k_jupiter

I have a couple of questions about the use of your machine, most specifically, the use of pattern boards on your machine.
A pattern board is a board with the pattern grooved into it. You use a pin to follow the groove around and make the machine quilt that pattern.

SO the first question is: Do you use or would you think you would like to use a pattern board on your large quilting machine?

If you use these boards, how large a pattern board would you use?

An Ansley 26 has 26 inches of room between the needle and the throat of the machine, how much of that is usable after you load the quilt and have a roll of already quilted material on it?

I have a TL18 and know that the real usable space is only about 10 to 13 inches. How does this translate to the 26 inch throat machines?

tim in san jose

cutebuns

I have groovy boards for my hq16. They are about 8 inches I think but haven't really measured. I don't use them a lot. The pattern size has to match what you would like to do for the quilt. They take practice to use. I am thinking if you are going to trace anyway practicing and using pantographs are a better idea as they come in more sizes easier to store and cheaper to buy.

You loose approx 4" due to rails etc on most setups.

k_jupiter

I like my pattern boards they are a thousand times easier than pantographs. They require no practice to use, only setting up the corners to match where on your quilt the pattern goes. What tracing? I am confused.

Using a pantograph to wrestle around a 90 lb machine is no fun, no matter how well balanced and level the frame is.

Thanks for your feedback.

Anybody else?

tim in san jose

feline fanatic

Tim, Something does not at all sound right with your set up. I just looked up the weight of a Tin Lizzie and the machine head only weighs 52lb. I have a 26" Innova. It weighs 54 lb. I can move my machine around on the rack with one hand with almost no effort on my part. If you have to "wrestle" around with your machine your frame is terribly out of level and there is something wrong with your carriage rails. The machine should glide relatively easily on the rails with only a moderate amount of guidance from you. If you feel like you are having to wrestle it something is most definitely wrong!

Now back to your original question... I have only used pattern boards once when trying out an HQ 16. I have seen items like Circle Lord demonstrated which is the same thing. While the circle lord is indeed intriguing to me I'm not sure how much I would use one and they carry a very hefty price tag as do all the pattern boards. The boards are marketed just like pantos and for machine throat size and they should state on the website or wherever that the pattern is suitable for a 16", 18", 22" or 26" machine thoat (which are the most common mid and long arm sizes)

For the price of one pattern board you could get multiple pantos, which you follow the design with a laser light (trace) instead of the stylus. If you do not like pantos because you feel the machine is "fighting" you while trying to guide it, I strongly recommend you find a dealer or someone who knows these setups inside and out to check out your rack and machine because if the machine feels to you like it is 90lbs and you are having to wrestle it something is most definitely wrong.

cedarvalleyquilts

We use Circle Lord boards on our Nolting FunQuilter. We have a 11-foot table, so we get the "queen plus" boards (2-1/2 pieces per pattern). Michael, the owner, will call you to double check you've ordered the correct size, etc., before even placing the order. I can't say enough good about their customer service....he's in Canada and he just happened to be on his way through Iowa when I ordered...so he brought them along! And their payment plan is going to get me into trouble...have already placed 2nd order and thinking about a third one lol :)

sylviak

My Voyager actually weighs about 70 lbs, but I don't have any problem using the pantographs. I can move it on the rails with a touch of my little finger. Check to make sure you have raised your quilt as you have rolled it. You should have a finger's width between the quilt and the bed of the machine. Your little wheels that run in the track could also be loose and causing dragging problems. Also, thread and stuff can get in the wheels from falling on the track and may have to be cleaned. Check the wheels on the rails as well and be sure they are not loose or bent. Clean rails and tracks with denatured alcohol or if there is a lot of black stuff, use Goo-Be-Gone, then the alcohol.

If none of this helps, contact a dealer. You shouldn't be having this much trouble moving the machine.

cutebuns

There is no wrestling the machine, one of my young nieces quilted a quilt. and so does my mom quilt on it.

yes following or tracing in the track can be more accurate, but still requires practice especially depending on the design,

I imagine customizing the size of pattern to suit the quilt is a lot easier on the pantograph than the boards, which you are limited in designs and size.

k_jupiter

Hi all, Thanks for the feedback.

Believe me, if you have an original TL18 you know it IS 90 lbs. The newer ones are a lot lighter but the original ones ARE 90 lbs That settled, I is an engineer. I took physics. Basic Newtonian Physics states that a mass in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Moving 90 lbs creates momentum, no matter how well your frame is leveled. Controlling a 90 lb machine using a laser is a PITB. I like my pattern boards.

The discussion is raised because I will be purchasing equipment to make pattern boards. The question is.. What size is the largest size I should be able to route? I plan on selling designs, including custom designs, to help pay for the machine. If no one with a an Anlsey 26 or similar sized machine ever uses these, then the answer is "small". Much cheaper and space saving. If the answer is "24x48" We can accommodate that, it just costs more.

And yes, I have seen Circle Lord boards and cannot figure out why they cost so much. Their system is great but in the end, a board is just a board. There are cheaper solutions that work just as well, but even they are pricey.

tim in san jose

cutebuns

I guess that should have been in your original post then, that you were wanting to make boards. the answer would have been a lot different.

k_jupiter

Why would it be different?


tim in san jose