Sharon Schamber stuff

[catsigler]

Originally posted by smhowell

I re-timed my machine for the first time the last time I got on it, and it was a piece of cake (can\'t believe it was still making acceptable stitches as far out as it was). I watched (several times) the Mindy Casperson video, "I\'ve Got A Longarm (and I\'m not afraid to use it!)" which shows the procedure. Only took a couple of tries to get the timing back to perfect. Thank God my hook was ok, although at worst, another one could be bought.

Sharon, what kind of stitches does an improperly timed machine make? I\'ve NEVER gotten decent stitches on the back. I have I have tried for a year to solve this problem, thinking it is a thread tension issue. I have not tried timing my machine. I\'m going to see if our APQS maintennce video tells me how to do that.

[Mary Beth]

okay, I just visted the LQS and there is a fishing/hunting store on the way home so I dropped in. It\'s a big store, but not like Bass Pro or Cabela\'s so when a woman walks in generally they have no idea where to start. And this store is stacked to the ceiling with stuff!! Some little man behind a little wall gave me 4 ceramic fishing pole guides. The smallest they had. Cost $1.19 each. Not bad...probably the least expensive thing I have purchased for my machine since I started quilting .

I have seen pictures that some of you have posted of "spots" on your machine. But could someone post a picture that shows your fishing/thread guides in place so I can see exactly what I am doing.

Also, in reading these posts, am I to assume there is not a guide for the front of the Millie - yet?? I think it is called the needle bar guide - is that right??

Thank you all for your help.

[Mary Beth]

so??? are there any pictures of your makeovers???

[lovetwoquilt]

Hi Raquel,

Yes that is the Juki part that I ordered. I tried to open it up a bit and couldn\'t do it. I had my husband try and after trying for a while, it broke.

I\'ll see what I receive from Raicherts at the end of the week. He is working on a needle bar thread guide with someone near him that has a Millie.

I\'ll let you know. Thanks for the post

[TracyeQ]

I ordered mine from Orange County, and for the money I hope it can be made to work.

I went to order the fishing guides and the postage was $10 on a $12 order, so no way. I have to go to Colorado Springs Thursday so I\'m going to go to Sportsman\'s Wharehouse up there and see if I can get what I need.

I\'ll post pics Mary Beth when I get it set up.

[clovismom]

Tracye

Just take some needle nose pliers and open the needle bar guide up slightly. Then slide it up the bottom of the post so that the top of the guide is against the needle set screw.Make sure the guide is lined up with your needle. I then just tightened it up alittle, again with the needle nose pliers.

I am not sure how Sherry put hers on.

Raquel Birch

APQS Sales Representative

California

[TracyeQ]

Thanks Raquel! I\'ll be sure and holler here if I get in a bind.

[SherryRogers]

Hi Raquel

When I installed mine almost 1 year ago, I used a screwdriver as a wedge and encouraged the installation with kind words.

Just so yawl know (and I am sure I posted this once upon a time)...you can order this part from Dan Baker who is an APQS rep in Utah. He sidelines at Daines Sewing Machine Inc. The part is VERY reasonable although the shipping could kill you! I ordered a handful for my small group of local long-armers. You can reach Dan at 1 800 678-6401

Hope this helps! Holler if I can help you further.

[Mary Beth]

Sherry, you were so helpful. I just placed an order with the guy you get your parts from. The part is $5.50, shipping $10.00...he has the needle bar guide ordered and it should be in any time. I was going to wait for Ed Raichert, Inc, but they are trying to make something work and tweaking...this just seems to be the better way to go. Thank you so much for spending time with me on the phone...you are so nice!!

[SherryRogers]

Very good Mary Beth, I am happy to hear you got the part! Told ya the shipping would about kill ya. Hope you ordered some other goodies as well. The have oodles of thread, boxes of bobbins and all the needles you could ask for to make you spend more on goodies then in shipping! Remember when you get it that you definitely have to install it with the screwdriver acting as a wedge. It is a very tight compression fit.

Always happy to help!

[Mary Beth]

Sherry, I was so happy to find the needle bar guide, I forgot about needles or anything else!! If I don\'t plan to do show quilts, do I really need the needles Sharon refers to? I really don\'t want to mess with retiming my machine. In the first place, I didn\'t get the new and improved manual with my machine - it came out the year or so after, so my directions are not very good. When I get $50 I would rather have thread then a manual, anyday!! Or the thread holders for the front of my machine...or....the list goes on and on

[JudyLee]

I am using the Schmetz needles from Raichert\'s and admit that I love them. I am still confused on how and why you use rice bags. Do you use them on either side of the machine to tighten up the quilt?

I couldn\'t find anything on Sharon Schamber\'s site about side tensions. Can someone explain?

Thanks!

[lovetwoquilt]

Ok. I received the new needle bar thread guide and it still didn\'t fit. I tried to gently use some needle nose pliers and it broke again!

Are all of the needle bars the same thickness on the apqs machines? I don\'t get why I can\'t get it to work. I\'ll have to call Raicherts tomorrow. It actually looked like the same size as the first one they sent me, which was the Juki one.

Any suggestions? Is anyone else having a problem with theirs fitting?

[JudyLee]

Lani,

Yes it has happened to me. The first guide Raichert\'s sent me was for a Gammill machine. It was too big. The second one they sent was too small. My husband tried to expand the second thread bar guide and it snapped in half. He said it was cast and that\'s why it broke.

I talked to Raichert\'s on the phone on Thursday and they said if the second guide they sent didn\'t fit, then they didn\'t have a needlebar thread guide to fit the apqs machines, but would be looking for one. They told me to keep checking on the website. My husband measured the diameter of the needle bar on my Millennium and it is a tiny bit over 1/4 of an inch. 9/32nd to be exact. Sherry has used a Pfaff needlebar thread quide and that\'s what I\'m going to look for. At the cost of postage I would so much rather pick one up in person. I live near Minneapolis and St. Paul. You would thing someone in this large metro area would sell industrial parts. I\'m going to find out.

[SherryRogers]

If you have an industrial sewing machine store locally contact them. They should have or be able to get the Juki part.

[SherryRogers]

Has anybody thought to ask Apqs to make them available?

[Mary Beth]

Woo Hoo...I just called Missour Sewing Machine...the down town store has the part and is sending it to the store near me and I can pick it up next week, for a meesly $6.00 - no shpping!!!

[lovetwoquilt]

hi Mary Beth,

If you have a Millie, please let me know if it fits your needle bar. The 2 I received did not fit mine.

I measured my needle bar (best I could with an omnigrid ruler) and it seems to be a hair bigger than 3/16, but smaller than 1/4".

Sherry, good idea to see if APQS would make them. Do you know if all the needle bars are different sizes? Mine seems to be a different size than Judy Lee\'s?

Thanks for the replys.......Lani;)

[Mary Beth]

Lani,

This is the same part that Sherry has on her Millie. Sherry said in an earilier post....

Remember when you get it that you definitely have to install it with the screwdriver acting as a wedge. It is a very tight compression fit.

So I think we are going to have to use some power to get it installed.

[FrammaJoy]

Why doesn\'t APQS be the FIRST to put these on the machines themselves before they send them out??? And the extra thread guides.

[Mary Beth]

That\'s a good question. Have you watched Sharon Shamber\'s videos online? She says that the people who design the machines won\'t listen to the people who use the machines. If they did, they would hear us say that we have thread issues. She says that we should have thread guides every 4" apart. The fishing pole guides are an easy fix where that is conserned, and inexpensive. Who knows what it would cost if the machine came equipped with more thread guides:D.

I don\'t know if what Sharon says is true, but she has been working with machines a log time, so she knows something.

[catsigler]

Originally posted by clovismom

Did you order juki part # 103-08401 ? That is the one I ordered from Orange County Industrial and what I did was just open it a little and then slide it on the bottom of the needle bar. Slide it up until it touches the needle set screw.

This however places it quite low.

Hrmmmm... I received 103-08401 needle bar thread guide from Reichert this week. After reading this thread, I tried to install it without success. Didn\'t force it to the breaking point. Not sure what to do now. Mine has a hole for the needle set screw, so it should slide up at least far enough for the screw hole to line up with the hole on the needle bar. Perhaps the part number is the same but from different manufacturers? Would oil help it slide easier or make it harder to hold onto? It just looks to be a tad too small for the needle bar.

[TracyeQ]

I got my needle bar guide today. I ordered it from Orange County Industrial and it cost $6 and change, they at first said the shipping would be more than the part, but I said just use USPS and it came in a bubble wrap envelope for the price of a stamp.

Now, I haven\'t tried to get it on yet, I\'ll let you know how that goes after while.

I do have a question though, my DH wants to use Loctite Super glue after I told him I didn\'t want my epoxy spots looking too big or messy. Is there any reason NOT to use super glue? I wouldn\'t let him do it until I asked. I didn\'t know if the epoxy was better for any particular reason.

I got some little fishing line guides, had to run all over town and find a hole in the wall tackle shop that did rod repairs to get them though.

And yes, I was mentioning the needle bar guide to Amy just the other day. She said that Sherry had been mentioning it as well and she would pass on the comments.

I\'ll post pics after I hear from you all about the superglue and get it all attatched.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[TracyeQ]

Okay, I added 3 fishing line guides and the needle bar guide. It went on fine. My DH said he just used a screwdriver and pushed it hard (hope he didn\'t mess up my needlebar height ) I had already moved my needle screw to the right and this guide had a hole in it for that so it fit perfectly. I haven\'t sewn w/it yet so we\'ll see if there\'s a difference.

[TracyeQ]

needle bar guide