jimerickson

For years I've puzzled over sewing machine needles and the vast range of nomenclature to identify them.  It started more than ten years ago, with my wife's Babylock serger, and has been a puzzle for me ever since.  Little by little I'm beginning to unravel this mystery.  Heidi's post of a week or so about Schmetz needles got me going again.
 
I have used Groz-Beckert 134 MR GEBEDUR FFG/SES needles almost exclusively, with an occasional Singer 1955 MR needle thrown in.  They've served me well, but I'm always interested in trying new things with the hope I might find something that I like better.  With that in mind, I just ordered some needles made by Schmetz, and Organ that I think will work in my machine (this is where the mystery comes in)  It is difficult to know exactly what needle works in my machine from the package nomenclature.
 
Here are the package ID's of the needles I use, and the ones I ordered:
 
Singer                  Groz-Beckert  Schmetz*           Schmetz              Organ
1955-01-MR4.0   134 MR           CANU:20:05 1   CANU:20:05 17    135x5
Set/R                   1955MR          134R                 134R SERV 7      DPx5
134    135x5        134 SAN 11     135x5                135x5 SERV7     135x7
797     DPx5        DPx 5 MR        SY 1955             DPx5  SERV 7    134R - 1955
                                                   DPx5
 
The Schmetz needle with the * is the one Heidi is using.  The other is the one listed as the long arm needle on the web site link that was referenced by someone else in that thread.
 
Now I do know what some of the designations mean.  For instance the MR stands for a needle configuration intended for multi-directional sewing.  The 1955 represents a style of needle I think, and is probably duplicated by the R, and Set/R designation.  The DPx5 I think means the same as the 135x5 and the 134 which I believe is the length of the needle, and the position of the eye.  The CANU 20 I think represents the thickness of the needle shank.  I know that the SAN 11 is important, but I don't know exactly what it means.  Perhaps, how large the scarf is.
 
The MR (multi range) needle provides a particular blade configuration and shank that is stiffer than others to proved needle deflection resistance.  The SERV 7 design provides the same sort of benefit as the MR, but in a bit different way.  Both have a larger and deeper thread groove in the front of the needle.
 
Interestingly, the size needle recommended by Superior Threads, deals not with what you're sewing, but rather what thread (mostly size) that you're using.  I notice that they recommended using an 18 or 19 size needle for King Tut, and a 19 or 21 size for Lava.  Perhaps folks who use these threads (I don't), and have problems, have so, because they are trying to use too small a needle.  The size of the groove in the front of the needle being the issue, not the needle eye size, needle diameter, or the fabric being sewed. 
 
I plan to experiment with the three new to me needles on the list, and find out if, and how well, they work.  I'll up date this thread with my impressions and thoughts on each.  Jim
 
BTW, I'm not quite sure about the nomenclature on the second Schmetz, and I'll check it, and make any appropriate corrections when the packs of needles arrive.  Also, anyone who know exactly what any of the designation codes mean, feel free to share your knowledge.

I bring this thread forward for the benefit of our more recent joining members.  I'll look and see if I can find a source for the Schmetz SERV 7 needles, and if I can, I'll add that to the thread.  Regards.  Jim 

Are you talking square or level?  If it's square, then your frame is "racked" and needs to have the long corner pushed toward the short corner.  I don't know exactly how your frame is made, but I'd guess by loosening the bolts holding it together and forcing it toward square, then tightening the bolts, would do the job.  You can check squareness by measuring diagonally corner to corner.  Your table will be square when the two measurements are exactly the same.  
If you're talking about level, then adjusting the height of the individual legs should do the job for you.  Good luck.  Jim

Tammy:  Used APQS machines are great.  Industrial quality, great factory support.  You can hardly go wrong buying a used APQS machine.  Start looking in the used machines for sale forum here.  Good luck.  Jim

Tammie:  Have you considered simply having your table cut down?  I think it's doable, and having it cut down may be easier than replacing it.  good luck.  Jim

Sorry Betsy, I don't have a camera, nor a smart phone, so photos aren't an option.
What I did was to use the large wire spool guides that came with my Ult 2, and faced them backwards (toward the back of the machine rather than to the front as intended). I used the screws that held a cover on the back of my machine, to fasten them.  I had replaced the original wire guides with some Gammill ceramic eyed guides earlier so the wire ones were just laying around.  I took some heavy stiff wire, and bent a hook on each end that captured the wire guide eyes, made a large loop around the cord with a zip tie, then hooked a coil spring about 5 inches long, one end to the zip tie loop and the other to the wire between the two repurpaced thread guides.  The full length of the rig is short enough (actually adjustable by the size of the zip tie loop) to lift the cord up and keep it from dragging on the table.  The spring serves to provide movement and forgiving tension in the event the cord should get stuck on something.  The spring just happened to be one I had laying around salvaged off something else I had at one time.  It looks like a short screen door spring with the typical hooks on the ends.
Hope this helps you understand what I did.  Jim

Sounds more like timing issue than tension.  Check your owners manual section on timing, and see if you can't ID, and resolve your problem.  good luck.  Jim

I don't know whether you'll get a reply or not (you might want to personal message her), but if you've found a machine you like at a price you like, I wouldn't let the table length stand in the way of a purchase.  All you need to do is find a local welder/fabricator, and follow the instructions I offered above.  I haven't had this done because I did all the work on my table myself, but I shouldn't think it would cost more than  $200 or $300.  Good luck.  Jim 

I don't know whether you'll get a reply or not (you might want to personal message her), but if you've found a machine you like at a price you like, I wouldn't let the table length stand in the way of a purchase.  All you need to do is find a local welder/fabricator, and follow the instructions I offered above.  I haven't had this done because I did all the work on my table myself, but I shouldn't think it would cost more than  $200 or $300.  Good luck.  Jim 

Don't know whether it's still available, but, yes, the table does break down.  The largest item is the wooden table top itself, 12' long, about 2' wide and 8" tall.  The legs and racks come apart and will lay flat.  The rollers come off, so they're easy to transport.  You should probably personal message the seller to be sure she sees your interest.  Regards.  Jim  

Sheilah:  I don't think there are many Compuquilters here anymore.  I think Kasa Engineering (Intelliquilt) has been supporting Compuquilter since the original folks went out of business.  Try contacting them and see.  Jim

I'm not sure what you're referring to as "check springs", but guess you mean the thread take-up spring on the tension assembly.  If you remove the tension assembly and examine how it's assembled, you should get a pretty good idea how it all works.  The take-up spring is tensioned by the set screw that holds assembly to the main shaft.  Turning the assembly one direction or the other increases or decreases tension, and then setting the screw holds the desired pressure.
The disk spring tension is controlled by the tension knob that screws on the end of the main shaft.   Good luck.   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  

If you look at my post from 2014 titled New Hand Wheels for Zelda you'll find a photo (DSC00019.JPG) that clearly shows my Ult 2 rollers with the hand wheels installed.  I'd have posted to it to bring it forward, but the thread has been archived so post can no longer be made.  You'll have to search for it.  Jim

I think it's probably more than a fuse.  Sounds like you jammed the machine.  Look for thread wrapped around the hook, needle tip stuck in hook, etc.

I think you could probably change to the L bobbin, but in my opinion that's a giant step backwards.  I went from L to M years ago and feel that's one of the smartest moves I've made.  I don't know of anyone who moved from L to M who regretted it.  Having used both systems on the same machine, I can say without reservation, there was no change in quilting performance.  I've followed the forum here for more than a decade and don't recall anyone complaining about an up grade to M from L.  BTW, free motion is all I do.
Back in the day when APQS didn't offer an M bobbin option there was a lot of advertising hype about the L system.  That's completely disappeared since they have had an M bobbin option.  How can changing bobbins twice as often be a good situation?  Learn to use your machine and forget about bobbin size.   Just my take.  Jim

It looks to me like your bobbin tension isn't tight enough.  This problem seems to be compounded by the variegated thread which makes each stitch look a little different.
I'd try bumping the bobbin tension up just a bit.  If that doesn't work then it probably is simply the color of the top thread and you'll have to live with it.  Good luck.  Jim

What exactly is a "front panel"?  Stitch regulator, machine mechanism, display screen?  We here aren't that familiar with A-1 terminology.  Jim

Check out the Q-Bot.  I think they have kits for some of the Asian machines, and the Pfaff  might just be the same as some other brands.  Good luck.  Jim

I used two sided tape to attach my replacement leaders.  I ran a strip the entire length of each roller, using the seam in the tubing as a guide to keep the installation straight.  After I pressed the edge of my new leader down on the tape, again using the edge of the tape/tubing seam as a guide, I added a strip of tape about half the diameter of the roller perpendicular to the already taped down fabric every 18 inches from one edge of the leader to the other.  This helped keep the fabric from being pulled up off the tape.
After 12 years I've had no problems what so ever with the leader coming loose from the rollers.  Now, I have long leaders, so I rarely unwind them til the fabric pulls directly on the tape, which may have helped with the bond.  The installation was both neat, and pretty easy to control.  BTW, the tape I used 1/2" wide stuff I use with my wood working activities.  Hope this helps.  Jim  

There is one more issue.  That is the amount of fabric on the backing roller.  Now backing doesn't take up a lot of room, but it does make the backing roller "bigger".  At a certain point the diameter of the backing roller (roller and fabric) will affect the alignment of the quilt sandwich.  Probably not a practical  issue, but it is there.
I've tried doing this, and found it to be as troublesome as cutting and loading each back separately.  Haven't done it since.  Jim

There is one more issue.  That is the amount of fabric on the backing roller.  Now backing doesn't take up a lot of room, but it does make the backing roller "bigger".  At a certain point the diameter of the backing roller (roller and fabric) will affect the alignment of the quilt sandwich.  Probably not a practical  issue, but it is there.
I've tried doing this, and found it to be as troublesome as cutting and loading each back separately.  Haven't done it since.  Jim

I don't know how the George's work, but sometimes something like this will happen with a domestic machine.  Check the foot control, and make sure it working properly.  Good luck.  Jim

Try cutting the thread, strand by strand, or as much as you can each time.  Pull each thread you cut out until the clog is removed.  Good luck.  Jim 
PS: the last resort would be to remove the hook assembly from the machine.  If you do that, you'll have to re-time the machine after the clog is removed.  It's difficult to loosen the screws that hold the hook in place if you can't rotate the hook (turn the flywheel)  A lot of folks are afraid to do this, but if you're serious about long arm quilting, it's something you really should learn how to do.  One more step to mastering the trade.

I sew it the way they bring it to me.  That said, typically I pin the selvedge edges of the backing to the leaders so that I know the take-up leader, and the backing leader will be parallel.  That mostly avoids cutting flaws.  Jim