Moderator: Welcome to tonight's special event: "Stabilizers, Everything you wanted to know - Part 1 of 4" with Fred Lebow of HTC Products
Alan is on the stage.
flebow is on the stage.
Alan: Welcome to tonight's special event.
Alan: Tonight's special event will start with a 30 minute interview, then we will open it up for questions from the audience for the second half hour.
Alan: We have some images to show everyone, via your web browsers. When this happens, be sure to adjust your screen so your web browser is visible to you.
Alan: Throughout the event all questions submitted to the stage, will go to an off screen moderator, to allow for grouping of questions.
Alan: Our guest tonight is Fred Lebow with HTC Products
Alan: Tonight we are going to discuss:
Alan: "Stabilizers, Everything you wanted to know - Part 1 of 4"
Alan: Welcome Fred
flebow: thanx
Alan: So tell us a little bit about your embroidery history....
Alan: I know you've been in the backings forever
flebow: I have been working with non wovens for 28 yrs
Alan: well.. almost forever then
flebow: Interlinings for 10 of them, the last 18 with stabilizers
flebow: using Various non woven technologies
Alan: what is the difference in interlinings and non-woven
flebow: A stabilizer must be multidirectionally stable. Interlinings are not.
flebow: What you want to acheive approximates a tambourine skin
flebow: in your hoop
flebow: if your material moves, shifts, bounces in any way you will lose registration
Alan: Okay... so where do you want to begin on this "everything you wanted to know journey?"
flebow: So
Alan: sew?
flebow: Let's talk about the boring stuff first - the structure of non wovens in emb
Alan: okay... get that out of the way.. and then onto the fun stuff
Alan: there is "fun stuff" in stabilizers... correct?
flebow: Non wovens in emb are made of a saturate which is a dry chemically bonded sludge
flebow: The fibers of a saturate are dispersed in 2 methods #1 called a carded or directional saturate
flebow: The fibers are raked or combed in one direction
Slide show URL sent -> http://www.htcwproducts.net/products_carded.html
flebow: So does everyone see the direction of the fibers called MD or Machine direction?
flebow: Can everyone see this
flebow: what happens with a carded saturate is that the goods do NOT stretch in one direction, MD they do stretch in the other direction CD
Alan: MD is machine direction, what is CD for?
flebow: So everytime that you use a carded saturate (a card is a giant comb) you need 2 layers crosswise in order to achieve multidirectional stability
flebow: Everyone with me?
Alan: so far
flebow: These are for INTERLININGS Not stabilizers!
flebow: The best type of saturate is called a random saturate where the fibers are mixed and dispersed randomly
Slide show URL sent -> http://www.htcproducts.net/products_random.html
flebow: To simplify things
flebow: We will say that this is like cookie dough mixed with a spoon and then dispersed
flebow: Note thick and thin spots
flebow: What happens when you hit a thin spot??
flebow: Blooey -you lose registration right there!
flebow: These are again interlinings and other such stuff
Alan: Is that what you call a "Whoops!"
flebow: There are many inexpensive saturates from Mexico in the emb market
flebow: Good for road building or roofing NOT emb
flebow: We make and we are NOT the only ones - is a wet laid non woven
Slide show URL sent -> http://www.htcproducts.net/products_wetlaid.html
flebow: Please note the non directionality of the fibers and the evenness and density of the material
flebow: It is like making paper with some major differences
flebow: It used to be made in rivers now made in giant machines
flebow: There is a wire mesh screen sitting in a slurry of running water
flebow: We throw the components of the non woven on the screen
flebow: Poly for softness it is a longer fiber
flebow: rayon for firmness and tearability
flebow: Differing %'s for tearaways and cutaways
flebow: We then add cellulose as a cheap filler,and
flebow: an acrylic binder to bind all of the fibers together - please remember this binder
flebow: We then add silicone solely as a sewing aid these are all needle friendly
flebow: And the screen rises and dries
flebow: you get a dekta formed or alluvial type formation
flebow: No give in any direction - more or less = tear strength in all directions MD and CD
flebow: That is your tambourine skin
flebow: The theory behind a wet laid non woven is to always use only one layer of the proper weight to match
flebow: the weight and stretch of your material and the stitch count and density
flebow: We make tearawys and cutaways in weights ranging from 1 oz 1.3 oz 1.5 oz 1.8 oz 2 oz 2.5 and 3 oz to accomodate most emb apps
flebow: One layer
flebow: Digression for 1 moment
flebow: I hear and read about people using coffee filters and glad press and seal and computer paper or cardboard
flebow: 2 MAJOR disadvantages relating to the difference between paper and a non woven
flebow: Paper has no binder
flebow: You will find lint in your bobbin cases and every orifice of your machine
flebow: #2 How many of you have favorite fabric shears
flebow: What do you do when you come home and find your kids cutting newspaper
flebow: Using paper as a stabilizer dulls your needles - we do add silicone remember?
flebow: These are made exclusively for sewing and mainly for emb they are needle friendly
flebow: BAd NOT expensive especially using one layer
flebow: They are also made VERY soft
flebow: Having dealt with interlinings I am quite concerned with softness and drapability
flebow: ALan can you find our soft web site page
http://www.htcproducts.net/products_noshow.html
flebow: Nope, that's no show, soft mesh.
flebow: Sorry, Looks like we do NOT have that on the website only on my CD
flebow: But these are all soft dense and non directional
flebow: Well let's assume and please DO NOT hold me to any #;'s
Alan: okay
flebow: That a tearaway of 1oz holds 3-5M stitches
flebow: If you have 10M use one layer of a 1.5 instead of 2 or 3 of a 1 oz
flebow: let's say you go to 10M a 1.8 or 2 oz will do that - one layer
flebow: Now the big question is tearaways or cutaways
flebow: Cutaways have longer fibers
flebow: Allowing the threads to grasp better therefore enabling better definition
flebow: Unless you are a LARGE emb where labor is a factor, 95% of garments should be done using a cutaway
flebow: Better definition = better quality
flebow: So let's say a 2 oz holds 5-10M stitches
flebow: a 2.5 will hold 20-25M and our 3 oz super cutaway should hold 30 -50 with one layer Again PLEASE DO NOT hold me to these #'s
flebow: Everyone does things differently
flebow: Variables are digitizing
flebow: Some designs that you download for free are not meant for human production
flebow: Other designs from master digitizers like Walter Floriani or Steve Wilson require ONLY one layer
flebow: Other variables Machine speeds, tensions - how you feel when you wake up and hoop in the morning
flebow: These are only very general simplified guidelines
flebow: Do your own testing and to that end
flebow: We will gladly send samples for your own tests. e-mail me privately
flebow: We love to send samples
flebow: We want you to try for yourself
flebow: OK???
Alan: Now are your samples for human production?
Alan: Fred... I love that phrase!
flebow: Well there are some designs that will never work!
Alan: I know exactly what you are saying!
flebow: We can at least help you to eliminate the stabilizer issue
Alan: Ready to open it for questions?
flebow: The 3 oz cutaway is the next to best backing in the world soft and dense OK
flebow: take it away folks
Audience member says: "what makes backing soft?"
flebow: polyester a relatively long fiber
Audience member says: "is the softer it is, the less stable it is?"
flebow: Although with a special process we do use a shorter poly fiber than most
flebow: ok next one
Audience member says: "what's the most popular stabilizer weight?"
flebow: 2oz cutaway
flebow: If you use multiple layer often go to a 2.5 or 3 oz
flebow: We do make a very dense stiff tearaway for caps
flebow: One layer for Major league BB
flebow: It's stiff but for a cap who cares
Alan: true
Audience member says: "do your backings come in colors other than white?"
flebow: One of the times to use a tearaway instead of a cutaway is let's say on a nylon or Carhardt type jacket
flebow: YEs black and charcoal gray
flebow: Our mesh is also made in beige
flebow: On those jkts they are so stable you almost do NOT need a stab
Audience member says: "does it come in rolls or sheets or...?"
flebow: However anything that you can do to aid stability to achieve your tambourine skin is what you want to do
flebow: Die cut sheets 46" and 60" rolls
Audience member says: "is there any advantage of buying on a slit roll, versus cut squares?"
flebow: SO if you add a 1.5 oz tearway behind these jkts you will get extra punch crispness and quality in definition
flebow: Everyone cool so far
Audience member says: "does puffy foam require a special backing?"
flebow: It requires special digitizing
flebow: It does also require a stabilizer - a wet laid non directional one is best
Audience member says: "any particular weight stabilizer for the puffy foam?"
flebow: Too many varianbles to answer on just this info the weight and stretch of the material stitch count and stitch density
flebow: But it is MOST important to digitize properly for this
Audience member says: "I have heard that if you use multiple layers of backing... you can get slipping. Is that the reason to use a single layer?"
flebow: That is a very good reason, Bulk and waste is another DO NOT overstabilize
flebow: I really want you to buy more stabilizers but truly one layer is all you "should" need
flebow: If you use 2 every now and then so what
Alan: but you are saying the rule of thumb should be to use one layer of proper backing, versus multiple layers of incorrect backing
flebow: YEP! DO not overstabilize
Alan: Well once again that time has arrived to bring this portion of the event to a close.
flebow: Remember when we start again that I mentioned the next to best backing in the world
Alan: What is on for Part 2 of this series?
Alan: For next Tuesday
Alan: tonight is part one of a 4 part series
flebow: Yes, if anyone asks we will discuss the best backings and then we can talk about strange stabilizers.
flebow: or different stabilizers for different projects other than just a tearaway and cutaway
Alan: okay.... then
Alan: If you would like to contact Fred,
Alan: his email is: flebow@htcproducts.net
Alan: Or through his company's website at:
Alan: http://www.htcwproducts.net
Alan: Fred, thanks for being with us tonight.
Alan: That is the conclusion of tonight's event, a transcript will be posted to the Embroidery Industry Calendar within the hour.
flebow: Thanks
flebow: Alan and everyone
Alan: Next week is part 2 of this 4 part series on Stabilizers.
Alan: Thank you for your support of the EmbroideryMall.
Alan: Now everyone back to Latte's
The PalacePresents event "Stabilizers" is over.
Thank you for attending.

Closing Log (May 25, 2004 10:30:10PM)

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