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Making overhead wiring device?


wayne86

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Guest Linda S

Wayne - I have a curtain track and sliders -- similar to what is used with curtains to divide up the cubicles in hospital rooms, from which I have hung my cord. Even though I have the straight cord, I could feel the drag on the back of the machine, so I got it up and out of my way. I love it.

Linda

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Guest Linda S

Deanna - I can't remember the name of the company - it was a curtain/drapery company from Seattle I think. Do a google search for cubicle curtain track and you will find a lot of vendors. I think I bought 12' of track and 6 sliders. I then bought some velcro straps that I used to wrap the cord to the slider hooks. It slides back and forth with the machine as it travels down the table. Maybe this weekend I can take a picture and post it.

Linda

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I have an overhead system like Linda's. Its a track used for hospital curtains that came with sliders; it came in six foot sections, so there is a slight hang up where the two sections are joined, but not bad. I used a heavy duty extension cord to connect to my curly cord and snapped it into the sliders. Don't remember where I ordered this (it was about $50) but I know I googled for the site. I'll try to attach a photo.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I found the perfect device for the overhead. I went to a window hardware supplier and asked them. They took me into the back room area and showed me their large ironing tables they use to make custom draperies. Suspended over the tables was a rail with sliders holding the power cordage for the iron to keep the cord up and out of the way when they iron the draperies. It used ball bearing runners and was perfect for the Millennium over head wiring setup. All in all I spent about $40 to get the overhead power cord setup and running so quite a savings over buying new.

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We used a piece of electrical conduit about 6 feet long suspended over the machine and use one ballbearing shower curtain ring. We've since attached the cord to the top of the machine head so at no point does the cord hang down too far and get caught up in anything.

Kathy

QI DESIGNS

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here is a picture of the overheadwiring we made. We made a frame out of oak and attached a U channel used for draperies that uses ball bearing runners. There are 3 runners and I have attached the cord to 2 of them. The U channel runs 10 feet. I think the $795 version from APQS runs about 6 feet. The top is very straight and stiff with support provided by the U channel itself and a edge mounted piece of oak with a slight spring load upward resulting is a very straight and sturdy cross beam. We stained and finished the oak and bolted to the sides of the Millenium frame. Our cost was about $40 in material to make this. Ill post another picture too as this web side only allow 1 picture to be uploaded per post.

post--13461897748221_thumb.jpg

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Wayne,

What a great idea. The overhead looks professional and sturdy without being pricey. I think my husband could build one of these for me. Being a new longarmer (started Aug2005), I am still acquiring my tools. I'm sure that my husband would rather build this and save some $ than buy one.

You obviously put a great deal of thought into this project. I have to tell you I was in one of our local longarm shops ( the competition:o) buying cone thread a few weeks ago and saw their overhead bar. The one word that comes to mind is "rickety". Yours is much better looking.

Thank you for posting hte photos.

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Your welcome. Its very sturdy. We designed it purposefully to be extremely strong and sturdy without the angle supports you normally see to provide a more functional open area around the work space. My Husband is an engineer and put a lot of though in the design. It looks nice as its furniture quality oak wood, with coved top and routed sides, stained and finished (my husband is an award winning work working hobbiest) and more functional then the ones you can buy as the wire travel is a full 10' verse 6'. There is virtually zero added machine travel friction due to the quality ball bearing rollers that the power cords travel on. Best of all the material cost was $40. I understand a new one is about $795? I hope the picture are helpful for your own build.

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