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Question about removing a rail


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I was just wondering if anyone has ever removed the rail that usually would hold the quilt top if it was not being floated? When I am doing ruler work this rail always gets in the way of my extended base and hangs up, it keeps me from being able to quilt down as far as the machine will go because the extended base wont fit under the rail. My machine is a Lenni and there is not any adjustment for the heigth of the rail. I took it off but haven't tried it yet, thought maybe I should check here first and see if I am making a mistake by removing it. Don't want anything bad to happen because of it. Thanks all I appreciate any advise you all might have for this. I know someone has probably run into this same thing before.

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I've taken mine off a few times once I stabalized the quilt with SID. For awhile a few years ago it seemed evey quilt was a KC Star quilt with huge blocks. It worked OK but I really missed the bar to rest my arms on when doing background fill. Haven't taken it off since.

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Jeanne,

here are a couple of hints that may help you. The end arms on your Lenni have a little adjustability biltong in to them. You can loosen the two bolts/screws that hold the end arms to the table. Then lift up on the front portion of each arm where the quilt top and backing rollers are. Tighten the bolts again while holding the arms up. This may give you enough clearance to allow your base to get under the quilt top roller.

Another alternative is to create a Lenni-style "Texas hold 'em" bar to substitute for your quilt top roller if you have the pressure brake (Lenni's with three independent brake knobs don't need this). This is a stubby piece of quilt top roller that fits into the end arm where the quilt top roller would fit, and gives the brake two rollers to still grab on to. We have Texas Hold 'em bars for Millie tables, but I don't think we have Lenni ones. The good news is that you could substitute any small section of 1-1/2" conduit or pipe as a stubby roller replacement to make the brake work.

The downside to fully floating is not having complete control over the quilt top should a person need to put consistent tension on the top for straight stitching in the ditch, etc. plan to do some pin basting or "needle up-down" basting if you need to control the top more.

Hope this helps a little.

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Guest Linda S

I'd go with raising the bar as Dawn suggests. I have a Liberty and raised my bar so my extended base could slide under. Actually, I never take my extended base off. You gals who float quilts have my utmost admiration -- it takes way too much smoothing and pinning to do that. I'm allergic to pins - they make my fingers bleed!

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Hi Jeanne

I must have had my arms slightly higher than yours and the extended plate has always been able to go under the bars. I did remove that bar so that I had more room for ruler work and it was great. However, I bought a Quiltazoid last year and needed that bar for the base to rest on!

Judy

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I took the "TOP" roller off long ago. I don't pin as I go, and have no problem with SID. I think a lot depends on the kind of batting you use. I use Hobb's 80/20 almost exclusively.

I actually find it easier to keep control of the top as I go, as I can see what problems may lie ahead and deal with them as I go. There is also no danger of overtightening the top.

The Texas Hold'em works great, but you could probably substitute a short length of PVC pipe in the same dimension as your roller for a fraction of the cost.

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks I guess. I resisted removing the roller for a long time, and now wish I had done it years earlier.

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I've had that roller off for two years now. I put it back on to use the Up front CL, but I think I really prefer mymachine without it.

I Have the machine at its lowest setting and once I put the roller back on I need to raise my arms slightly higher than comfortable.

I'll have a quick play with the Cl but I think I w ill eventually take it off agian.

Lyn

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Jeanne I have the same problem as you. I have tried using Dawn's suggestion, but there is not enough play to adjust the front bar to give the extended base enough clearance. I have thought of removing the front bar, but would not be able to use my Quiltazoid without it.

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It is amazing how often a subject comes up for discussion on this forum just when it has been 'questioned'. Only on the weekend were we discussing it at Kadina, South Australia at a workshop with Sharon Schambers!!!! Another LArmer was suggesting the same idea as Dawn with the 'stubby roller replacement' but only now that I am able to look at my Millie has 'the penny dropped!' Yeh, I know, some people are slower than others lol.

Oh, yes, the 2 days of classes AND the trunkshow were wonderful!!

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Thanks for all the great ideas, I have also tried adjusting the bar enough for the roller and there just isnt enough clearance to do that. Dawn, I have the independant brakes on the rails so I dont need the bar to brake the other roller. So I guess that is good for me, I dont need the Texas holdem bar. :cool:

IF I want to sue the CL upfront setup I can put the bar back on as it is not a big deal. I jsut got frustrated with all the space I was losing while working with the base doing my sid. thanks for all the information, I will let you know how it works out for me when I am done this monster sid quilt. New territory for me so I am a bit nervous. Great to have friends in high places to turn to for advise, love you all!!

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Sharni,

Here is a pic of my rail being repurposed, hanging below my rails to hold batting etc off the floor

2724510460098991033S425x425Q85.jpg

And here is a pic of the "little adapter" so the brake has somewhere to attach to.

http://inlinethumb07.webshots.com/47942/2731223430098991033S425x425Q85.jpg

And just in case you're interested, here are my overhead lights we made very inexpensively.

http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/44702/2388696780098991033S425x425Q85.jpg

There are more pic on my webshots listed below.

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I do not have that adjustment on my frame either. I bought my Lenni in May 2011 and there is no way to change the height of any of the rails as there is just one hole drilled into the steel where the rails are bolted on. The carriage that the machine rides on has vertical wheels that do not allow adjustments either.

I have not used my Hartley Base Extender or rulers because the Lenni head seems to be restricted in its movement when a quilt is loaded. The fabric of the quilt seems to cause the base to be restricted and not move well. It was one of the things I wanted to learn about when I had the time to figure it out.

I would be interested in how to adjust the rails given the parameters of the table that came with my machine.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Charmaine

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  • 3 years later...

I have considered taking that roller off my frame as well, but the few things that I like about that roller are:

 

easy to 'mark' where my seams are using c-clamps as a guide when I advance my quilt.   

I rest my arms/elbows often on that roller when doing detailed work and somehow makes things steady.  

 

Things that make me consider removing: 

straightening out the batting and top more easily.

when quilting closest towards my belly,  sometimes the handles need to get adjusted because they get in the way of my arms and the bar.  

my marking pen always hides under it. 

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