underside of the carriage which need to be toggled on/off for punchard knitting.
> 
> If you take the carriage off the machine and look underneath, you might see 2 pink/orange/other triangular plastic shapes - one of the left and one on the right. You toggle them off and off by a quarter turn with your transfer tool.
> 
> ...


Val, I don't know if you have realized but you don't need to alter those cams every time that you use a punch card. They are just for selecting/deselecting the end needle. You mainly use them when you are doing a single motif and you don't want the second color to knit/be carried to that needle or they are used to get a straight hem. The machines that have the KC1 and the KC11 setting on the carriage don't have these and you just alter this instead.


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## ValT (Aug 15, 2012)

Val, I don't know if you have realized but you don't need to alter those cams every time that you use a punch card. They are just for selecting/deselecting the end needle. You mainly use them when you are doing a single motif and you don't want the second color to knit/be carried to that needle or they are used to get a straight hem. The machines that have the KC1 and the KC11 setting on the carriage don't have these and you just alter this instead.[/quote]

Thanks Sue, I think it would be a good idea to turn the carriage upside down and turn the KC switch(es) to see what's going on. It may be that oil has solidified around some moveable parts, in which case a gentle warm waft with a hairdryer might help.

When I got my first machine a KH881, the KC buttons were completely locked, I went to work with a degreaser and bit by bit I got a little movement each time until is was totally free. I know this is a bit different insofar as the switch appears to be able to be turned, which indicates there's something mechanical not happening which should in the underside of the carriage.

I am not sure that the carriage jamming and needle selection are related. Needle retainer bar condition? Are the 'heels' of the needles upright and uniform (not bent).

Best wishes
Val


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## eberry5134 (Feb 12, 2011)

I have had the exact same problem with my newly purchased KH260. I found that the needle "channel thingies" were bent. It took me a while to get them bend back to match the ones on the right but after much sweat and tears I THINK I have it fixed. At least I was able to complete the project that I was working on.
One thing that was interesting, I would work on my project for maybe 30 minutes and then it would begin to jam, leave it for a couple of hours and come back and the same thing would happen. I got my project half finished and it suddenly refused to work at all. I found it very strange and can't see how the things got bent. I think they were bent when I got it but why did it work for a while and then not work? Grimlins?


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## CKnits (Jan 28, 2011)

I have a 260 and I am not very experienced with it. When I got it, I also had trouble with a tuck st, left to right. The needles jammed. I found that the yarn had split or was too thick and the latches had been pulled down under the hook of the needle - bent. Changed out the needles plus yarn and it is working better now. //Carolyn


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## antsyd (Nov 22, 2012)

Hi everyone,

So I just sat down with it and ran it across L to R with no yarn, and it jams in the same place. So it's not the yarn! Just a few days ago, I replaced the sponge bar (with a DIY one, 3/8 in weather stripping with satin ribbon glued on top.) I don't think it's the sponge bar, since it works in other kinds of stitching, incl ribbing w ribber.

The knob turns w no problems. I just turned it over and turned in and out of KC setting, and everything seems to move smoothly, and the same on both the left and right sides.

eberry, what are the "channel thingies"? Are those the end needle section cams that I mentioned? They're working fine and set into the on position, so I'm seeing them move when I switch in and out of KC. 

Oh wait, just noticed that there is one flip that isn't moving the same on the L side (or right side, looking at the carriage face down on my lap.) It's the only lever attached to the white plastic section at the top, just to the left of the needle section cam. Wish I could post a picture (can I??) Anyway, I will clean this bit out and post again with results...might take a day or two.

Thank you all for your help! So glad this forum is here. - Anne


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## antsyd (Nov 22, 2012)

Quick update - just blow dried that part that wasn't moving on the L side, the lever up near the needle section cam, and got it moving again. Then swabbed the area w alcohol, got it moving freely, and ran the carriage. I did one pass in KC that worked (!) then another that jammed, and now it's jamming in regular knitting too. No yarn being uesd. Grr. I guess I need to do a deep cleaning of the carriage before going any further. Or is it my homemade sponge bar? It worked yesterday...sigh.


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## 30Knitter (Apr 9, 2012)

ValT said:


> I don't know whether your model has these, but my older Brother knitting machine has a pair of orange cams on the underside of the carriage which need to be toggled on/off for punchard knitting.
> 
> If you take the carriage off the machine and look underneath, you might see 2 pink/orange/other triangular plastic shapes - one of the left and one on the right. You toggle them off and off by a quarter turn with your transfer tool.
> 
> ...


The cams under the carriage only control the end needle selection. Most of the time you want them on - to select the end needles. The exceptions for selecting end needles will be tuck lace and single motif knitting.


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## 30Knitter (Apr 9, 2012)

antsyd said:


> Quick update - just blow dried that part that wasn't moving on the L side, the lever up near the needle section cam, and got it moving again. Then swabbed the area w alcohol, got it moving freely, and ran the carriage. I did one pass in KC that worked (!) then another that jammed, and now it's jamming in regular knitting too. No yarn being uesd. Grr. I guess I need to do a deep cleaning of the carriage before going any further. Or is it my homemade sponge bar? It worked yesterday...sigh.


You need to make sure all levers are moving under your carriage. If you overlook one it can cause a problem. You could also have a problem with your timing belt. Your carriage hooks into the belt for your pattern to work.


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

I personally would buy a new sponge bar before doing anything else. I know a lot of people refurbish their old bars but I always think that the machine is worth so much that it warrants buying a new bar. I only refurbished one once and was so proud of the job that I had done, it looked every bit as good as one that you buy. It was great for stocking stitch but rubbish when I wanted to do Tuck. After just a few days I knew that it didn't work as good as it should and threw it out. This was for a standard gauge machine. I may be wrong, but I imagine that with a bulky/chunky machine needles being larger the need for a first class sponge bar would be paramount.


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## antsyd (Nov 22, 2012)

Hi all - timing belt seems to be working fine, but it wouldn't hurt to get a new one, I suppose. Will also buy new garter bars online (for the machine and ribber) just in case my DIY ones are the problem. Since I've already spent so much on the thing, another $30 isn't too much to ask. 

I'll keep you all posted - thanks for all the suggestions so far. - Anne


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## antsyd (Nov 22, 2012)

Update on the jamming KH260. For lack of a better idea, I took the kcarriage apart (with my husband helping) in order to clean it out and loosen the sticky levers. We took pictures along the way - highly recommended - so we could put it back together. Found two loose springs in the process. It was kind of harrowing - I stopped halfway to google how much it would cost to buy a new carriage - but when we got it back together, it worked perfectly in all settings, punchcards and ribbing and everything. So who knows? Maybe it won't work tomorrow. But it's working today! Thanks all for your help.


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## ValT (Aug 15, 2012)

Well done for persisting! I hope all these problems are now behind you. With your new-found knowledge on the anatomy of your carriage you will be a great contributor to any posts with similar problems.

Best wishes
Val


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## antsyd (Nov 22, 2012)

Ha! I will do my best. I can't recommend taking the carriage apart, though. We were convinced that we had ruined it - it's such a tricky, sticky little thing.


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

Thanks for updating us and congrats on finding the problem. :thumbup:


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

Glad to hear your machine is fixed


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## 30Knitter (Apr 9, 2012)

I've found an easier way to get my carriage unstuck. Fry's carries an electronic components cleaner - it will get rid of all the gunk. I'll soak my under carriage and anywhere inside, then I'll let it dry and spray silicone on all moving parts. After that it'll work like a dream. I've tried it.


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## BJWHITE (Dec 9, 2011)

are you using the right punch card for what you are doing?


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

BJWHITE said:


> are you using the right punch card for what you are doing?


If you look at Antsyd's reply, at the top of the page, you will see that she now has the machine working and that there was a problem with the carriage.


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## anne64 (Dec 6, 2011)

Hi , Did you check your needles they could be just a little off and it can cause problems.
I thought the screws under the carriage was for the end stitch..
I only buy needle bars. The homemade one don't seem to work as well. just my opinion....


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## ValT (Aug 15, 2012)

antsyd said:


> Update on the jamming KH260. For lack of a better idea, I took the kcarriage apart (with my husband helping) in order to clean it out and loosen the sticky levers. We took pictures along the way - highly recommended - so we could put it back together. Found two loose springs in the process. It was kind of harrowing - I stopped halfway to google how much it would cost to buy a new carriage - but when we got it back together, it worked perfectly in all settings, punchcards and ribbing and everything. So who knows? Maybe it won't work tomorrow. But it's working today! Thanks all for your help.


If you read _antsyd's_ earlier post you will see that the problem has now been fixed.

Best wishes
Val


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## kidix (Aug 12, 2017)

this was a old post but i have the same problem with a kh836, when putting the carriage in KC it is totally , stucked, it is the same if i use a other carriage, and this carriage works on a other machine so it have to be something with the machine it self, something with the puch cardreader . The spongebar is new and it work perfectly knitting plain.


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## hobbyknit (Jun 23, 2013)

I just got a brand new kh260 out of the box and the sinker bar hits the needles, complained about the sinker bar got a new one 
Still hits the needles, The carriage jams, I'm at my wits end. I have not made any progress since Feb 28. so I quit I think I got a lemon!


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## jaysclark (Jan 26, 2013)

hobbyknit said:


> I just got a brand new kh260 out of the box and the sinker bar hits the needles, complained about the sinker bar got a new one
> Still hits the needles, The carriage jams, I'm at my wits end. I have not made any progress since Feb 28. so I quit I think I got a lemon!


Are your needles flat against the number strip? If not they will hit the sinker plate


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## hobbyknit (Jun 23, 2013)

Hi, I am so glad you wrote this to me. for two weeks I have been going crazy about this machine after I got your response I went to the machine. took the carriage and sinker plate off the machine, watched a youtube and fixed it YEA!!


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## watami (Apr 9, 2019)

Hi! Thanks for this thread. I have a new-to-me 260 and am having the exact same problem. I have a new sponge bar, the sinker plate isn’t hitting, the needles and bed are straight. Works perfectly in stockinette but jams exactly in the center when going left to right in KC. I’m doing punch card 6p - slip. When it jams, I can switch to stockinette and the carriage continues across the bed. I deep cleaned the carriage, so I’m pretty sure it isn’t gummed up. It’s like it hits something solid when it jams.


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## watami (Apr 9, 2019)

What you tube video did you watch that fixed it?


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