Longarm Maintenance - its more than lubrication!
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป? ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป!
I recently had a client ask me to service her Avante - about 4 years old with a little over 2 million stitches on it - so - lightly used. As a refresher Handi Quilter-manufactured machines (which include Babylock, Janome and some other smaller brands) are recommended to be serviced every two years or 10 million stitches (generally - bigger machines are a little different) whichever comes first - so this machine needed to be serviced due to length of time versus stitch count.
During the inspection prior to opening the machine, after verifying timing was spot-on I noticed two abnormalities - first, the handwheel was too far from the housing - it is supposed to be 1 to 1.5 mm but was 4 mm - not too big a deal but the larger space allows more room for dust, thread, and other contaminants to get on the handwheel shaft and perhaps travel inside the longarm. The second thing I noticed was as rotating the handwheel it would "catch" slightly at about 10:30 - not bad enough to affect stitching but something definitely wasn't right.
After opening the machine it was clear what the culprit causing the rotational issues was - there was a "nest" of thread wrapped around the link connected to the take-up lever (first picture). It took about 10 minutes with tweezers (and a few words my mother doesn't know I know muttered under my breath) to carefully unwrap/unwind the thread and remove it - a couple of feet of thread! (second picture) Once the thread was removed the handwheel rotated smoothly.
I adjusted the handwheel spacing, checked all the necessary tolerances, lubricated and re-assembled the machine, and after verifying stitch quality instructed the customer to call me or another tech in 2 years or 10 million stitches, whichever came first, and in the meantime to "Quilt On"!
This was the third machine in the last six months out of around 30 machines serviced or repaired that had a significant thread-wrap internally affecting operation, and I have found and corrected other internal abnormalities including removing shavings on needle-shafts from component installation, loose belts adjusted, and vacuuming whole "herds" of dust-bunnies.
When you take your car for an oil change they may find other things that need to be repaired/replaced - air filters, tire pressure, corroded battery, etc. The same goes for your longarm machine - follow the recommended service interval and minimize the risks of a machine meltdown when you have a project-on-deadline under the needle.
Quilt on!
Do you have questions on this topic or a suggestion for another one you are interested in?