JustSewSimple Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 My Freedom is on an older table but that is no problem. Lately she has been feeling a bit odd when I'd cross the center "line" of the table while quilting. I'd only notice it when doing E2E. I'd have to make adjustments to keep everything straight. It was just a PITA but still doable. Well, I checked the wheels - fine, the level of the table - fine, the distance between the rails - fine. What could it be? Keep in mind this has been going on for over a year! Then the other night around midnight I woke up with the answer (God works in strange ways)! The length of my end bars were different! I got up and measured and sure enough they were different by 3 inches exactly! Mike went in and adjusted and 10 minutes later the table was perfect! He just needed to loosen and then re-tighten one little screw! So sometimes when things are WRONG - it is us! This is just a message for newbes so they know we can all be stupid sometimes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merryjo2003 Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Reminders never hurt! I lurked on the forums for a year before buying my machine. Helped me avoid lots of newbie mistakes when I started out. I love that we can all learn from each other's mistakes and mishaps. And, never a dumb question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 'The length of my end bars were different! I got up and measured and sure enough they were different by 3 inches exactly!' Sylvia, I don't think my table adjusts that way, but because I love to learn I just would like to understand what you are talking about. Could you tell me what bars you're talking about that you have on your table that are adjustable and where/how you adjusted with a screw? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted March 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 My table legs fit together front to back by fitting the cross bar from the front into the cross bar from the back legs. Then a screw tightens to keep them from vibrating. When I stand up from a sitting position where my domestic machine is located, I sometimes help myself up by holding onto the backing roller. I guess over time I have pulled that end of the "end bars" out further than the other end - by 3 inches. That is a bunch! Your legs may be one solid piece front to back. Mine are not. I have square legs so that tells you mine is way older. There is nothing wrong with my table at all by being older and I love it but it never dawned on me I could get it out of square. Is that clear as mud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Well Sylvia just so you don't feel so stupid....I confessed this to Angela Huffman when talking to her at the Hampton Quilt show, I too had one of those moments in the night when I woke up and was thinking about the quilt I was working on and suddenly it hit me... My quilt brake never seemed to hold well, it always seemed like my quilt always loosened up as I quilted and I have tried putting sandpaper where the velcro was on the brake, thought about replacing the brake and then...there it was...the answer...apparently there is an up and a down side on the brake and I had had it on upside down for the last 5 years...duh! Once I turned it around and locked it down on the backing bar it worked and now holds so well! Who knew? Sometimes there are the simplist answers to issues.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Sylvia, thanks for describing what you meant. I have the same table legs (I upgraded my table legs to these square ones so I could have the fourth leveler bar after I got my machine) but did not know that those screws were adjustable by me. Mine, too, were off - mine by one inch, and the side that was off both screws were not tightened up at all. So DH and I just finished straightening and squaring up the table and my machine no longer binds! Again, thanks so much for bringing this topic to light, Sylvia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachside Quilter Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Great fix, Sylvia! I do most of my best thinking in the middle of the night!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyT Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Good one, Sylvia. I've learned over the years that if I wake up with a solution to a problem that I just need to go ahead and get up and write it down or else I won't go back to sleep. I've worked almost all hours of the night due to not just wanting to write it down, but actually do it.<br /><br />Vicki M., I know I will get poo-poo'd by APQS for this one because I shouldn't be doing this with the auto-advance feature, but I never feel like my brake holds my quilt tight enough when it is all sandwiched together and I'm just working with rolling everything back and forth to finish up the quilting so I have a large Craftsman spring clamp that I clamp onto the backing roller that holds it in place very well. Of course I have to take it off every time I advance the quilt forward, but it's not been a problem so far. I never use it when I'm quilting down the quilt, only when it's all together and I'm rolling back and forth for additional quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 I'm not even going to tell you what I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Oh come on Libby....we want to know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Well Sylvia just so you don't feel so stupid....I confessed this to Angela Huffman when talking to her at the Hampton Quilt show, I too had one of those moments in the night when I woke up and was thinking about the quilt I was working on and suddenly it hit me... My quilt brake never seemed to hold well, it always seemed like my quilt always loosened up as I quilted and I have tried putting sandpaper where the velcro was on the brake, thought about replacing the brake and then...there it was...the answer...apparently there is an up and a down side on the brake and I had had it on upside down for the last 5 years...duh! Once I turned it around and locked it down on the backing bar it worked and now holds so well! Who knew? Sometimes there are the simplist answers to issues Thanks for this. I checked mine and turned then round and are holding much better now..... didn't even think there could be a right and wrong way.... 3 years!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 And that is why I would share my duh moment - glad to hear that it helped someone else!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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