Head and carriage wheels adjustment

[cjtinkle]

Okay I'm still trying to tweak my wheels. APQS say when standing at the front of the machine, the carriage wheels should be at 8 or 9 o'clock, noon being straight back.

Standing at the back of the machine to adjust the head wheels, they should be at 5 o'clock. But is that 5 o'clock with noon being straight ahead again (now facing the front) or is noon STILL facing the back?

Only I could get confused by this.

[Busy Quilting]

I always took it to be at the front 12 O'clock is straight ahead, when you move to the back 12 O'clock is straight ahead.

ie the clock moves with you, as it does if you give rough directions when you are outside!

THEN - Patty Katydids - explained about a different setting if you have edgeriders.

Lyn

[cjtinkle]

Okay thank you, I just thought I'd better check, LOL I don't have edgeriders.

[Katydids]

CJ, those clock settings are "guidelines" for wheel placement. The best thing to do is go ahead and set to those settings, then get down and look at the rails and see where the wheel is setting on the rail. The wheel should be making contact with the rail in the upper part of the curve of the wheel. Not so the rail is in the center of the wheel, or too far that the lip of the wheel is "resting" on the rail.

Hope that made sense.

[cjtinkle]

Thank you. I think I may need to call support tomorrow. My wheels "look" right, but if I stand in front of the machine and hold the front handle bars and give the machine a quick jerk, the carriage wobbles. Not the head on the carriage, it's firm, but the carriage against the table, is loose. I don't seem to notice this freemotion quilting, but I can certainly tell when I have the Quiltazoid attached, or using pattern boards on the table.

[Katydids]

The carriage wheels are too loose. Go ahead and tighten them up just a bit closer to 9 or 10. You shouldn't get that wobble or fishtail.

Both cams on the carriage should be in the same setting also. If one is looser than the other that can cause the wobble also.

[LinneaMarie]

Do you have edgeriders or the black Millie wheels? The edgeriders like the table wheels to be at 12 o'clock. I have my machine wheels at 5pm; standing in the front of the machine.

[LinneaMarie]

ok,sorry it took me like, 4 hours to post! hahaha I made dinner in between!

[cjtinkle]

I have the black Milly wheels. Even if I tighten them to 12 o'clock, the carriage has a ton of play in it, you can see the wheels move away from the table if you wiggle the handles. However, at 12 o'clock, the carriage is "tight" and doesn't move freely. It doesn't make sense.

[LinneaMarie]

Oh! Oh dear! Call Amy at APQS in the morning. I know she'll get you "back on track"!!(pun intended)!:P

[Katydids]

12 oclock is too tight for the black wheels. Did you try it at about 10? Both cams at 10, and see how it is. did you make sure you tightened up the gold bolt underneath after you made the adjustment?

[cjtinkle]

Yes, the bolt is snugged up. It doesn't matter what position I set the carriage wheels at, the carriage remains very loose on the table.

[DawnCavanaugh]

CJ,

Try abandoning the "clock" analogy for a minute and think about the wheel adjustments this way....

First, find the spot on the adjusting cam where the hole in the top is closest to the outer edge of the cam itself (the manual refers to this as the "narrowest" part of the cam and has photos to help you see this). Get a thin-point permanent marker and put a mark on your cam at this narrow point to serve as a reference.

Now, use that mark to help you determine the wheel setting like this: the farther AWAY that mark points from the rail that that particular wheel is running on, the LOOSER the wheel is. The closer the mark gets to the rail the wheel rides on, the tighter the wheel is.

When the mark points directy at that particular rail, the wheel is as TIGHT as it can possibly be. When it points completely away from the rail of that particular wheel, it's as loose as it can be.

You can start by turning each adjusting cam until all of them are pointing directly at the rails, making each wheel set as tight as possible. Then start turning them a bit at a time, loosening the carriage cams at the same pace as each other, and the sewing head cams at the same pace as each other.

The sewing head cam positions do NOT need to match the carriage cam positions. In fact, most quilters run the sewing head quite loose, and the carriage cams tighter.

You will have a little "play" in the settings, but you shouldn't feel like the machine is fishtailing.

Give us a call tomorrow if you need more help!

[cjtinkle]

Thank you Dawn, I've already left support a message. Disregarding the "clock" positions, with both carriage wheels (I can only adjust the two on the front of the machine correct?) closest to the rails, and yes I watched them make sure, the carriage has way too much play in it. There must be another adjustment somewhere other than the wheels to tighten this up?

[quiltmonkey]

CJ there are actually 2nuts on the machine carriage, and 2 nuts on the table carriage so 4 cam nuts all together. You adjust 2 of these from the back of the machine, and the other 2 from the front of the machine. The two in the back need to match; the two in the front need to match. All four do not need to match. You definitely do not want to have play in your carriage or it won't roll smoothly.

Here is an analogy: When you are looking at your machine carriage wheels gliding and touching along the rails, think of the wheels as being "on step" as a boat would be riding "on step" in the water; the wheels are just touching the rails at apex of the curve; not too deep; so it is not bogged down.

[Quilting Heidi]

CJ sent you a u2u.

[cjtinkle]

Thanks Quiltmonkey, yes I'm aware of all 4 settings, I'm only having issues with the carriage wheels... the wheels that ride the table. The machine wheels (that ride the carriage) are fine.

I was out when support called, getting ready to holler back at them now.