jandcembroidery Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Alright; I’m not sure exactly how to title this one or even where to post it. I got my Freedom all set up and took it for a spin today to try and get the feel for it. Previously I was using my sewing machine on a Grace frame, so I really don't know what to expect from the Freedom. I watched a video where Marilyn Badger was using a Hartley product and she was guiding the machine with one hand.....actually it looked like she was driving it with her finger and thumb. When I run mine it seems to track forward/aft and left/right. I practiced with a simple panto and noticed it really challenging when it came to curves (does this make any sense?); they were more square than curvy. Advice???? Thanks, James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing bear Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 practice practice practice ... the 3 P's. Don't let a day go by that you don't do a little something with your new friendly Freedom. These machines are tremendous and they WANT to work, so every day dance a little bit with your machine. And soon, very very soon, those square circles will before nice and round. Promise!!! Nobody got to where they are today without a lot of work and practice. You can do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandcembroidery Posted January 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 all of that rambling and I didn't even ask the question. Do the machines have some resistance or should they glide like butter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Is your freedom new or used? Bliss? M&M wheels, edge rider or old style wheels? All these things will make a difference, but the truth is, no matter what you've got, you need to practice to get the feel of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathyh Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 The hardware on your machine canmake a difference, as Meg said. I went from original wheels to M&M wheels and the difference was amazing. I also think you are reacting to the weight of the machine, which is probably quite different (more) from your domestic machine on the grace frame. You WILL get used to it with PPP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandcembroidery Posted January 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 It's used. As for the wheels......it has an on/off switch and a laser . I do notice that when it's not on, that it glides easy from right to left, but has drag from left to right. Think it just needs a wheel adjustment? Here is a picture of the carriage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srichardson Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 James, Do you have an instruction manual? It would probably be a good idea to read the section on wheel adjustment. It they are not quite right that can make a difference. Check to see that you don't have any thread stuck in the wheels. It is probably that things just need a little tweaking. Also check that your table is completely level. Square circles are fairly normal to begin with! Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Welcome! It looks like you have the composite wheels. M&Ms or Edgeriders are better wheels and both will give you a smoother ride. It seems like "blahblahblah" when we all say you must practice. But that really is the key. You must work with your specific machine to train your muscles and eyes to make the machine go where you want it to. On a practice piece, use anything round to trace around with a marker. Make as many different size circles as you can and string them touching each other. With the machine not threaded but running, stitch on the circles--around and around. On to the next. In and out and back and forth. Punch so many holes on the lines that it looks like lace when you're finished. After you have traced/stitched around those circles a couple of hundred times you will be better at it. You brain is learning the tiny tweeks and pushes that are needed to overcome the x/y axis (the wheel set up makes your machine like to go north/south and east/west and you need to do tiny movements to overcome the resistance that's built into the system.) Dawn can help you with the drag you're experiencing from left to right. Email her for some help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 It shouldn't be dragging more in one direction than another. Maybe needs adjusting. How old is your machine? I know the older style wheels eventually wear out. Is there any grease leaking out of them? I wish I was able to help you more. I'm sure someone will chime in soon. Well it looks like they were chiming when I was typing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandcembroidery Posted January 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 I'm not sure what year the machine is. That's the one question I didn't ask. OOPS. No grease; very clean machine. I've cleaned the rails, but didn't do the car wax treatment. I might try to re-adjust them and see what that does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 You can contact APQS and give them your serial number (imprinted in the metal under the head near the needle bar - you have to get way down by the needle bar and look up under there) and they can tell you how old it is. Does your machine have the coil power cord or a straight one? Sometimes the cord gets in the way when moving the head back and forth and causes drag. Also, your older wheels can be the problem, one may be worn. Or, like you mentioned, may need adjusting. I had a terrible time getting my wheels like that adjusted and had the same issues you are having. I eventually just quit fighting it and put the new M&M wheels on - and it made a huge difference. I still p,p,p...... and my curves are getting much better. Good luck with your new (to you) machine - honestly, when you get used to how it moves and you both jive, you will love your time spent on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Also remember when you watch a video of Marilyn Badger, she has had years of experience, and does make it look really easy....hang in there, you will get it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 You shouldn't be fighting your machine and it should move fairly easily. My guess is your wheels are not adjusted right. Do you have a 12 ft or 14 ft table? If you have a support under the table you probably have that too high. Wheel adjustments are the key factor. Since you've used a machine on a table you should have a good idea of the feel of the machine. Work on getting those wheels set right. If you search previous posts you should find a good amount of information on the proper way to adjust those black wheels, if not contact Dawn and she'll get you the info. I will add that the M&M wheels are definitely a better ride so something to add to your wish list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merryjo2003 Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 The wheels are adjustable. There's an offset cog that you can use for adjustment. Be sure to clean any build-up off your rails and run a Q-tip soaked in alcohol in the wheels to clean them. If it were me, I would get new M&M wheels and make sure you know how to adjust them. If you didn't get the instruction manual, you can get one from APQS. It's easy. The M&M wheels are great and will make a huge difference. They're very smooth and make it almost effortless. I always tell my beginning students that square circles are normal when you start out. You will quickly learn the feel of your new machine and with a little practice they will become rounder. It just takes a little time and effort to get control of your machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Good bits & pieces of advice, practice is a must, the more number of hours you log in, the better you will become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marycontrary Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me to ppp and the squared off circles would go away. That is only partly true. Fortunately I live in Des Moines and my husband went down to the APQS and talked to someone there about how to adjust the table. We thought we had it level, but they had him do something more with that support bar in the center (can't remember what it's called -- I'm sure Dawn or someone can walk you through this). Then I switched to Edgerider wheels (this was before M and M's were available from APQS) and between the frame adjustment and the wheels, it made all the difference in the world. I still need lots of ppp, but circles are rounded, and the head floats from one end of the frame to the other with just a little push. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 James, I sent you an email with documents that will help you make table and wheel adjustments to get the best performance from your current Freedom set up, along with information about the "M & M" wheels which the gang is discussing. Please feel free to contact us directly and we'll help all we can! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeke Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Well, from the looks of the carriage, I'd say your wheels are not adjusted right. The clog is a little too loose. Zeke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 My first machine was a used Ult 1 with the composite wheels. I bought the machine from APQS, so it had been serviced and adjusted. But, I **REALLY** struggled with it. Square circles was me. This was several years ago before the M&M wheels were available. I purchased Edgeriders and they made an enormous difference. I still had trouble with the lack of a stitch regulator, but at least my circles were now nice and round, not lumpy like potatoes or square. Eventually I traded my Ult 1 in for a new Millie with bliss, M&Ms, etc - and it is really lovely. But a big investment. If you are happy with your machine otherwise, I'd definitely investigate M&Ms or Edgeriders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Definitely upgrade those wheels. It will make a huge difference. It took me quite a long time to get my table a wheels set correctly and i found that my wheels work better set a little differently than was recommended. lots of trial and error. I love my Freedom. Jess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandcembroidery Posted January 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Well, from the looks of the carriage, I'd say your wheels are not adjusted right. The clog is a little too loose. Zeke. What's a clog? I've read 6 pages of adjustment data and never saw the word clog. Am I missing something???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srichardson Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Just in case you need a little more reading and haven't already found this on the website! http://www.apqs.com/blog/2012/07/30/service-tip-of-the-day-/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 James, Sounds like you are upgrading to the M&M wheels, which you will love, but just so you know what Zeke meant by the "cog" - if you look at the back wheel shown in the picture you will see that the bolt top (or nut, I don't remember which it is - it's the top) is off-center. When you turn that it will adjust how close or how far the wheel is to the carriage due to the off-centerness of it. I hope that is clear as much and believe that is what Zeke was referring to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marycontrary Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Another thing you might want to do is check with Deloa Jones' husband, Dave. Dave seems to hit the road quite often for quilt shows, classes and to deliver and set up machines and the special lights that they sell. When traveling he sets appts along his route to service machines. Check out www.deloasquiltshop.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 James, Zeke is referring to the adjusting cam on the wheels of the carriage. That's what it's called in the documentation I sent to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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