lovetwoquilt Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 HI All, I\'m thinking that all the needle bars are different sizes. Judy Lee mentioned that hers measured 9/32. After I last posted, my DH found a caliber and mine measured 9/40. I tried to get both of the ones I received on and they wouldn\'t budge at all. So I tried opening them and they just snapped. Oh well. Tracey, what did you use to attach your fishing pole guides? It doesn\'t look like you used that putty stuff?? Thanks...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyeQ Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Lani I used the Loctite super glue that\'s supposed to be for shop/mechanical use. We\'ll see if it holds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelleslongarm Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 I have been sent 2 different needle bar thread guides for my machine (unfortuanately it is not an APQS). The first guide didn\'t fit and the second one is for an APQS. Raicherts is working with me to get the right size. They are trying to accomodate everyone but it sounds like you all have found good suppliers. They also sent me the wrong Towa Tension Guage (L instead of M). They are getting the correct one sent to me. Everyone be careful, we don\'t want to damage our machines. I did change my "rotary tension" to the disk tension and switched to the Schemetz needles. I must say that I did see a great improvement in my stitches. Now I need to attach the extra thread guides and I hope to eventually get the correct needle bar thread guide. I went to a quilt show today and played with an APQS. I really liked it!! Maybe someday I\'ll be able to make the switch. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted February 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 What is that little sping thing?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyeQ Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 My DH says that springs work as a "self adjusting tensioner". That the spring takes the whip/slack out of the thread w/out adding drag. He also said that the guides need to not be at the same level (need to be up or down from each other) to get rid of whip. He put the spring on when I was using my small spool holder and was having breakage and could see the thread kind of being out of control as it grabbed and made the spool roll. Does that make sense? I\'d started telling him the stuff we\'ve been discussing here about "whip" and he likes the spring idea. That\'s when he put that on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyLee Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Tracey, What is that spring thread quide on your Freedom? Did you put that on your machine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyLee Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 OK, never mind. It took me so long to type the question, you already answered it, LOL. Dang, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clovismom Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 I used the juki needle bar guide which I ordered from Orange County Industrial. It looks like Tracye ordered hers from the same place and we both were able to get ours on. I have a Milli. They are very nice and rbly priced. The part was around $6 and it is so small it can be shipped in a regular envelope.....of course I ordered 2 just to have a spare Regarding the rice bags you use them around the area you are quilting to help give you control to the area you are quilting. You need to use the base expander when you are using the rice bags. Make several of different sizes and weights. Raquel Birch APQS Sales Representative California Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted February 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 So, how is your new set up working, for those of you who have installed everything?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyeQ Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 I havn\'t run it yet. I\'m in the design part of my next quilt. I do have a customer quilt coming this weekend so I\'ll get to give \'er a test run then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted February 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Everything is on the machine!! Yippee... DH works for a railcar repair shop, they had some epoxy in a cabinet that had been there since 2002 not being used. When I asked if he had some in the garage he told me he would bring some home. That is good stuff!! They use it on railroad cars and it is strong. He mixed it up after dinner and waited a bit then came to the studio and we had to work fast. I had it all over me!! Thankfully it washed off, and it I was able to wipe it off the places it shouldn\'t be. Today is my machine quilt guild meeting, this afternoon I\'m going dress shopping for Haylee, then later I\'m going to load a quilt and see what happens. I\'ll let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 I purchased 8 of the 8mm ceramic fishing stripper guides for $10.00 and that included the shipping. Go to: http://www.hookhack.com scroll down on the left side under ROD BUILDING click on GUIDES (Not Guide Sets) The 4th set down (Traditional Ceramic Stripping Guides is where you want to be. The first column will indicate the 8mm comes in the chrome or the black metal with the black ceramic insert AND the double "feet" which I think are a benefit to adhearing to your machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyeQ Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 Okay, I got to play today. I found a burr on the needlebar thread guide. It only messed up the 100 weight Invisafil. It caused it to break every now and then. You could see the burr w/magnafing glass and DH buffed it out and it hasn\'t broken since. Here\'s a pic. I want to do something Sherry inspired w/the ink on this brown fabric w/black thread. Which do you think would be best for that? Do I use the same thread for the design as well as the background? I messed around w/ a black gel pen on all of these as you can see. Upper left is Valdani Cotton Look Poly. Used a 3.5 needle. The middle one is Maxi Loc, also w/ a 3.5 needle. The bottom right is the Invisafil w/ a 3.0 needle. Geez I need to learn the other numbers. The Valdani & Maxi Loc are a 16 needle and the Invisafil is a 14... I can do this...I can learn new things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 I need to check my needle bar guide. Thanks for the heads up. My top thread would break occasionally, I kept thinking I was out of bobbin, but I wasn\'t. I\'ll check that next. I love the way my thead is not all over the room while I\'m quilting. I use to see it out of the corner of my eye whipping around and I would stop and look up to make sure it was still going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clovismom Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 The last thing I needed to do to my machine was remove the #2 bar since I float my tops to give me the extra space to quilt with my larger plexi glass table. I did not like the looks of the white plastic tube in its place. Well, a very close friend, that also has a Milli had her husband make a black pole end that matches the rest of the table and it works perfect ! It is amazing how much extra space there is with that pole gone.. I know when Sharon is here teaching on this machine in April she will be thrilled because she always felt she had to reach over the #2 bar. Raquel Birch APQS Sales Representative. California Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyLee Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 My husband did the same thing for my Millie. He turned a piece of wood the same diameter as the poles and about 8 inches long. Then he added a dowel in one end. I can take the quilt roller bar off and replace it with this mini roller. It works great. I do run into the controller (?) bar with the machine head when I get close to the backing roller. There is only so much room between the front and back of the machine, no matter what. I have a little more quilting room with the quilt roller off but I can\'t use all of the space. So watch out. I got a few surprises the first time I did this: squared stitching when I ran out of room. Does this make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veg-girl Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 In reply to JudyLee:- Yes, been there, done that, I now put a few pins just in front of where the limit of the machine is to remind me as I get there so that I stop just before I get to square stitching - if you\'ve done it this will make sense. I found I needed to put the roller back on for the last quilt as I was using poofy poly batting and the top sank into the batting so much that it distorted, I had to unpick and then put it on the roller to control it, it only took 5 minutes to put back. I will be trying rice bags soon, when I can find the right stuff to make a big a.... base expander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyLee Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Just to let you all know, I ordered a needle bar guide from Orange County (thank you to the one who posted this) and they were wonderful. They sent the guide out regular post, so it cost the same as a letter would and they were very fast. I recommend them. Total cost was a little under $7.00. Thanks much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetwoquilt Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Hi Judy, If you\'ve received your needle bar thread guide, did it fit? thanks.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyLee Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Yes, it fit. My husband had to help me get it on the needle bar, but it fit. I am so glad I persisted in this whole thing. I can now relax and enjoy my quilting. The thread guides make a huge difference. I just finished up four quilts with absolutely no thread breaks. I used cotton thread on top and bottom line on the bottom for two of them. I had problems with this cotton thread before with it breaking. The other two used a cotton/poly on top and bottom line in the bobbin. The tension even seemed easier to get right. The only thing that bothers me about all these changes is NOT changing the needles like I used to. I am using the Schmetz embroidery needle and it seems to stay sharp so long. I\'m used to changing needles a lot, at least with every quilt. This will take some getting used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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