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jimerickson

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  1. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Researching used longarms.   
    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
  2. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Looking for SMALLER BLISS Table for APQS Freedom (2012)   
    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
  3. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Cords suspended from ceiling - photos please?   
    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
  4. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Bobbin thread won't pull up!   
    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
  5. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from Cfmom in 14 ft to 10 ft   
    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 
  6. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in 14 ft to 10 ft   
    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 
  7. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from Susanri in SOLD Ultimate II with extras Rhode Island REDUCED!   
    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  
  8. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Used Compuquilter Parts   
    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
  9. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Instructions for changing tension check spring   
    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
  10. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from Quilt fabulous in Adding handwheel to back pickup rail.   
    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  
  11. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from Quilt fabulous in Adding handwheel to back pickup rail.   
    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
  12. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Silver Freedom — big bang and machine dead   
    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.
  13. Upvote
    jimerickson got a reaction from SueD in Changing M to an L bobbin   
    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
  14. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Problem with Top Thread Stitch Quality   
    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
  15. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Front control panel   
    What exactly is a "front panel"?  Stitch regulator, machine mechanism, display screen?  We here aren't that familiar with A-1 terminology.  Jim
  16. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in Grandquilter 18.8 computer compatible?   
    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
  17. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in What Type/Brand of glue works best to attach new leaders to pickup bars   
    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  
  18. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from SueD in how much is too much   
    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
  19. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in how much is too much   
    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
  20. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in George is posessed.   
    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
  21. Upvote
    jimerickson got a reaction from InesR in Thread stuck in hook race   
    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.
  22. Upvote
    jimerickson got a reaction from InesR in Backing Fabric with Print not Straight   
    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
  23. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from dbams in 14 ft to 10 ft   
    I think just telling the welder that you want the table (actually the roller length) shortened to 10 feet.  You need to know exactly how long you want the completed table to be.  Typically table length is the roller length, not the entire table( a 10' table would probably be more than 11' long).  In your case, since the table will be custom, you can specify any roller length you want (e.g. 10'2", 9'9", 10'10" etc).  I would suggest you make the rollers as long as your space will permit.  When you tell the welder how long you want the table, he/she can figure out how long the individual parts should be.  Delivering the table assembled would probably be most helpful.  If you can't do that, at least provide detailed photos of the assembled table.  Special roller lengths aren't anything of a problem because you can make your own leaders, and cut any length you want.  In fact you're probably better off making your own.  That way you can make them any size you want, and out of any fabric you like.  In my case, the rollers are 12' long, so I made the leaders 11' long.  I bought 4 yards of 72" canvas duck, cut in half for the top and backing roller, and another 4 yards which I cut to 48" for the take-up roller.  The extra length (depth?) makes it easier for me to pin, and sew to the end of any quilt.  After cutting the leaders, I surged the edges, and sewed one inch "pockets" on the pinning edge.  Good luck.  Jim
  24. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from Gail O in Thread stuck in hook race   
    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.
  25. Like
    jimerickson got a reaction from SueD in Thread stuck in hook race   
    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.
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