quiltermidwife Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I received my Lenni yesterday and it\'s all set up looking beautiful. Things are going quite well. Have finished one practice piece and part done another. Sorted out some tension problems and I think I can manage loading the quilt sandwich now. The one problem I have is with the smooth movement of the machine. It is mostly fine on the straight and longer curves but anything more acute, I get a feeling of pressure or pulling, then suddenly it will release causing the needle to bounce off course a little. I don\'t see any of the obvious things like thread or such like caught in the wheels. The rails have been rubbed down but I guess may need a bit more work. Does anyone have any suggestions. How did you resolve your bumpy action? One other question, what is rubbing oil? I have seen this discussed before but I haven\'t been able to find it on a search. I\'m really pleased with my machine. Just hope this is a teething problem. Can\'t wait to get one of my tops on to have a \'real\' go. chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 WTG and have fun, Chris.. I too had similar issues with Penny, my Lenni, and found that the track was not running in the center of the wheels.. once himself adjusted the wheels, and we got all the roughies sanded off the track.. that\'s gone.. I could see a dark track up in the wheels.. he\'d adjust and we\'d run it till we could see the new track and see if it was centered. It didn\'t take much or long. I\'ve no idea what rubbing oil is.. maybe they meant rubbing alcohol?? Hope this helps.. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewfriendly Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Rubbing oil may be the clear machine oil. In the education video they shoe cleaning the wells and rails with it. I got my Lenni about a week ago. I rubbed it with the oil as in cleaning and it helped. Thanks for the mention of adjusting the wheels. Not just sure how but will figure it out. I too am having a kind of grabbing and it comes out of the blue. I am so inexperianced with the mechanicals. I was dissapointed in the roughness. Hope to get hubby working on the rails and wheels in the next few days. I accidently forgot to turn on my SR and boy what a difference. It was so silky smooth. Why is it so differnt? Christi:o:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roberta Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 We really had to file our nylon rails down and that really made a difference. Dh said not to use oil on the nylon but I can\'t remember why? I will ask him. I had the same experience with accidently leaving the stitch regular off and boy it was alot smoother and quieter too. I was really curious about that. I sure wish that I was able to look at or try a machine before buying it so I would know if the sounds and the feeling is what it should be. I love my lenni and am having alot of fun. Oh, one more thing that I found, on the second quilt I loaded, I don\'t know if it was from really filing the rails down and getting rid of all the burrs, or because I used a thinner batting, but my second run is smoother. The first quilt had a thick batting and I heard that the hopping foot might need adjusting... How thick is your batting? I think I will take another look at my wheels. The machine glides beautifully when the machine is not sewing. It just seems to catch and bump sometimes, like I am running into something or I have to push a little harder like I am driving over a bump. It has gotten way better though. It hasn\'t really bothered me on the second quilt, but then I am a beginner and don\'t really know what it should feel like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted March 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 I will have a good look at how the wheels look today and carefully inspect everything else. I didn\'t worry about it too much to start with but now that I feel more in tune with the machine, I know it\'s not me but more the fine tuning. Will let you know what happens and when I have time to work out how to do it maybe some pictures! Chris ps maybe I meant what is rubbing alcohol? I\'ll have to go back and listen to the video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Stuart - APQS Service Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Batting thickness can make a difference in how Lenni runs...if it moves great when you\'re not sewing, but is stiffer when you are actually quilting, maybe the hopping foot needs to be raised a bit. It was set at the factory for thin battings, which is what most customers use these days...there should be information in your manual about adjusting the hopping foot height. If you have any questions, please let me know! Also, remember if you adjust the foot up for a thicker batting, to lower it when going on to a thinner quilt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted March 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Amya The practice piece on the machine has Hobbs Heirlom Premium Cotton Batting. I think that is a flatter one. What measurements would indicate that the hopping foot needs adjustment? Thank you everyone for your help. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Wouldn\'t oil on nylon tracks tend to speed up deterioration.. like spilling oil on asphalt or black top?? We just used a fine sand paper and lightly buffed the rails till they were very smooth.. didn\'t take long.. wasn\'t a lot of hard scrubbing.. just light buffing. After we got the track smoothed, I still had the hitch, not all the time, but enough to aggrivate me.. thats when we began looking at the wheels.. and noticed the track line wasn\'t in the center. I no longer have that hitch in the get along, just the one in me, now and then. So Fun/Good to see Lenni owners coming up on chat now.. and Thanks.. every question, every answer helps all of us at some time.. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veg-girl Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 I think rubbing alcohol is surgical spirit. See you next week? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 I\'ve not had to adjust my hopping foot.. I read that is should be one credit card off the bed of the machine, and others said they have theirs as high as 3 cards.. anyone else have a more knowledgeable answer??? RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Originally posted by RitaR I no longer have that hitch in the get along, just the one in me, now and then. RitaR Rita, you are too funny sometimes!!! (I still giggle thinking about your DH catching an airplane with his fishing pole at Muncho Lake in Canada...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Oh Shana,, I still laugh about that. the way he cast, saw where it went, looked at his hand holding the pole.. as if it did something wrong.. LOL... worst part is I think of it at the worst times for laughter.. at concerts, in church. etc.. :o RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Rita, I don\'t think there is a magic formula for how high to set your foot. I was told to fold a business card in half and lower the foot to that height; but I find that I adjust mine up and down with every couple of quilts. It just depends on the batting thickness, piecing lumps, etc. You want it to gently glide over the surface of the quilt, without really mashing anything down. Hope this helps. I\'m keeping up with this Lenni forum so I\'ll know everything to do when I finally get to buy mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Will keep your goal in prayer, hope you get it real soon... and enjoy it twice as much if you have to wait longer.. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnnHoffman Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Did you check the gray wire on the back of the machine on the right hand side. It could be catching the carriage and then slipping off. Just need to reposition it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Rita R Have sent you a U2U Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 JoAnn, I don\'t have any gray wires on Penny. What would the wire be going to or from? Thanks, RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Joann No, I don\'t see any grey wires either? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted March 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Update On \'Bumpy Rails\' I sanded the rails using a fine sandpaper but didn\'t notice a great deal of difference, so I spoke to Mark at APQS. He was so helpful, even rang me twice in the UK! After RitaR\'s post I had inspectd my wheels and found that those running on the nylon rails appeared to sit centrally but the ones running on the mahine head tray were not. They all appeared to be running on the outside edge. However as the bumpiness was only experienced on the side to side motion and not forward and back, Mark decided it was probably best to leave well alone. He therefore suggested I go back to sanding but use a medium grade sandpaper. Having given them a good sanding down, the problem is much improved. I could probably give the rails one more going over. Yesterday, I found the thread would shred and break frequently. Thought it might be a burr in the needle, so changed it and VOILA, no more breakage. Isn\'t it great when problem solving works! Hope this is helpful to any other new owners. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewfriendly Posted April 9, 2008 Report Share Posted April 9, 2008 I had my new owners clas with Dawn. Boy was that great. I wish I had a week to spend with her. I \'d probably learn via osmoses. She is such a wealth of knowledge. After my class I came hoe and Pounded my rails with a board and rubber malet, and sanded away. Also took that power cord and tapped it up on the back to stop it\'s rubbing and the drag it caused once in a while. Lenni is much better. rails still a little rough but no longer bumpy. no drag or resistance at odd times either. Will Lenni ever run as smoothly on the nylon rails as the other APQS mchines run on their horizontal rails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted April 9, 2008 Report Share Posted April 9, 2008 Hi Christi, just before I went to the hosp. we also reset the rails in the tracks, using a squared 2 by 4, then sanded any raised areas, whether they were rough or not. Himself also found one wheel when I was gone, that didn\'t ride right on th center of track. He insists It helped, I\'ve not had time to check. Hope to do that on PPP cloth today. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted April 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2008 Christi You should receive a plastic sleeve to fit over the end of your machine carriage tray where the cord rubs. I was told they had lost the list of who had/had not been sent one so you might need to contact APQS if it does not arrive. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted April 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2008 Rita Glad to hear you are on the mend Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judysmith Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Hi all - a question for moderators I\'ve only given the rails a light sanding as I wanted to get fabric on as fast as possible to play and learn. I understand that the rubber wheels on the encoders need to run smoothly on the track for the stitch regulator to work correctly. Is it possible for the rubber to deteriorate if it is running on a less than smooth track (ie running over rough plastic). If so, how smooth do I need to sand the track back to? Thanks, Judy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smorris Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Hi Judy Welcome to this forum - its good to see your here. I would only sand back the nylon track if you find that when you move the machine along the length of the table you experience bumps that would send your quilting off course or are noticeable when you run your finger along the nylong strip. It is OK to be rough but not bumpy to the touch. I don\'t expect to have to replace the rubber wheel for many years, I think it will just wear down evenly in time. My nylon strip has a slightly rough feel but not bumpy. I have been playing with my Lenni this afternoon and just love how light it is. Best wishes sue in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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