One of the most common and frustrating technical issues when tufting is when your "Cut Pile" gun suddenly stops cutting the yarn and starts acting like a "Loop Pile" gun.
If the yarn stays connected to the fabric when you pull the trigger, and unravels when you pull the machine away, you have a mechanical misalignment. With 30 years of technical experience, I have detailed the 5 main reasons for this issue and their definitive solutions.
Misaligned Scissor Closer
At the front of the tufting gun, there is a small metal block that forces the scissor mechanism to close. When the gun is running, the scissors move forward, hit this metal piece, and snap shut ("Scissors Close = Cut").
If this closer block has shifted backward due to vibration, the scissors cannot reach it and return without closing.
Dull Scissors
Just like in industrial manufacturing, metal fatigue is inevitable in hobby tufting guns. If the scissor blades have become blunt or damaged by hitting a hard object, they will chew the yarn instead of cutting it.
Post-Pile Height Adjustment Errors
If you have changed the pile height on your tufting gun, you have also altered the machine's geometry. Settings made to lengthen the pile may prevent the scissors from reaching their closing point.
Yarn and Dust Build-up
Tufting is a dusty process. Over long periods of use, a mixture of microscopic yarn dust and oil fills the channels where the scissors move, creating a sludge.
- Brush clean
- Compressed air
- Oil the rails
- Remove debris
Yarn Quality
Sometimes the problem is not the machine, but the material. If you are using very thin or very slippery (high nylon content) yarns, the scissors may slide over the yarn without catching it.
Your tufting gun's failure to cut is usually resolved with the simple adjustment in step #1. With correct diagnosis and intervention, you can continue your projects with GG Tufting quality.
