AK-III – How to change from cut pile to loop pile or the other way around.
Your AK-III comes set to Cut pile. This tutorial leads you through all the steps to change from cut to loop. Or change your blade when it’s not cutting nicely anymore.
Things you will need to do this:
– adjustable wrench
– Allen key set that comes with the AK-III
– Loop plate or blade (to switch to loop or cut pile)
– Flat screwdriver
– special pliers
As always before you start working on your tufting gun you want to make sure to unplug it and take it off your air hose.
Now let’s begin.
For changing the blade or switching from cut to loop /loop to cut, you alway wanna have the smallest feeding wheel in position. That will just make it much easier to unscrew certain parts. (If you haven’t done this so far, head over to the change pile height tutorial.)
Take off the foot of your AK-III by losening the top screw with your allen key.
Now take off the needle of your AK-III. Use the pliers that come with the tufting gun to unscrew the plate that holds the needle in place and make sure to have all the parts at a save spot where you don’t lose them. (screw plate, washer and needle)
Now unscrew the nut on the tip of your tufting gun with an openended wrench. You will realise it’s very tight and the thing is moving. Turn it until you are at the innermost point. Push it down and then your able to loosen the nut.
!!!!Watch out this is important!!!!!
Now put your flat screwdriver in the gap next to where the air usually comes in and hold all this in place (there is a spring inside which is going to ”shoot” metal parts at you if you don’t secure them!)
When you secured the part as described above you can now push the center screw down and then slide out the blade. Put the loop plate, and the tiny washer underneath back in place, slide the screw back trough it and tighten it again with the nut. Make sure the screw is really all the way out and you tighten the nut carefully but firmly.
If you are going from loop to cut, make sure the blade isfacing the right direction like shown in the picture.
Now you put the needle back in place and position the foot correctly and you are ready to tuft again.
If you have any more question just leave a comment below or send us an email to help@tuftinglove.com