Question on Grounding Wire

[LadyLake]

I have a question for APQS staff on the grounding wire and flaking oxidation on M&M/Bliss carriage wheels referred to in the thread below:

http://www.apqs.com/quiltboard/viewthread.php?tid=31885&page=1#pid410608

I have a 2010 Millie with the Bliss system and have noticed a lot of black flaking in the grooves of the carriage wheels, which I'm cleaning off after each quilt with a Q-tip. Is this issue related to the need for a grounding wire that I'm reading about in the above thread? I was not aware that one was needed.

Thank you for your help!

[Primitive1]

I don't have bliss or the M&M wheels, I have edgeriders but also have to clean the wheels daily of the black oxidation, it appears to be part of the aluminum frame side effects. I wipe my frame each day too but by days end the oxidation is there on the wheels...so I don't think it is a grounding issue?

[Gator]

You are right Vicki, the oxidation is a natural process in the aluminum. There's now way of stopping it, other then powder coating the aluminum (expensive).

The grounding strap is to reduce static electricity which can make your machine do things on it's own and not good for any electronics.

[witha'K'quilting]

Our carriages are anodized. The wheels on the carriage do not get the black flakes that the wheels get on the table. The table is not anodized.

[ffq-lar]

This is just my experience--with the old brown wheels I got powdery oxidation that easily cleaned off both the carriage rails and the table rails. With the Bliss, there isn't oxidation in the steel rods on the table, of course, but the M&M wheels on the carriage get the flaky black oxidation and I clean between quilts. My assumption is that the material and shape of the M&Ms compress the black stuff until it is thick enough to fall off in flakes.

I have been using unscented Wet Wipes to clean the carriage rails and the wheels--the alcohol wipes on the baby aisle--and my hands stay cleaner than when using straight alcohol and a batting scrap.

[Borderline Quilter]

Great minds Linda, I too use baby wipes to clean my wheels, heck I use baby wipes for most everything, I have packs scattered all around the house, no babies just wipes they are so useful that I now wonder what I ever did without them?

[DawnCavanaugh]

Joan,

I consulted with our engineer about the idea that the grounding hardware actually decreases the amount of oxidation on the aluminum rails. The grounding hardware now included with M & M wheels does not actually ground the table or table rails at all; however, it does ground the sewing head, where the encoders communicate with the circuit board. Therefore, any decrease in the appearance of oxidation along the rails would not be related to the grounding hardware.

The more likely reason is that the M&M wheel's smooth surface allows the oxidized particles to flake off freely rather than embedding and clinging in the surface of the older style wheels. The older wheels then tended to transfer the oxidized particles back on to the rails, despite great wiping on the rails. The newer wheel surface doesn't let that happen, so diligent cleaning of the rails and wheels themselves results in less build up and better overall performance.

Hope that sheds some light on the question!

[LadyLake]

Thanks, Dawn. I get it now!