# Carriage is jamming right to left



## ajohnson55 (Mar 24, 2012)

I just cleaned my Brother 930, checked the sponge bar and the needles. The carriage moves just fine from left to right, but jams going right to left. Any ideas? Thanks!


----------



## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

Check to be sure the sinker plate is correctly installed and that the front of the K carriage is on the Needle beds rail right.


----------



## ajohnson55 (Mar 24, 2012)

Just checked both of these things . . . same problem. Thanks for the suggestions.


----------



## Entity (Sep 13, 2011)

You probably need to oil under the carriage. Under the carriage, moving parts should function the same on both left and right sides. 

Make sure not to use the oil that came with the knitting machine, discard it. Most likely, it is old and should not be used. You can go to a local fabric supplier or JoAnn (in US only) and purchase Singer All Purpose Machine Oil. Do not use any sewing machine oil. Use only the ones that specify made for knitting machine as well such as the Singer All Purpose Machine Oil.


----------



## ajohnson55 (Mar 24, 2012)

So, every little moving part on the one side of the carriage should match with a mirror image part on the other side, and each should move similarly? I've studied the underside of the carriage and it seems there are a couple of "matchng" parts where one doesn't move like the other. Is this the problem? Thanks!


----------



## Entity (Sep 13, 2011)

ajohnson55 said:


> So, every little moving part on the one side of the carriage should match with a mirror image part on the other side, and each should move similarly? I've studied the underside of the carriage and it seems there are a couple of "matchng" parts where one doesn't move like the other. Is this the problem? Thanks!


Yes and yes. You can use a hair dryer and heat in the area that isn't moving freely. This will melt the old oil that had harden. Be careful not to over do it. If there's any plastic part, it can melt. Wipe off any losen old oil and apply new oil at the moving parts.


----------



## Maryknits513 (Feb 12, 2011)

ajohnson55 said:


> I just cleaned my Brother 930, checked the sponge bar and the needles. The carriage moves just fine from left to right, but jams going right to left. Any ideas? Thanks!


Static Electricity can cause that. Is the room where you are knitting have low humidity? The best solution is to ground the machine. Attach a wire to the yarn mast, then to something else metallic. Copper wire works best for that.

Another thing is to run a humidifier in the room or mist the air . There are static "guard" sprays, but I haven't tried them.


----------



## cheridachat (Dec 25, 2011)

I've had two machines with this problem lately. Usually when the carriage goes one direction well, but not the other, some of the little cams or levers on the underside of the knitting carriage are frozen up where the machine needles have to pass through.. worst case is they are broken or bent. Get a can of knitting machine lubricant spray, Lori Lin makes a great one! Invert the carriage over a towel, spray heavily in all directions, use a stiff brush and work it through all the little areas. Leave upside down for a while, then wipe clean with a soft rag. Check that all the matching levers on each side both move. Use a pipe cleaner to remove any gunk or fuzz that is trapped in small areas. You'll be surprised how easily the carriage slides over the needles once it is cleaned and lubricated! Use yarn you don't care for at first because you might get a little leftover residue from the cleaning. Do not use any other kind of lubricant before checking back with this discussion board. Many over the counter sprays for machinery and automotives leave a nasty, gunky buildup mess that is VERY bad for knitting machines. Good luck!


----------



## Maryknits513 (Feb 12, 2011)

cheridachat said:


> Get a can of knitting machine lubricant spray, Lori Lin makes a great one! .... Do not use any other kind of lubricant before checking back with this discussion board. Many over the counter sprays for machinery and automotives leave a nasty, gunky buildup mess that is VERY bad for knitting machines. Good luck!


Hi,

I thought Lori Lin was discontinued.

Since I'm also Passap knitter, I got used to using denatured alcohol for cleaning my machines. Several years ago, after observing how well the instructor's Passap knit, I started using Hoppes Elite Gun oil on all my machines. A lot of knitters are using Balistol gun oil. A good, lightweight oil made for use on sewing machines will work, too.


----------



## cheridachat (Dec 25, 2011)

Not sure about Lori Lin being discontinued, but you can still find it in some shops, from some people selling machines, etc.... I got 3 cans with last lot I bought.


----------



## beckyors36 (Jan 23, 2013)

have you at sometime jammed the carriage while knitting. If so one of the moving parts might be sightly bent and need replaced before you have a real had jam. If you have a friend with the same carriage try that on you machine and see if it still happens. Also make sure you don't have a bent needle butt.


----------



## Torticollus (Dec 3, 2011)

A small humidifier worked for me. Static electricity in colder climates can bring the carriage literally to a grinding halt.


----------



## Piper Too (Oct 27, 2012)

Sometimes, a small nick can happen to the plates on the carriage. Feel both of them, then rub lightly with a fine emery file if a nick is discovered. Hope that helps too.


----------



## ajohnson55 (Mar 24, 2012)

Thank you everyone for all of your helpful suggestions! The hair dryer on the stuck part was the key! I also oiled the carriage more generously with the Lori-Lin spray and I'm up and running again! Thanks So Much!


----------

