Gammill Timing Tool

[jimerickson]

As some of you know, I have a Gammill Classic as well as Zelda the Ult 2.  The Gammill came with a tool they use to help time the machine.  In spite of the fact that I've quilted more than 150 quilts on Gammill, I have never had to time it, so I've never used the timing tool that came with it.

 

The tool is used to position the needle bar from bottom dead center to where the hook point meets the needle scarf.  Well, I got to thinking about how it works, and it occurred to me that it is really a tool that relates to the needle rather than the machine.  Since the Gammill and the APQS use the same needle, I decided one day that I'd try it on Zelda.  Yesterday I made myself a new ruler foot for Zelda, since I was fooling with her anyway, I thought I'd try the timing tool and see if it worked.

 

It's a 2 piece tool.  At bottom dead center you clamp the tool on the needle bar with the second part snug against the needle bar bushing.  Then you remove that piece and rotate the machine forward until the clamped part is snug against the bushing.  This is where the hook point is supposed to meet the needle scarf.  On Zelda the two did not meet.  The hook was about 1/8" shy of meeting the needle.  I loosened  the hook, rotated it to meet the hook, and tightened it down.  I tested her this morning, and she seems to sew just great.

 

I don't know about you, but I've always struggled trying to gauge where the hook point is to meet the needle in the scarf.  APQS says" slightly below center" of the scarf.  Well, what does that mean?  I just had to guess.  With the timing tool, no more guessing.  Position the needle bar using the tool, and adjust the hook to meet the needle.  Of course it doesn't help you with hook/needle clearance, but that's easier to adjust than the rotation part of timing.  Anyone who has had the same problem as I have positioning the hook, might want to get one of these tools to help you out.  Thought some of you might be interested.  Jim

[micajah]

Hi Jim,

Here's another possibility for a timing tool.

I don't know about APQS or GAMMILL but on my innova, trying to get the needle bar set at the correct height was a frustrating hour ducking my head up and down trying to see where the eye of the needle was and standing up to tighten the screw on the needle bar without moving the bar again. I discovered that ABM has a "timing tool". It costs about $20. It's looks like a pen with a thin sharp point. You lower the needle down all the way into the hook, insert the point into the needle eye and raise the needle up until it stops, (the point in the needle eye stops it from lifting up all the way). Asking on the mail list, I found all I really needed was a number 13 guitar string, plain, not wrapped, to insert into the needle eye to hold it in place until the screw is tightened. So now, timing is about 5 minutes work. 

I don't know if it could be used on another brand of long arm, but guitar strings are cheap.

Debbie

Newnan Ga

 

edit to my post...this is for setting needle bar height, not bringing the hook forward to the needle. I only do this if the needle bar is in need of adjusting too.

Sorry for any confusion.

[jimerickson]

That's a great idea Debbie.  I've had the same issue seeing the needle eye.  I decided that a gauge to measure the distance between the needle bar and the needle plate would do the job.  Once the bar was at the right height, making a spacer that fit between them would make setting the bar height a breeze.  I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet.  The fact of the matter is that the only time I've had to adjust my needle bar height was when I changed from the original L hook to the M hook I now have. - I've got it clamped pretty tight, and I don't do too much ruler work, maybe that's why-

 

Since the needle position is different on the M hooks like we have, and the L hooks that most of the APQS machines have, your solution wouldn't work for them.  A spacer would work on any machine as long as it was made when the needle bar was in proper position.  Jim

[jimerickson]

I just checked LEQ's web site, and she has the Gammill timing tool for $15.  The current version is more refined than the one I have.  The new one is one piece and hinged, and looks to have a nylon clamping screw rather than the steel one mine has.  Jim

[zeke]

Hey Jimmy. I've been servicing longarms for some time now. I, too, have the timing too by Gammill. I tried it on my UII years ago & it didn't work at all. Maybe cause it had a L hook instead of the M. I just don't know. I've used it on many others with success, but the APQS machines just won't time, so I do it the old fashion way.

Anyways, I take it you got my e-mail about the M hook numbers.

Zeke......

[jimerickson]

Zeke:  I didn't receive the reply on the M hook numbers.  Jim