jimerickson

There's a really good deal just posted by JudyN on used machines for sale. It's in CA, but such a good value would be worth some shipping expense/inconvenience. Jim

I bought an Ult2 and had it shipped from FL to TX. That was 11 years ago though. I arranged shipping through an on line shipping website called USHIP. I don't know whether they're still going or not. It was a service where you list what you want shipped and the locations, and small independent haulers bid on the job. There were several levels of service available to the customer, from simply hauling to complete breakdown, delivery and reassembly. It cost me $550, and was a very pleasant experience. The fellow that hauled it for me was a school teacher who paid for his vacations and travel by hauling stuff for people. He did a great job, and I was very pleased. I had to wait a couple of weeks for him to assemble other items coming the same way, but it all went very smoothly. Now it's possible that my experience was unusual, but I don't think so. Based on my experience, I'd highly recommend the service. Jim

Looks like longarmforsale bought it and is trying to resell, thus the difference in price.

My guess is that the thick seams are the problem. I've broken needles on them before (almost the only time I ever break a needle) while free handing. Now I try to avoid those type seams whenever I'm quilting. Slowing down might help a bit, but I don't think that's the answer. It might help if you were to go to a larger needle (bigger to push, but thicker and stronger), but you can only go up one size to a 5.0 MR. I personally use Schmetz needles which I think are stiffer and stronger than the MR's, but I don't suppose you have any of them on hand. With your I/Q it might be worth your time to buy some and try them out. Mine are Canu 20:05 17, 134 (R) SERV 7, or135x5 SERV 7, orDPx5 SERV 7 (all the same needle, just different applications. Schmetz advertises you can use a needle one size smaller then MR's with the same strength/stiffness. I buy them off an online Schmetz website, and they're about the same price as the MR's. Schmetz stopped making the MR's several years back when they came out with these. Jim

See my comments on the other post. Jim

Make sure your top thread tension is tight enough. Tighten the top thread until you get "railroad track" on the top, then begin loosening the top tension until you get a balanced stitch. Almost any time I have poor stitch quality it's because my top tension is off. I run my bobbin tension a bit tighter than you. My TOWA readings are between 210 and 225. I do like a tight stitch. Good luck. Jim

Lorri: I do ruler work. If I'm doing SID, I just set the ruler in a place that puts my stitches on the seam where I want it. If I'm cross hatching I use my Quiltazoid rather than rulers. Good luck. Jim

Lorri: I just measured my Classic foot with a micrometer and learned it is .541" in diameter. Slightly larger than the 13 mm I thought it was, but still smaller than the 9/16" that you think yours is. If your foot is actually the same as mine, you would need to remove .020" material from all sides of the loop. If its actually 9/6", you would have to remove .031" from all sides of the loop. I just didn't want to leave you with the incorrect measurements I previously provided. Regards. Jim

Are you quilting a single piece back, or one you've seamed together? If you're using a pieced back, which way is the seam(s) mounted in relation to the rollers? If perpendicular, the seam allowance piles up, making the backing at the seam act like its shorter than the sides. Because of this, I almost always mount my pieced backs with the seams parallel to the rollers. That also allows me to pin the selvage to the leaders assuring me the back is square with the rollers. Jim

PKS: If you look, you'll see that the conversation about the Lucey is almost 5 years old. If you want comments about Lucey models, you'll probably be better served by starting a new thread, and asking you questions directly. If you're new to long arm and looking to buy your first machine, I'd offer that you can't do much better than any APQS model. If you're an old hand, and want specifics comparing one APQS model to another, ask that question. Good luck. Jim

Nichole: Did you call Nolting? Casa Engineering no longer does it, but at least for awhile, Nolting was doing an upgrade to machines other than Noltings. The Intellistitch regulator is the one used by Nolting (or it was the last time I checked) so they would have the parts and expertise. Jim

Lorri: The OEM hopping foot on my Gammill Classic is not 9/16", it's actually 13 mm. Slightly more than 1/2", but not as large as yours. I don't know anything about Gammill's replacement feet, so I don't know whether the replacements are exactly 1/2" or not. When you consider the width of the stitch, 13 mm might be the right size for 1/4" seam allowance. That being said, if I felt I had to have an exact 1/2" foot, I would simply take the foot off my machine, and file the hoop done .018" around its circumference. If you feel uncomfortable reducing the size yourself, just take it to a machine shop, and have them do the work for you. My foot certainly has enough material so that reducing the size would not threaten it's sturdiness. Good luck. Jim

Lorri: I'm having a hard time understanding what you hope to accomplish with the "quick change feet" Gammill used to offer. Maybe you can elaborate. Thanks. Jim

The throat is 26 inches.

Get the delux. Better to have more than you need than to need more than you have. Jim

I don't know much about these machines, but sounds like it needs oil. If you've oiled the hook, then it's probably the needle bar, take up mech, or main bushings. Maybe even the belt. Good luck. Jim

Just straighten the eye holding the bearing so it's at a right angle to the shaft, put a drop of oil on it, and you should be ready to go. Jim

It's certainly out of time based on the photo. If the machine is in the down stroke, the needle should be entering the "thumb notch". If it's on the up stroke, it should be coming out of a gap in the bobbin basket guard. From the photo, it's really out of time, which makes me wonder whether the needle is fully inserted in the needle bar. Unless your hook is loose, I'm hard pressed to figure out how the timing became so off with just a thread break.

My experience is that when this happens to me (flopping thread) that my tension is too light. That's not to say your take-up spring might not need to be replaced, but tighten your top tension first and see if that doesn't solve the problem. Jim

I would forget the Moxie. It's just not in the class with the APQS machines.

If cost is a real consideration, look at some of the used machines listed here. While the bliss option might be nice, the price for it is really high. An older machine without it would serve you well, and could reduce the cost significantly. These machines are industrial strength, so they never wear out, and APQS service is such that anything that might go wrong can be repaired. I've got a 23 year old Ult 2 that serves me well. Great machine. Jim

Check out the photos here under my studio forum listing. They should give you a lot of ideas, and probably some info on how the owner went about the construction. Good luck. Jim

Bee: This post is 15 years old, so I doubt you'll get an answer form the poster. Try personal message to her. She might still be involved. Jim

I don't use magnetic bobbins, so I don't have any first hand knowledge, but I'd guess the needle "jumping" might be the magnet releasing and then re-setting. Maybe OK. If you have another bobbin case, try and check with it to see if it also happens. Before you do anything, try another bobbin. When I buy bobbins I always wind some thread on them, pull them through the TOWA, and if I don't get a steady reading, I discard the bobbin as defective. You might have some bad pre-wound bobbins. Good luck. Jim

Is your needle raised? If the needle is down, it will catch on the bobbin and keep it from coming out. Jim