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Watch the video: BAI Embroidery Machine: Free Accessories & How to Use Them by BAI
If you’ve just unboxed your BAI machine, this is the tour and tutorial you were hoping for. We’ll walk through every free accessory, then put them to work—hooping a T-shirt, installing handrails, removing and installing the cap driver, setting up the cap station, and hooping a cap step by step.
What you’ll learn
- How to identify everything in the numbered accessory boxes
- The sequence for hooping a T-shirt with stabilizer for flat embroidery
- How to install handrails correctly (orientation matters!)
- How to remove the pre-installed cap driver and reinstall it safely
- How to set up the cap station, hoop a cap, and connect it to the machine
Introduction to BAI Embroidery Machine Accessories
What’s in the Box? (Numbered Boxes & More) Open your cartons and you’ll find a straightforward layout that keeps setup simple. You’ll see the operation system manual, a toolbox with essentials, and four numbered boxes (01–04). There’s also a large embroidery frame shown during the overview, a pack of pre-wound bobbins, and an auxiliary tabletop that can be installed on the stand.
- Box 01: A set of T-shirt hoops in different sizes for garment embroidery.
- Box 02: A pair of handrails (also called armrests or handles) used to support and secure garment frames during embroidery.
- Box 03: A cap station, a cap frame, and a small bag of clips for hat embroidery.
- Box 04: Supporting feet and universal wheels for mobility and stability.
During the overview, you’ll also see a large oval frame, part of the included accessories that support various projects.
Why Use Original Accessories? The video demonstrates the installation and use of all these included parts so they fit and function as intended. Staying with the in-box accessories ensures alignment with the machine’s rail, driver, and frame geometry. It also means your screws and tools—like the Number 3 wrench—will match exactly.
Step-by-Step T-shirt Embroidery Setup
Hooping Your T-shirt for Perfect Stitches For a clean, flat stitchout, hooping is everything. The process shown in the video is minimal but effective, and it hinges on fabric tension and stabilizer coverage.
1) Choose the right T-shirt hoop from Box 01. Then, loosen the outer hoop’s screw by twisting anti-clockwise to free the inner hoop. 2) Remove the inner hoop, and loosen its screw a bit to slightly expand. Position the inner hoop under your T-shirt at the embroidery location. 3) Place stabilizer so it completely covers the frame area—coverage is essential to keep stitches crisp.
4) Insert the outer hoop from above. Orientation note: the outer hoop’s notch must face up. Push down firmly to seat the sandwich: inner hoop, fabric, stabilizer, outer hoop. 5) Smooth the fabric so everything is flat and taut within the hoop. Then re-tighten the inner hoop’s screw and the outer hoop’s screw. Pliers can be used for extra tightening if needed.
Quick check
- Is the stabilizer fully covering the hoop area?
- Is the notch on the outer hoop facing up?
- Does the fabric look smooth and evenly tensioned?
Installing and Using the Handrails With your T-shirt hooped, it’s time to install the handrails (Box 02). The screws are already in the handrails, and the Number 3 wrench in your toolbox is the tool you’ll use.
- Identify the 5th hole on the machine’s gantry rail. Align the right handrail with that position, and orient the opening so it faces left. If alignment feels tight, slightly loosen the handrail screws before seating. Tighten securely.
- Install the left handrail the same way—with its opening facing right—then tighten all screws. Re-check with the short side of the wrench to ensure everything is snug.
- Slide the hooped T-shirt frame onto both handrails, making sure each side matches and locks securely. After embroidery, lift slightly and slide it off.
Watch out
- If a handrail faces the wrong direction (right must face left, left must face right), your frame may not slide or align correctly. Loosen, re-orient, and re-tighten.
From the comments
- A viewer noted their handrails wouldn’t slide on even after loosening the screws. The channel recommends contacting your sales representative so engineers can help resolve the issue. Another user asked how the removal was done, suggesting that alignment and orientation are common sticking points.
Mastering Cap Embroidery
Removing and Installing the Cap Driver The machine often arrives with the cap driver already installed. If you want to run flat or T-shirt jobs first, remove it; later, re-install it for caps.
Removing the cap driver - First, remove the cap frame from the driver by pressing all three clips at the same time, then pull away.
- Using the Number 3 wrench, loosen the two rail screws (use the short side of the wrench). Leave the screws on the rail—do not remove them completely.
- Place your thumb on the rail and your other fingers under the driver. Slide the cap driver off the gantry rail.
Installing the cap driver This begins with a crucial setting so the machine can auto-position the rail:
- On the touchscreen, tap size, select Cap 1, and click OK. The machine will automatically adjust for cap embroidery.
- Orient the cap driver so the four wheels face up. Center the driver visually.
- Insert it carefully so the wheel slots align perfectly with the gantry rail. Move the driver to match the 5th hole on the rail. Align the other side, too.
- Use the Number 3 wrench: the long side for initial fastening, the short side to finish tightening. Ensure both screws are secure.
Pro tip Select Cap 1 before installing the driver. Skipping that step can cause misalignment and may risk damage.
Setting Up the Cap Station The cap station mounts to a table edge using a hand-tightened black knob.
- Loosen the black knob by turning it anti-clockwise to match your table’s thickness.
- Seat the station so the base fully contacts the tabletop—no gaps.
- Tighten the knob to secure the station in place. Stability is your goal here.
Quick check
- Push and wiggle—there should be no wobble after tightening.
Hooping a Cap Like a Pro With the cap station secure, attach the cap frame and then the cap itself.
Mount the cap frame
- The cap frame has a notch that must face up when you slide it onto the station. Align the notch, push firmly until it clicks in and holds steady.
Hoop the cap
- First, loosen the chain on the cap frame.
- Place a small piece of stabilizer on the frame.
- Open the cap’s sweatband, then seat the cap onto the frame. Position the cap’s center line slightly to the left—after chain tension is applied, the cap shifts right a bit, centering the design.
- Tighten the chain so it catches the bottom edge of the brim closely. It should not sit high; it needs to hug the brim’s lower edge. Pull until it clicks securely.
- Use the small clips included in Box 03 to secure the brim to the frame for a firm hold with no wrinkles.
Watch out
- If the chain is hard to clip, slightly loosen the small black screw inside the clamp with a wrench to adjust its position, then re-tighten and try again.
Transfer to the machine
- To remove the hooped cap from the station, press the two station clips at the same time, then pull the cap frame away.
- At the machine, tilt the hooped cap frame upward, align the frame’s notch to the driver, then push all frame clips at once to lock it to the cap driver.
- After embroidery, press the three clips simultaneously to release the frame and slightly flip the cap to remove it.
Essential Tips for BAI Machine Owners
Machine Settings for Cap Embroidery
- The single most important pre-step is choosing Cap 1 in the size menu. The machine will run an automatic chase to position for cap work.
- Center the driver and double-check alignment with the rail’s wheel slots before tightening.
Maintenance and Care for Accessories
- Keep the included wrench and pliers handy—light adjustments are part of daily operation.
- Tighten screws with the long side first, then finalize with the short side for torque.
- When loosening rail screws for removal, keep them on the rail so they don’t drop or go missing.
From the comments: useful clarifications
- A viewer asked about bobbin alerts; the channel replied you’ll get a thread break alert and the machine will stop automatically.
- Another viewer asked about a grooved tabletop; the channel confirmed buyers can choose a tabletop with a groove at purchase.
- A user wondered about a missing manual and different touchscreen color. The channel advised contacting your sales representative for control-system guidance and noted that color differences (like a red vs. white cover) don’t affect function.
- On bobbin cases, the channel noted the machine comes with a bobbin case included.
FAQs About BAI Embroidery Machine Accessories
What accessories come free with the machine? From the video: an operation manual, tool box (including a Number 3 wrench), pre-wound bobbins, a large embroidery frame, an auxiliary table, and numbered boxes containing T-shirt hoops (different sizes), handrails, a cap station, a cap frame, supporting feet, and universal wheels. There is also a cap driver, often pre-installed on the machine.
How do I hoop a T-shirt? Loosen outer hoop to remove the inner. Place inner hoop under the T-shirt at your design location. Lay stabilizer over the area so it fully covers the frame. Insert the outer hoop from above with its notch facing up. Push down firmly, smooth the fabric flat and taut, then tighten both screws. Pliers can help if you need extra tightening.
Is the cap driver pre-installed? Yes, the video shows it pre-installed. Remove it if you want to run flat garment tests first. When re-installing for cap embroidery, select Cap 1 on the machine screen before mounting the driver so the machine adjusts automatically.
What’s the cap station for? It securely holds the cap frame while you hoop the cap and set alignment and tension prior to attaching the hooped cap to the machine’s cap driver.
Get Started with Your BAI Machine Today! With the included accessories, you have everything needed to embroider T-shirts, caps, and more—right out of the box. Follow the orientation notes, use stabilizer generously, and let the machine assist with cap setup by selecting Cap 1 first. If anything feels stuck or unclear, the video’s sequence is a reliable reference—and the manufacturer’s support team (via your sales representative) can walk you through specifics when needed.
From the comments: quick answers you might be looking for
- “Hand reel?” The channel clarifies they mean the handle/handrail used to secure a clothing hoop on the machine.
- Handrails won’t slide? Confirm orientation, loosen slightly, and re-seat. If it still resists, contact support as suggested in the comment thread.
Keyword notes for shoppers and upgraders If you’re comparing options or organizing your toolkit, it may help to use exact terms when you search or label your setup:
- Some makers refer to complete machines and included frames under terms like bai embroidery machine.
- When discussing frames that support garments, you may see phrasing such as bai embroidery frame.
- For consumables and replacements, many users casually refer to their hoops as bai embroidery hoop or simply bai hoops.
- If you run lots of hats, it’s common to hear the cap frame described as the bai hat frame.
- When shopping for bundles, listings may mention bai embroidery machine hoops or a bai embroidery machine frame.
- In user communities, people often share photos of their T-shirt setups with phrases like bai embroidery hoops.
Notes and boundaries
- The video does not specify torque values for screws; the instruction is to tighten securely (using the short side of the wrench to finish).
- Exact hoop dimensions for each T-shirt frame size are not stated.
- Model/software version names beyond the references in the footage aren’t detailed in the tutorial. If your screen looks different, the channel advises contacting your sales representative for guidance.