Post your problems so everyone can learn...

[JudyL]

Many of us post when we are having problems and we get all kinds of recommendations for help. But, I rarely see a post about what actually solved the problems.

You can bet if one person has a problem, sooner or later others will have the same problem.

So, will you try to remember to post and let us know what solved the problems.

I'm thinking about the post a week or so ago where the needles were getting dull real often. Did that ever get resolved?

Thanks!

[Dragonflyquilts]

I am gonna try to make this brief, but here are some of the problems I have had and my resolutions.

1. Machine seemed harder to go one way vs. another.

Solution: Make sure the machine was squared and leveled, make sure that bots that are holding the sleigh to the wheel frame are at the correct tightness.

The unofficial solution: I also waxed my rails.

2. Thread getting stuck in hook area.

Solution: After cleaning, oiling, ajusting and using emory paper, it was decided that I needed a new hook. It only took me about 45 mins to install it, with help over the phone. Machine works like a champ now. (there is a funny story in that, but I dont want to put it here, email me if you want to hear it)

3. Bobbin winder not winding bobbins evenly.

Temporaray- guided thread myself, called Connie, sent me a stand alone winder- cats are scared of it... hehehehe

4. Locks to prevent machine from going back and forth were coming on automatically when I turned it on.

Solution: try flipping the switch on quickly, if not call APQS, they will send you replacment parts if necessary.

5. Laser light pen was cutting in and out.

Solution: After making sure all my connections were correct, called connie and got another one shipped.

6. Vice grips on straps were getting caught on base.

Solution: saw a post here to use curtain rods to hold them up. I use a lot less vulgarity now

7. Thread tension was not coming out correctly.

Solution: Did the yo-yo test on my bobbin casing and it resolved itself that way.

8. Needed a way to hold my patterns in place while I was doing my custom work.

Solution: The DH made me a pattern holder using bendable alumin strips, plexiglass and a yard stick. It rests on the two inner bars of my machine while I am quilting. Got the idea from my sales rep.

9. Problem: machine was making noise that sounded like beads on a plastic tray.

Solution: There was a pocket in grease in my gear box, opened it up - with permission from APQS- stirred up the grease to get the air pocket out and then refilled the hole and put it all back together.

10. Problem: Needle was not stopping when I took my finger off of the control button- I have named it hyper-needle and vowed necrosis (which is med term for death) if it did not stop when I wanted it too.

Solution: Small adjustment to the circuit board screw that controls that portion of the machines brain.

Now, don't be alarmed, this did not all happen at once. This has been over the course of the last few months. And I did try other means of fixing my problems and trying them out for a while before I called and complained again. Connie has been wonderful, understanding, and pleasant to speak to. I almost feel like doing a Ray Steven's impression when I call- " It's me again Margret"

Oh and I have one other problem- DH complains that I spend way to much time in the sewing room and not enough with him. So my solution to that was to start a hand applique quilt. It is a queen size and will be my next quilt show entry for one of my local guilds. Figured I had two years, why procrastinate.

Blessings and hugs

[Guest Linda S]

You're right Judy. We usually don't come back to report about our fixes. I think it's because, once things are fixed, we're off to play happily again, oblivious to the fact that there was ever a problem to begin with! My only real problem so far was with the machine just dying on me after five or ten minutes of quilting. I had to send it back to the factory. Ended up being a blown capacitor on the circuit board. Connie found it the very first day it was back there, fixed it right up, and sent it right back. I've been a happy camper ever since!

Linda

[Teresa]

I have experienced almost all of the same issues but I thought it was me! My goodness I'll be calling Connie on 2,3,4,5,9 and start using the death threat on 10!

Other than the ones mentioned I have problems with the following:

Needle not moving in SR mode and having to power down and restart. After I turn off the channel locks (#4) sometimes it'll move. Of course once we get going #10 kicks in

The overhead cable was a problem, it was hooking onto the back of the machine and bringing everything, including me to a screaching halt. Connie sent me some little white clips and that helped with the sudden stops but now the cable tangles itself in the bobbin thread. Which is already not winding smoothly. So I pull the machine to the far right of the table and wind bobbins there.

The dog likes to roll in the batt (ok chew on it too), I'm working on that. Think I'll be getting the add on batt roll and sending the dog to obedience school. I spoke to Mark about it (the batt roll) in Houston, he said there is one available.

Tension and needles have been working me over lately, well the fact that I went to another brand of thread (customer request) is not helping. Unfortunetly I have half of a queen done and the rip it out choice is not appealing, so this baby will take longer than usual.

Great post Judy!

[sugabear925]

I wish I was finished

I have completed all the xmas projects, but I open my big fat mouth about helping a friend get donation fro lap blanket for little kids at the salvationarmy harbor house in san francisco, so now I'm on a missing making my three and getting 20 lap bnket donated. Well I know it for charity and this is the time of year for giving so I feel realy good to know that something I made and gave to someone esle's child put a smile on their face.

If you would like to donate a lap blanket for a child please contact me: sugabear fashion at;(415) 756-8735 or for more imformation please email sugabearfashion@yahoo.com

please make sure you state donation for the salvation army harbor house

[Kageb1]

Help! I have a Millennium and Hartley Fence circle-maker. I have used both for over three years. However, lately, my circle maker has been making ovals (NOT what I want!) The circle seems to flatten out on the top and bottom (parallel with the long dimension of the table) I have tied several solutions. I have tightened all screws on the Hartley Fence. I have cleaned all the carriage wheels on the Mill, plus cleaned the aluminum rails they ride on. No dice...still getting ovals, and cannot tell what the problem is. Please help. I have a customer quilt on the machine, and she wants hundreds of concentric circles, which I cannot do by hand.) --Karen, in the Cold Hinterlands of Northern Minnesota...

[MarieBrewer]

Problem:skipping stitches when in SR mode. Solution: move the SR wheel closer to the carriage wheel.

[peaches]

Posted here a while back requesting help on HF and Baptist Fans.

I have the 9 and 12 down for the first fan but then after that I seem to be gaining and losing "time" and end up at about 8 and 1:30-2.

also, what do you do at the very end when the full fan won't fit??

This was on a charity quilt but I really don't like the way the bottom worked out.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Alyn

[shadows4]

Kageb1,

I was having the same problem, still do when I'm not careful. I was told to make sure I keep the same pressure on the handle for the entire circle, pushing with the same outward force the whole way. See if that helps any.

[quilterscafe]

Oh my gosh Tracey, you have a lot of patience! It seems that there is a "getting to know one another" period in developing a relationship with your machine! I had no idea there were so many little things that could go wrong! I'm sure its all worth it in the end on the days when all goes right. I'd like to meet Connie one day....Connie if you are reading this, you must be everyone's angel in waiting...how could APQS run without you?!!!

Kathy

[Kathleen]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post, as I am a newbie and just got my Millennium at the end of Sept. I am having alot of fun playing with it, still on the practice fabric (second one since I am not sure I am ready for the real thing!!) I love the front side of the machine and doing freehand, especially writing in cursive. I do need advice on using the panto's. I forgot to ask at the classes that I took for beginners. Is there an easy way to go from row to row (is that how you say it) Or is there a book or publication that would help? Thank you all in advance. Kathleen:)

[Judi]

Hi Kathleen - Welcome to the forum! You can start a new post - with a new

topic if you wish, when it is different from the others.... Also, up at the top

of this page is a search button, you click on that and just type in the key-

word for something you want to read about in past posts. Pantos have

been discussed before - many times! It took me awhile to figure this place

out too! Just wait till you try and post your first photo!!!! Make sure you do

a search and you will be able to read about the "how tos" of doing that

before hand - and NOT get yelled at like I did - for having my photo be WAY

to big! O.K. back to Pantos - figure out the measurement of your full panto,

the side of your quilt, and how many times it will fit. You can use flower-

head pins to mark off where you will start your next row. You might have an

inch to put inbetween rows or so, might have to echo the pattern a bit, or

do a half/row. Not very often do they work out perfectly! I put my needle

down in the quilt, at the spot where the flowerhead pin was, go to the end

of my machine, watching the laser light, I advance the quilt until the light is

back in the starting place. Sorry if that is as clear as mudd, I know what I

do and what I mean, but is a whole 'nother thing to try and explain it!

Good luck and let us know how it worked for you - again welcome - and if

you have any other questions - ask - we will try and help!!

[Judi]

Karen -up in the cold Hinterlands!-

Welcome to the forum too!! Did you get the Hartley to work? Myrna

Ficken is our resident expert on the Hartley Fence. She has a workbook

on it too. She was just across the ocean, and on her way back soon. Not

sure if she is online yet or not. This is her website address:

www.aquilterschoice.com or here is her email: aquilterschoice@tskinc.us

If you look at her photos / webshots / she knows how to use that Hartley!

It is like an extension of her own hand! Hope you have solved your

problem already, but if not, I'm sure Myrna can help!

How far up north are you? Should be about 65 here tomorrow for a high!

[Kathleen]

Hey Judi,

Thanks for warm welcome and the tips and info!! I am such a greenhorn in this forum and need all the help I can get for navigating the site. I am going to go and try the panto tips you wrote and see how I manage...thanks again! Kathleen:)

[Judi]

Great Kathleen - hope it works - and if not - just make a post and you will

get ideas!!!

[Cheryl]

Help!! My stitch regulator is having some problems. For the last year or so it would very occasionally get goofy....long stitches, erratic behaviour. I found that if I unpluged the wheel sensor (after checking to make sure it wasn't out of adjustment or have threads caught) waited a few moments and plugged it back in every thing was fine...for a long while. Now however, the erratic stitches are more frequent. And today a new problem. While in stitch regulated mode I slowed down, stopped and the machine slowed down and stopped as it is supposed to do ....then, it just raced. Scared me half to death. Thankfully I was way to one side of the quilt so it won't be too much ripping, but now I am wondering if someting is going out. Christmas is coming, I have 8 quilts left to fnish!!

Help.

Cheryl in Iowa

[Judi]

Cheryl - Did you get your problem fixed? I had a similar problem awhile back

but not sure if it is the same thing or not....... I called and talked with

Connie (then at APQS) and needed to replace a relay switch at the back -

inside of my machine. They sent great instructions with the part, and I was

back up and running within an hour after the UPS man delivered my part!

Call them in the a.m. and describe the problem..... I'm sure Amy or John or

somebody there will be able to help you!

When my machine did this, it just started pounding - racing so fast ! It just

about scared me to death! I had to shut-it off in order to get it stop- yeicks!

[Cheryl]

Nope, not yet. I have to work today, and with the holiday weekend it will be Tuesday before I can give them a call. Hope it is something that will be quick to fix...I need that machine working. Thanks for the reply.

Cheryl in Iowa

[JudyL]

Cheryl: Mine is doing the same thing and I talked to APQS last week and they think it's the crydom relay (or something like that). I described my machine as sounding angry . . and it does scare me half to death when it does that. I've been having the same problem with the long stitches for a while so I'm hoping that's the problem. I had called a while back and they suggested changing the motor brushes, which I did but that didn't fix it.

I am fixing to dismantle my machine for a move so it will be after I get set up again before I have time to change the part so I'll be watching here to see if that is what solves your problem too.

Good luck.

[Marion]

Does anyone have a problem with your rotator cup causing shoulder pain after quilting? I asked the doctor at my checkup what could be causing the pain and she said repetitive motion. Am I doing something wrong? I try to keep my posture aligned but have to bend over to change the bobbin and sometime have to reach across the quilt to snip the upper thread as the Milli does not cut that one. I am to the point I dread doing the quilting if it is going to hurt so much. Mainly I do pantographs as my Stitch in the Ditch even with a ruler won't stay on the lines. I can only quilt for about an hour and have to stop. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[belquilt]

Marion,

I have a problem with my right shoulder and disc problem in my lower back. My Doctor told me that repetitive motion can cause pain, of course. But she said to RELAX (she sews also!). When I went home and did some work on m LA, I noticed that I was not relaxing nor was a breathing, I was holding my breathe alot. Sounds funny, but after talking to some other quilting friends, they were doing some of this themselves.

I am a freemotion longarm quilter and have just gotten into pantos. Bending over the table is a problem, especially for my lower back. I have adjusted my quilting style by sitting down while I do the free motion and I do get up a lot and stretch. I got a great chair at my local sewing center from Horn (it sits up high and is adjustable with GREAT back support and its on wheels), but I have read others on this site have purchased chairs from Office supply stores. If you want to try this method out, I suggest you get an inexpensive stool to start out and if you don't like it, you haven't invested a lot of money in a chair you won't use.

As for snipping upper threads, I always bring the machine head to me and cut the thread, I never lean over.

As for changing the bobbin, I don't bend over, I have a little stool to sit on while I do it because the twist and bend to change the bobbin is not good for my back.

I also apply asprecreme on my shoulder prior to quilting, with the okay of my Dr.

I will not give up my LA because my back hurts. Don't give up! Hopefully others will give more ideas.

[Artisan]

This morning my machine would not run. It is a Millennium Purchased November 2005.

This is what I did this morning.

I plug the machine into an electrical wall outlet.

I turned on the machine ON Switch on the side of the machine near the panto side.

Immediately the machine made a pop sound and the needle went down. After 2 seconds another pop sound and the needle went up about half way. Then I turned off the machine switch.

Again I turned on the machine and it made the same pop sound and the needle went down. Using the switch on the mushroom head I pushed the control and ON button (blue) to make the machine run. Nothing happened. I then changed the speed to a faster setting. But the machine would not run.

I unplugged and then plugged back in the power cord at the machine. The machine then made the normal sound that it makes when first turned on, but the machine would not run. I touched checked the wires around the encoder wheel and with each touched the popping sounds occurred. I looked at the red lights and #6 ( the motor speed sensor) was not on.

Although nothing was happening I decided to leave the machine switch on while I looked for information on the internet. I returned to the machine and then I tried turning on the Stitch Regulator and the machine started running. Next I stopped the machine and started it again in manual mode. It ran fine.

I am still worried about why my machine would not come on this morning. I spent about one hour trying to trouble shoot.

I am glad that my machine came on but I would still like to have some idea of what is going on with my machine. My machine was running fine 3 days ago, please advise.

I appreciate any comments.

Thnaks,

Sandy

Texas:mad::mad:

[Mary Beth]

You ladies that are having shoulder pain might want to make sure your tables are at an ergonomical hight. There have been several posts you could read to make sure you have the correct position. I stood at the end of my table, where the cross bar connects the back legs to the front legs and held my arms (bent) at a 90 degree angle. That is the correct height for me. I have had a torn rotator cuff and had surgery (not from quilting). I never have shoulder pain when quilting. I do forget to breathe sometimes, and the only pain I have is upper back but I think that is because I need to build up those muscles. I hope this helps you. It's no fun to be in pain doing something you love.

[Judi]

I hope that everybody is able to solve their problems! Yes - breathing helps

and to relax - play some great music while you sew - I like the Christmas

classics right now! If I am really stressed I play "Comfortably Numb" by

Pink Floyd! Always works for me!!

Yes - Judy L (and Cheryl) that is the name of the part = the Crydom Relay!

Like I said it was simple for me to replace and get going again. Cheryl - do

a search, there are other posts on here about the relay that sounded just

like what my machine was doing.

Sandy - Not sure if this is your problem also or not. But that is what my

machine was doing too. It would be fine then just race off crazy - pounding

needle up and down!!

John from Country Lane Quilting called me and helped me with my problem.

He has been working on and fixing these machines for years. If any of you

want to email him or call I am sure he would try and help. John Mitchell - his

email is: countrylanequilting@mail.com and phone is 816-350-2002.