ValerieJ

NEVERMIND -- I looked at the visual reference picture of boxes I received and it clearly tells me that Box 4 includes the table assembly instructions. I should have known -- and it's spiral bound to lay flat or be just one page wide while using -- smart. Thank you APQS sales and support teams. (If I figure out how, I will delete my post so as to not clutter up the forum.) ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ I finally get to set up my new Millie tomorrow. Yay!! I've opened the white "open me first box" and checked the contents. I had hoped to find some printed instructions in there, but, nope. I have downloaded the 101 page manual from APQS website, and I've done a quick review to be prepared for what is needed to set up the table and install the various accessories and features. I know we're going to want -- need -- a printed hard copy in front of us while working. But I don't want to print all those pages only to discover instructions inside one of the boxes as I start unpacking things. Can anyone tell me if our new Millies are shipped with printed instructions tucked away somewhere?

Cagey, thank you! That makes so much sense. (I apologize for the slow response. This is the first time I've been able to visit the forum since I posted. Life!....) I will finally be setting up my new Millie tomorrow, so I will stop and get some plywood squares today. I already have extra carpeting. I feel much better about setting this up now. Thank you.

Thanks for the reply, Laura. The desk mats is something to look at, so thanks. And it reminds me of the spiked plastic squares I've seen in the past for underneath couch or chair legs. I know there will be marks in the carpet, not really worried about that, but the table set-up info says, "If your room has plush carpet and padding, the table’s weight may eventually break down the pad under the legs. You may want to place additional padding under the legs, just as you might under a heavy sofa." I just figure the vibration in the table when quilting is more than a couch that just sits there, so I want to do my best to protect from extra, actual damage.

Andi, I'm very curious if you were able to figure out and fix this timing problem. Was it the belt? If not, what was it? I sure hope all is well with your machine now.

Ugh! I sympathize with you. Exactly why I wasn't anxious to give up my 1997 Ultimate II for the thoroughly modern Millie I just bought, but an opportunity came up and I took it. But I do fear that one day in the not-really-too-distant future (time flies when you're having fun, you know) some part of the technology will become obsolete, and I'll be left, as you apparently are, with a very expensive boat anchor. I hope one of the suggestions works out for you.

I see in the Millie manual (downloaded from website) the suggestion to put a patch of carpet and/or padding under the legs. I figure the carpet would be right side down, so the two plush surfaces kind of schmoosch into each other, and the leg sits on the firmer backing side of the carpet patch. Is that enough or does someone have another, perhaps heftier, suggestion?

Hello, friends! I have been a member of this forum for about 7-8 years, reading and learning a lot from all of you. I have not had as much opportunity to play on "The Beast" (my 1997 Millennium II) as I dreamed when I got her in 2015, but I should soon have the opportunity, and I was lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the Millie sale last month. I will receive my new Millie ("The Sequel") and 12 foot table with the hydraulic lift in the next few days. She will be set up in my carpeted studio (formerly known as the living room), and I want to know what I should and should not do to stabilize the table while protecting the carpet from deep holes. The Sequel is replacing The Beast, which is on a 12 foot wooden table. In order to raise The Beast to the level I preferred as well as distribute the weight and prevent holes in the carpet, under each end of the table I have a 2x4x24" (3 stacked and glued together) into which I chipped out 1/4" impressions for the legs to fit into to prevent vibration causing it to walk off the 2x4 supports. As it sits, the table top is 37.5" high and the belly bar is 44" high. I haven't checked, but have just assumed the new table will be able to adjust to that height without additional risers under the legs, so whatever I put down to protect the carpet does not need to be any particular thickness. What are you using between your table legs and carpet? Is there something that is preferred and, especially, anything that is specifically NOT recommended? I will appreciate any information and input. Thanks and stay well and safe.

M is for More -- the bigger bobbin. L is for Less -- the smaller bobbin. Thanks to the guys (Mark and Josh, I think) at a road show I recently attended for that simple trick for remembering which is which.

Hello! Please forgive me. I am so sorry and I did not mean to seem rude. I have been overwhelmed with work this week and have not been back here. Thanks for the kind words, Connie. Rebecca, Thank you. I'm so glad my post is helpful to someone. I found the information at this site helpful, though I didn't follow it exactly. I read a few blog posts at various sites to become comfortable with the process. http://quiltsnkaboodle.blogspot.com/2010/04/attatching-zippers-to-longarm-leaders.html What I finally did was to mark the center of each zipper part; my leader's centers are already marked. Next, starting at the center, I pinned the zipper to the take-up leader starting from the center and working out to each end. I faced the pins to point toward the center since I'd be removing them as the machine got close. I tried pinning part of it with the pins crossways/perpendicular to the zipper, but I don't think that made it any easier to pull them. Then I pinned the other half of the zipper to the front leader. I did not have a strip of fabric pinned between the leaders as shown in the link above because my leaders are fairly new and the edges are the selvedges of the canvas so I knew they should be straight. If you are not sure about yours, then the method shown at the site linked above may help. I just zipped mine together after pinning, so my leaders were zipped to each other. That way I knew that much was installed correctly. LOL! Finally, using my channel locks (My machine does not have them build in, so I use spring clamps to keep the wheels from moving.) so your machine will only move side-to-side with the zippers zipped together and the leaders taut between the bars -- probably one "click" firmer than I roll a quilt top for quilting -- I stitched from the center out to one end, then came back and stitched from the center out to the other end on first one leader, then the other leader. Because either your leaders are straight or you have pinned along a straight line created using the method at the link above, If you are also attaching a zipper to the front bar for the quilt top, then unzip the two leaders, and zip the remaining half zipper to the take-up leader zipper. That way you know you've got the right one -- and pin that zipper half to the third leader, again starting at the center and working to the ends. Just as before, roll until the leaders are taut between the bars, and stitch from the center to each end. Voila! Zippers attached and you standing there all proud and wondering why you waited. LOL! Some notes: You can attach the quilt back to the zippers using whatever method you prefer, pinning, hand basting, or machine basting or chain stitching on a serger or chain stitch machine -- completely your choice. Some people attach the quilt back and top directly to the zippers. Others, like me, choose to attach a leader to the zipper (mine are 6 inches wide) to keep from wearing out the zipper edge and because the zipper edges are a bit harder to pin through than the leaders I attached. I read a great tip from someone here, I believe, and I am sorry I didn't make note of who that genius is, but you can save time and confusion if you color code your zipper and leader parts. Using strips of ribbon or permanent fabric marker, or whatever method you think of, mark the take-up leader with a color, say blue. Now also mark each of the zipper halves/leaders that will zip to that zipper with the same color. Mark the front leader as well of all the zippers/leaders that will zip to that one with a different color. Be sure to put the ribbon or whatever marking on the top side of each so that you would see each matching color when they are zipped together. In fact, zip them together before marking to be sure you've got it right. Now when you go to attach your quilt back to the zippers/leaders, you will know exactly what to attach where and to which side without any trouble. Thank you, thank you to whoever posted this idea.

YOU GUYS!!! I finally did it! After staring at them for 3 months and viewing video after video and reading and re-reading instructions, and just generally procrastinating, I FINALLY bit the bullet and attached my zippers to my leaders!!! It was pretty easy. I cannot believe I put it off so long. I know you all will understand, so I just had to share. Also, since I was fiddling around with my leaders anyway, and mine have always sagged in the center, even after I bought and installed new leaders, and rolling back and forth with the leaders zipped together didn't really improve the sag much, I decided to work on that as well. With the leaders zipped together, pulled taut with the zipper centered, I spritzed lightly with water, then skimmed the surface with a hot iron to dry it. Still sagging, so I spritzed again, turned on the ceiling fan and walked away. I did that about 4 times and they are almost completely sag free! I think I may roll the zipper to each bar and do the same technique further in on the leader on each side to see if I can get it completely taut all the way across. Still need to mark inches along the edges. Tomorrow I will get the other parts of the zippers attached to canvas tabs about 5-6 inches wide so I don't have to worry about running into zippers while quilting. I also need to get grosgrain ribbon (I guess cheap bias tape or hem tape, anything like that should work, too) in different colors. I recall seeing a hint somewhere that some smart person sewed a different color ribbon on the top of each leader and then the same color ribbon on the top side of the matching half of the zipper to make it easier to get it right when pinning/stapling/stitching the quilt parts to the zippers. I think I'll appreciate all the help I can get, because I really don't want to waste my valuable quilting time removing and re-attaching a quilt back I attached wrong. You can barely see the last little bit of sag near the center mark. (Picture was taken before I stitched the last couple inches of leader to zipper by hand...) Would love to know if you see anything that should be or could be changed or any handy hints or tips.

Excellent question. I prefer this forum. I spend lots of time on FB, more than I should partly because you have to swim through so much stuff. As a couple have said, it is difficult to find what you want with a search. And with all but the last few comments hidden behind the "view previous comments" link you get all the repeated, duplicated answers and so much "hit and run rudeness." I almost always click however many times I must to get to the first comments, because so much information can be hidden there, and then it is easier for me to quickly scroll through/past the repeats. So my preference for this forum has several reasons, including that it seems a more relaxing "quieter" place, not so haphazard, more actual knowledge and thoughtful answers, more consideration for others in general. On the other hand, FB is fun for it's multitude of pictures and inspiration. BTW, I am not known to most people here because I rarely post, though I am here to read the discussions often. I have a 1997 APQS Ultimate II that I aquired from it's original owner 5 years ago -- it has no bells and whistles. It has a light, handles with on/off button on front and back, and a rheostat for speeds 1-10, no interchangeable foot, no computer, no needle up/down, but I love her and she has helped me finish several quilts I might never have done without her. I can vouch for APQS's commitment to their owners, even those who did not buy from them, and the staff's dedication to customer service and the happiness of APQS longarm owners and users. When I am able to upgrade, it will definitely be an APQS. And in 3 years, 86 days, 2 hours, 34 minutes, and 9 seconds I will be retired so I can quilt more than occasionally. Woo hoo!! Then I'll be posting here much more!