Busy Quilting Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Do we have a new fix for cleaning the rails yet? I have edgeriders on and cleaned them and the track with alcohol before quilting. Now 2 hours later I need to do it again. I can see the balck rim on the edgeriders and I know it slows me down once it builds up. Does the black "crud" build up like this on the Bliss table? About to try the ammonia on them, before I start this next quilt. Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Grammy Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Did you wax the rails after you cleaned them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 The black stuff on your rails is oxidation because your rails are aluminum. Not much you can do about it but to clean them regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 As a daily habit, I usually wipe my rails down before removing a quilt from the frame after its finished. I pretty much wipe off the table with a scrap batting and window cleaner; or paper towel and then run it along the rails. Takes 1 minute to do the whole thing and it's done. You can add a very tiny bit of car wax to to the rails every week or so to keep the oxidation down. Just rub in a tiny bit and buff it out. Works good. Every so often I also take rubbing alcohol and q tip and clean the inner arc of the wheels to get any debris or gunk or build up. I don't have a Bliss table so not sure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 I wipe mine down every day that I quilt with a bit of spray furniture polish and use an Alcohol dipped Q-tip on the wheels. I have the MnM's and they are sensitive to any thread bits, lint, or gunk build up but they don't seem to accumulate the black oxidation like the old brown wheels did. I also about once a month clean the rails including the carriage with alcohol and silver polish. A little suggestion from Jame Wallen. Since I started using this combination of the silver polish and furniture polish I have very little oxidation and very smooth operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 I remember reading posts about this a few years ago. I bought, and used the car wax a few times on my rails, then there were posts discouraging this use, so I stopped. Ideas seem to swing around, like eggs are good for you, eggs are bad for you, eggs are good for you, etc. Perhaps Amy will chime in here with the latest thoughts from APQS. I wipe my rails down with alcohol on a piece of an old tee shirt. I clean my wheels this way, too. My table top gets cleaned usually with just a spray of water and wiped with the old tee shirt. Occasionally, I will clean it with Windex and a cloth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o2b Quilting Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 I have Bliss and the rails/wheels still need cleaning but it doesnt' seem to require it as often. I still wipe the rails before removing a quilt to make sure not to get any marks on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 I clean everything around my long arm with leftover pieces of batting, or Viva paper toweling (love Viva!)---and Windex window cleaner. Every quilt. This routine has kept everything nice, clean & new looking. I use Q-tips sprayed with a bit of window cleaner to wipe the around the wheels. I would be careful using any type of wax based or oil based solvent type cleaners around a frame that has a stitch regulator or computer components. Just my 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Lyn, The black residue is indeed oxidation from the aluminum. I wouldn't use ammonia...the better choice is standard rubbing alcohol. Wipe inside the wheels, too. Waxing the rails was recommended years ago when our older wheels tended to cause the oxidation to cling to the wheels. The wax slowed the oxidation process but as soon as you cleaned with the alcohol the wax needed reapplication. The newer black wheels, and now the M&M and Bliss wheels, don't allow the oxidation particles to cling nearly as much so we don't recommend waxing the rails. There are other products designed to reduce oxidation, including the silver polish and car detailing paste for aluminum. Thorough cleaning is the best approach:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Is there anything detrimental about using amonia? I only use it on a q-tip to clean my wheels. I find it works a lot better than alcohol. Jess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Mmmm I use ammonia too. I've been using it for 4 years and never noticed a problem. I use ammonia to clean just about everything. It is a cheap cleaner and it really cleans! My rails stay cleaner than when I used alcohol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Originally posted by hmerrill Mmmm I use ammonia too. I've been using it for 4 years and never noticed a problem. I use ammonia to clean just about everything. It is a cheap cleaner and it really cleans! My rails stay cleaner than when I used alcohol. I use amonia to mop my floors and wipe out my refrigerator. Spring cleaning wiping out drawers, to get the goo build up (grease) off of kitchen cabinets, etc... Love it! Great stuff. Never used it straight (-- undiluted) on the longarm frame though. it's an all-purpose cleaner so I think it would be OK. Pretty much if you think about it:::: Windex has amonia in it! I use Windex to wipe down my tables and rails. Windex is amonia but is just watered down version with fragrance added (and maybe a some other chemicals in there) PS: I use sudsy amonia to clean my gold jewelry and diamonds... after the tooth brush to get in the setting, they really SPARKLE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 I use amoinia on all sorts of things as well. Cleans better than most of the expensive stuff. I also use it on my plexiglass Millie table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 I clean the rails and wheels regularly. What I am finding is I am having to clean my Edgerider Wheels even more frequently. I can feel the drag when they are not clean and this can be after only two bobbins work. Maybe I am really sensitive to how well the machine can move when they are squeaky clean! Very rarely do I have to clean the wheels on the carriage. I will try the silver polish. I was curious if the Bliss rails required as much cleaning. Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Originally posted by Busy Quilting I was curious if the Bliss rails required as much cleaning. Lyn I had the old-style brown wheels on my Milli which needed regular cleaning. The Bliss with the M&Ms still need to be maintained on the carriage, but the table "rail" on the Bliss is actually a steel rod. It gets a wipe-down for dust and thread bits, but does not get oxidation build-up on it. I also use my air compressor to blow out the "pods"--the components that hold the ball bearings. They can collect debris. I can tell when the carriage rails need cleaning--the oxidation forms flakes that rain onto the table and remind me if I haven't been diligent with the cleaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan did it Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 May I be so bold as to ask why the heck the table rails were not made of the same anadized aluminum as the top rails. I surely would have paid more to have less cleaning, and I don't think I am alone!!!:P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 If you are talking about the carriage, I believe they are the same. I hae to clean the carriage wheels and rails just like the table rails. Course I could be wrong, maybe some one from APQS could answer this one. It only takes a few minutes to clean all of them. If I do my silver polish it only takes about 15 min. On a daily basis or inbetween quilts maybe a min or 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted July 5, 2011 Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 I'm with you all. I clean my rails with "windex" and my edgerider and IQ drive wheels with alcohol (high alcohol content). I have the IQ on my machine and if there's a build up of oxidation on the rails or wheels it will read it as an obstruction because it does slow down the movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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