… this article is in constant progress as I learn about various knitting machines and their retaining bars. By the way, a chart on which machine uses what kind of retaining bar can be found here. Read how to deal with a stuck retaining bar at the end of this blog post.
Almost all knitting machines and ribbers have retaining bars. Some machines have retaining bars with a sponge attached to them. Some machines (the majority of plastic flatbed machines) have only a long and narrow sponge (without the metal holder). Ribbers come with either a “retaining bar+sponge” assembly or only with the plastic retaining bar (no sponge strip).
The main role of these retaining bars is to hold the needles in place and to prevent them from bouncing up and down when knitting.
Below are the situations when you want and need to remove (and inspect in many cases) the retaining bar:
- When you just purchased your machine (especially used and NOT recently serviced), the first thing you need to do is to remove your retaining bar and inspect it. I made a short video on how to do it because I have been asked about it so many times by my customers.
- When you need to replace faulty needles.
- When you need to clean your machine.
- When you notice your knitting machine mispatterning without any good reason.
Hopefully, you purchased your knitting machine new or recently serviced. In this case, the sponge should be 1-2 cm above the metal edge of the retaining bar.
But in most cases, this is not the case. Thus, it is possible that when you remove the retaining bar, you will see a disintegrated sponge. I’ve seen some spongy strips being just a gooey mess. The old sponge needs to be removed as soon as possible (since it often corrodes the needles) and replaced.
There are two ways to approach this replacement.
First approach: just replace the spongy strip
If you decide to replace the sponge, you will need to remove all this goo. I first use a flat-head screwdriver to scrape all the residue out of the retaining bar canal. Typically, the old sponge residue remains in the retaining bar channels. So, to remove those, I then use “Goo Gone” to remove the rest of the residue. I typically do it outside because it is a very messy process. I pour a thin layer of “Goo Gone” liquid into the retaining bar and wait for a couple of hours. Then I scrape the remains of the old sponge again with the screwdriver. Repeat the “Goo Gone” application if needed. Lastly, I wash the retaining bar with soap and water, wipe it really well, and let it dry (or blow-dry it). You can purchase just the sponge in my store or on Amazon.
I sometimes read in forums that some thrifty machine knitters get simple weather stripping and use them as sponge strips. Well, those have different densities and sometimes do not have a silky ribbon on one side. Also, they are not suited to be exposed to oils and might decompose rapidly, leaving a sticky (potentially unremovable) residue inside your machine.
I read that experienced machine knitters use different ways to attach the spongy strip to the retaining bar. (By the way, the width of the spongy strip is not as critical, and it can be a little bit narrower than the channel of the retaining bar, but not by much). I tried different glues, and my current choice is hot glue. Some machine knitters use wood glue. I apply the glue to the metal part of the retaining bar and attach the strip to the metal by the sponge side (not the silky ribbon side). I then tape the ends of the sponge to the plastic ends. I like using medical tape. Only one layer of the tape is enough to secure the ends of the sponge. More layers will only get stuck when you insert the newly refurbished retaining bar back into the machine. Insert a small section at a time and push the needles gently down. To avoid stripping this tape, push it down on the ends of the retaining bar while inserting it into the machine.
You will see some sellers offer plastic ends for retaining bars. There are several problems with those:
- To insert them on top of your new sponge strip, you will very likely have to widen the metal section of the retaining bar where the ends snap into, and then clip the metal again around the plastic ends. Since you will very likely have to do this procedure often (twice a year), this process deteriorates the metal retaining bar, making it eventually unusable.
- Sometimes the plastic ends do not snap into place easily and pop out of the retaining bar.
- Removing the old plastic ends to insert the sponge strip along the whole length of the retaining bar can also damage the ends of the metal retaining bar.
Second approach: buy a new retaining bar
Or if you do not feel like dealing with all this mess, you can purchase a retaining bar with a sponge already in it. Before you order a new retaining bar, make sure you measure the dimensions of your old bar: its width and its length.
Most commonly used by machine knitters Brother, Studio/Silver Reed/Singer, and Toyota knitting machines have somewhat similar retaining bars but there are some differences depending on the model and the gauge of the machine.
For the retaining bars for these machines, there are three different lengths (41, 43, and 47 inches) and two different widths (0.375 and 0.5 inches). This is why it is important to measure your old retaining bar to ensure that you are getting a retaining bar suitable for your machine. Most JUKI, Toyota, Silger/Silver Reed/Studio, Artisan knitting machines use 0.375-inch wide retaining bars. The lengths are either 41 or 43 inches (depending on the model).
I’ve read stories on Facebook groups, where the new machine knitters were puzzled by the fact that they JUST replaced the sponge bar and the needles do not move, advance, or retract the way they are supposed to. I especially see I happen to be the owner of 8 push-button Brother knitting machines. There is somewhere out there some incorrect information on the retaining bar for these machines. 4-push-button machines use a 0.375-inch wide retaining bar, and the 8-push-button machines use a 0.25-inch wide retaining bar. (I’ve refurbished over a dozen push-button machines and I know the difference first-hand).
Brother ribbers use plastic retaining bars without sponges. When (re) inserting the retaining bar into the Brother ribbers, the concave surface (the “channel”) should face you.
There are machines and ribbers with unique retaining bars (like Silver Reed SK120 and SK121 models, Brother KR321 ribber) – I will keep updating the blog as I am learning more. I am also putting a table on machines (and models) and retaining bar compatibility.
In the meantime, enjoy your adventure in retaining/sponge bar replacement!
PS. I measured several dozen retaining bars with my calipers. Even though the “official” measurement is 0.375 and 0.5 inches, mine are measured as 0.40-0.41 and 0.44-0.46 inches, respectively. This inaccuracy in inches makes me like the mm scale (aka metric) a bit better. So the narrower retaining bars are 10.0-10.5 mm, while the wider ones are 11-12 mm wide. Who knew that just 1 mm would make such a difference, but it does! I had an incorrect bar installed on my KH581 8-pushbutton machine, and the needles would not go back from E to B (or A) position!!!
Sometimes the retaining bar gets stuck. Possible reasons are:
- it was inserted incorrectly originally: e.g., with the metal side touching the needles, or misaligned with the channel or even bypassed the channel.
- sponge strip disintegrated and the old goo got stuck to the needles;
- sponge strip goo rusted the needles and they are grabbing onto the old sponge strip;
Solutions when the retaining bar is stuck inside the machine:
- try to use pliers to pull the retaining bar out;
- if not much is visible to grab, remove the end cap;
- try to do the two previous ones from a different end of the needle bed;
- try to push the needles to E position and try the previous bullet points again
