jimerickson

Thanks for letting us know what the problem is. Please let us know what APQS factory did to repair it when the repairs are complete. Jim

I added hand wheels to the rollers on the Ult 2 table I rebuilt 12 years ago. The original Ult 2 table only had 3 rollers, I added the fourth "leveling" roller during the rebuild. I completely redid the roller mount system, using pillow blocks to mount the rollers. I welded extensions to the roller shafts on the right ends of the pick-up, backing, and quilt top rollers. This extended the shafts about 1.5" to 2" beyond the pillow blocks, and provided the necessary shaft length to mount the wheels. I'm not sure how much your roller shafts extend beyond their mountings so I don't know if you can do something similar without adding length to the shafts. If not, you could do as I did, and have the lengths extended enough for hand wheels. In order to avoid alignment problems, I welded 1/2" rod stock to the shafts rather than the 5/8" rod the roller shafts are made from. I think the half inch size also made hand wheel selection easier. I ended up using 4" hand wheels I bought from Grizzly Industrial. While modification is involved, removing the 3 rollers in question from your table and taking them to a local welding shop shouldn't be too difficult. It certainly would solve your problem. Good luck. Jim

Those "pebbles" do get tedious, don't they? Photo looks great. One thing I've never liked about the Lenni tables is the fact the roller rack doesn't have any facility for adjustments. I made sure when I designed and rebuilt my Ult 2 table, that I could adjust the roller positions some so if I didn't like where they were, I could move them. There's some adjustment that can be made on the Millie table, but not on Lenni. I guess you'll just get used to where they are as you use the machine. Keep up the good work. Jim

Zoltan is the owner of Kasa Engineering, and the person who makes Inteli Quilt, Intellistitch, Edge Rider wheels, et al. Go to the Intelli Quilt website for info. You'll probably have to call in order to get info on CompuQuilter support. Good luck. Jim

Gfossman: There's probably a burr on one of the lock screws holes in the hook. I had the same problem with my Ult2 years ago. The burr got pressed into the hook shaft and bound the hook to the shaft. Finally managed to tap it off. Remove all of the hook locking screws when trying to move it. I do have a question about your attempted repair. Why are you trying to remove the hook when you simply need to re-time? Timing is usually simply a matter of rotating the hook one direction or another, or moving the hook a few thousandths of an inch forward or back. I would suggest that your try to move the hook back to where it was when you started. Simply tap straight on the shaft/pin that centers the bobbin in, with a soft hammer and see if you can't get it to move back. If you get it back in place, try rotating the hook back and forth to press the burr so the hook is movable and then do your timing adjustment. An alternative would be to tap the hook off the hook shaft. Again work gently, and try to support the hook shaft so it doesn't move. If you get it off, find the burr on the hook and polish it off. Similarly, examine the hook shaft, and polish off any defects that might have occurred from said burr. Good luck. Jim

Sue: I think the adjustment is via assentric mounts on the wheels. Loosen the bolt, then turn the wheel/axle, and the wheel itself should move in or out. When you have the wheel in the proper position tighten the bolt and the adjustment is complete. I can see from the photo that the wheel is not properly adjusted. I think the rail should be completely within the wheel groove. I don't know whether this adjustment will solve your problem (my guess is that it will) but I'm sure your wheels are mis-aligned. I don't know whether the wheels on both sides of the machine can be adjusted, or if only one side is adjustable. Maybe someone else here who has a horizontal wheel machine can chime in, or you can simply experiment with your machine and learn for yourself. Good luck. Jim

Aren't there adjustments on the machine wheels the same as non-bliss system? The linear bearing is on the carriage wheel assembly as far as I know. The machine wheels are where I'd look for a problem. Jim

Sue: Check and make sure the wheels are properly adjusted. With the vertical wheels on your Lenni, There was no up/down movement of the wheels because of the weight of the machine. With the horizontal wheels, if the wheels are not tight, the machine can vibrate up and down. I'd tighten the wheels until the machine requires a bit more effort to move it. If you still have up/down bounce when you run the machine, then it's not the wheel adjustment. If the bounce goes away, then it's the wheel adjustment. If this solves the bounce problem, then I'd begin to slightly loosen the wheel adjustment, trying it each time until the machine moves with normal effort. Good luck. Jim

Well, so far APQS has been great about supporting their older products. For years there was virtually no difference between one year and another. Now with the recent "square" machines I'm not sure what all was changed. If history repeats itself, no worry. I have a 25 year old machine, and have had very few problems. APQS was there when I needed help ( I replaced the needle bar and needle bar bushings on my Ult 2 a few years ago.) The machine I have is simple enough, and fitted with standard sewing machine parts, so that I've been able to deal with the few issues I've had over the 12 years I've owned her. The standard parts have allowed me to modify my machine in several areas, which has really given me a custom machine more to my liking than a standard model. I don't think buying a used machine puts you at risk, even in the long time horizon you suggest. Just my opinion. Jim

Try using a steel punch or drift and tap the shaft out. Hold the assembly in a vice and gently tap on the shaft to knock it out. Remove the lock screw before you begin just to make sure it's not holding the assembly together. Good luck. Jim

I don't know about the price, but if you really want to long arm, I wouldn't start with this. I'd look for a good deal on an old APQS, Gammill, or Nolting. Nothing will kill satisfaction/fun long arming like poor equipment. The "real" long arms are industrial quality machines, so even old ones can be made to work great. You'll probably have to boost your budget a few hundred dollars, but in the end you'll be much happier. Just the opinion of someone who's had 4 different long arms. Jim

If you're running an IQ and are concerned about breakage, it's probably worth your time to try the Schmetz needles. In my experience, they don't break as easily as the MR's. Titanium coating only makes the needle more wear resistant, not stronger, so they wouldn't help. Jim

You should be able to unscrew the bolts that hold the machine wheels on by simply using an appropriate size wrench (7/16" I think). If you have a problem with the axel turning, simply clamp it with vice grips to hold it. If the bolts are really frozen, it would probably be a good idea to soak them in liquid wrench over night to help unfreeze.

Stephanie: It sounds to me like you have tension issues. Here's what I suggest: 1) Stop using Glide thread. I've always had issues with it, and as a beginner I don't think it's where you should start. After you become comfortable quilting, and adjusting tension, then try Glide. While you learn, use a strong poly long arm thread like YLI's Longarm Professional. 2) Tighten your top tension up until the top thread pulls the bobbin thread to the top of your quilt sandwich. Then begin loosening it until you get a balanced stitch. 3) Study the timing instructions you have for your machine. Make sure you understand what you're looking at, and how to make adjustments to timing. It's essential you know how to time if you plan to long arm. 4) Check the position of the black "finger" the keeps the bobbin basket from turning. It should have as little engagement in the assembly as it can, and still securely keep the basket from turning. Too deep an adjustment catches thread,and causes all sorts of issues. I find that a good bit of both top and bobbin tension produces predictable results. I've seen a lot of suggestions about tension adjustments that in my opinion, are too loose for good stitch formation. Mastering tension is of paramount importance. Start with good strong thread, tight stitches, and go from there. Hope this helps. Good luck. Jim BTW, oil your hook regularly. Dry hooks make a lot of noise.

Twelve years ago, I had a machine shipped from FL to TX. I used an online shipping service called U-SHIP. Independent small carriers bid on the job, and you pick the one with the level of service that suits you best. The process was simple, and I couldn't have been happier with the results. I don't know whether they are still active, but do a search and check it out. Good luck. Jim

Think about what will show under the "gauzy" fabric. Batting choice might be very important. Do some experimenting before you commit. Jim

Don't think there's much you need to do. Just clean and oil. Put on a scrap sandwich and do some quilting. Check how your stitches are, make any tension adjustments you think necessary, then you should be ready to start quilting. Jim

I find the electronic vertical and horizontal locks to be invaluable. You can get along without them, but if you have the option to include them with a purchase, buy them! Much more valuable than a lot of the other add on's. I wouldn't want to be without them. Jim

Lyn: Maybe your tension assembly is dirty. Take it apart, clean everything, reassemble, and see it that doesn't help. Good luck. Jim

Try oiling the needle bar through the hole in the front of the machine. These are not supposed to need oil, but I put drop on mine once in a while just to make sure it's lubed. Check the belt. It may be slightly out of place and rubbing on something. Good luck. Jim

Marie: I wouldn't oil my thread. Silicone will do anything oil might, and do it without risk of fabric damage. I have retractable wheels on my Zelda. More involved than casters, but when raised, the machine sits firmly on the floor. Just another option. Jim

Missy: If you have the backlash spring properly installed in your bobbin case, then it's an issue of tension. You need to tighten cone thread/loosen bobbin thread tension 'til you get a balanced stitch. If the tension is so much different from magnetic to backlash spring bobbins, I'm guessing you don't have the backlash spring properly installed in your bobbin. In my experience, removing and reinstalling backlash springs is something I don't like to do. Getting them properly installed is a bit hit and miss. I agree with Sue's suggestion of buying a second bobbin case for use with your studio wound bobbins. Now both my machines have M bobbin systems and they might be more difficult to switch around than the L's. I don't know. But for my own convenience I'd invest in an extra bobbin case. Good luck. Jim

I've used both. Don't see any difference M or L, but half as many bobbin refills for the M really favors it over L. Jim

Patty: There's a large weight bolted to the front of the Ult 2's (or at least there was on Zelda) to help balance the machine. (I guess most people lifted on the handles, so the machine tipped backwards, opposite yours) You can remove that weight, I did on Zelda. I'm guessing your issue is something else though. I've seen at least one Ult 2, maybe two, with only one table track -don't know why anyone would remove one of the tracks, but they did. Do you have two tracks on your table? Do your machine wheels ride on top of the table tracks? Are the machine wheels in the carriage, in the slots of the carriage extrusions? Are the wheels worn so bad that they wobble? They should not wobble. Post some photos if you can, and I'll look for things I think might be wrong. Jim

Patty: If you go to my account, you can look up all the posts I've made. Go back to about 2013, and look at the post titles. You should be able to pick out all of the ones involving my machine/table. You'll be able to see everything about Zelda, my Ult 2. My photos may not be as helpful as you'd like though. since I rebuilt my table, and in effect have a custom set up. A lot of the table parts are the same, but in a completely new configuration. Hope you find something that helps. Regards. Jim