Hand Wheel

[ckeindl]

New to me - Ultimate II (very basic model) - about 9 years old, and I find the hand wheel very difficult to turn, pulling up the bobbin thread when starting to quilt is tough! and then there is no way to move the head and pull up bobbin thread at the ending of the quilted area without both threads breaking. Am I missing something? Thanks for any suggestions!

[annlittle1]

Have you taken off the cover on the left side of the machine that is in the area of the flywheel? I bet there is a lot of thread wound around the flywheel. You'll have to take a pair of scissors and a pair of tweezers to it if that is the problem. You'll be shocked at the amount of thread that can get wound up in that area and how fast it can happen. It will take a while to get it cleaned out. And some patience. I'd had my Liberty a year before it happened to me. It happened a second time and I decided it was time to get a cover for it from APQS. In the meantime try to find a piece of plastic that will fit over the right side of the flywheel and tape it on. I had just bought a new tape measure and the package was just the right size to cover the flywheel until I could get one. The plastic had a rough edge so I had to cover it with tape to keep it from catching my thread.

If it isn't a thread caught in that area, then my only other thought is that it wasn't oiled enough and has froze up. But my bet that its the thread mess. Most of us over oil instead of under oiling.

[ckeindl]

Thanks so much for the info!! That makes perfect sense! A couple of the screws are too tight, I WD-40'd them but still tight - I'll have my husband remove that plate when he gets home from work! Can't wait to see if that's the problem!

THANKS again! Cathy

[Sparkle]

Hi Cathy,

I've had my Ultimate II since Jan. of this year. Bonnie, Cheryl and several other Ultimate II owners here on the group have been a big help to me.

If the screws are tight anyplace on your machine Bonnie taught me to take a screw driver, place it in the screw, and tap it VERY gently with a hammer. That will usually loosen it just enough to use the screw driver.

As for your tight thumb wheel--It could be like Annlittle said, and it has thread around the wheel assembly inside, however, I had the same problem intially and it was the Flywheel belt that was too tight. That is the belt at the motor and back side of the machine. Once my husband loosened and adjusted that slightly, my thumbwheel moved much better.

I have since purchase the Intellistitch i/s Turbo stitch regulator for my machine just this past month. When Helen and Tony Bazinsky (west coast Reps.) came and installed the regulator they cleaned, adjusted and almost literally rebuilt my machine! I love the Intellistitch, and it may be something you may want to consider in the future.

I love my Ultimate II machine---and now with the Intellistitch I love it even more! I like the size of this machine, not too big---just right and how it handles so well. I also put new Edgerider wheels on it. I've not compared it to any other APQS machines--but, I bet it handles just like the newer more expensive machines. It's truly amazing how just changing the wheels and adding the Intellistitch has improved it even more. Also, Tony really knows how to install and adjust everything on this machine. It's perfect when he is done.

I hope you can get your thumbwheel moving better.

You can see my machine "Rosie" at my Picture Trails:

http://www.picturetrail.com/angiestuff

PS. The clear plexiglass side piece is something my husband had made at Tap Plastic so we can see inside that part of the machine.

Happy quilting.

[ckeindl]

Thank you Sparkle! I LOVE your photos - what a beautiful room and family - the "Auilt Zone" quilt is wonderful! We didn't find any thread build up (as a matter of fact - this thing is immaculate!) my husband loosed the belt and we are oiling and running it (I think the hand wheel is getting a little looser?!) So when we get ithe hand wheeler looser, I can pull the bobbin thread up when I start quilting and then how do you pull it up at the end of the quilting line? My old machine you would lift the foot (releasing the thread tension) and pull the head away and then back in the same hole pulling up the bobbin thread again? When I try to move the head away or grab the upper thread it pulls and breaks? (there wasn't anything in the video or book?) Can I ask aobut how much $ the intellistitch is? does it have the needle up/needle down? THANKS AGAIN!

[ramona-quilter]

Angie,

I love your little nest. That sewing room is all yours; windows, sewing table, ribbons and quilt wall hanging. I bet you just love being in that room.

And your DH did what? He machined the rollers so he could shorten the machine and put that plexiglass on the machine head. That is awesome. Hey, he's a keeper.

So you like that Intellistitch, huh?