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Carriage wheels shedding shavings


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When I pulled my last quilt off the machine I noticed that the carriage wheels had shavings in the grooves and on the table.  I think I might have been pressing too hard when doing a lot of ruler work on the last quilt.  Just wondering if this might be the cause or if I have a bigger problem or should replace the wheels?

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It's not shavings off of the wheels (probably) - likely what you're seeing is oxidation from the aluminum carriage, peeling off the wheels and landing below. Your wheels need a thorough cleaning, with LOTS of elbow grease. You can see a buildup of the same oxidation along the edge of the carriage - clean it, as well. Use a piece of batting, moistened with water, scrub well. You should also be wiping down your Bliss rails.

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I've meant to correct the misconception about this "gunk" for years now, and I guess now is the time.  The black material you see here is not simply aluminum oxidation.  There might be some there, but most of it is something else.  I believe it is cotton dust, sizing, and dye, along with the dust we find in the air all the time.  "How can I be so sure"  you ask.  Because I have anodized tracks on both of my machines, and I still have the black build up.  Anodized aluminum does not oxidize.  It is a coating created to specifically deal with aluminum's propensity to oxidize.  I don't think APQS bothers to anodize their table rails, the ones for my Ult 2 were raw aluminum, which I had anodized myself.  The Ult 2 carriage was anodized when I got it, as are the rails on my Gammill.  I still get that black build up on them.

I haven't addressed this issue before, because dealing with it, whether aluminum oxidation, or simply dirt, is the same; clean the rails with some evaporating solvent.  But I've decided to set the record straight so someone else doesn't have parts of their table anodized in hopes of eliminating the problem.  Jim

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