My Longarm is skipping stitches
02-09-2011, 02:06 PM
#11
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 9
I'm having the same problem with my Tin Lizzie. I bought it in May of 2010 and the longest it has ever worked at one time is three weeks. The dealer sends the repairman out and they replace the encoder and it works for a few days and does the same thing again. I have called the company and left messages for Greg the repairman there and for Ernie the owner and get a return call about every 5th message I leave. Ernie did call me back once and said he would send a part the next day but then the dealer called and said they wouldnn't replace that part. I usually have to wait 2 - 3 weeks for a service call as I have been told they're too busy to keep coming out - I live about 10 minutes from the store.
02-09-2011, 03:23 PM
#12
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SW Minnesota
Posts: 1,120
Originally Posted by pat brundage
I'm having the same problem with my Tin Lizzie. I bought it in May of 2010 and the longest it has ever worked at one time is three weeks. The dealer sends the repairman out and they replace the encoder and it works for a few days and does the same thing again. I have called the company and left messages for Greg the repairman there and for Ernie the owner and get a return call about every 5th message I leave. Ernie did call me back once and said he would send a part the next day but then the dealer called and said they wouldnn't replace that part. I usually have to wait 2 - 3 weeks for a service call as I have been told they're too busy to keep coming out - I live about 10 minutes from the store.
Ugh!! I hope my Tin Lizzie doesn't have those same problems--with it only working a couple weeks at a time. If that happens, I won't be impressed! Although I am not doing a business so I won't be using it all the time. I am hoping to start doing some quilts --just by word of mouth- though. And no one in my Quilt Guild has a longarm so I am hoping to get some business from them. I am doing four "practice" quilts for my friend who is also in the Quilt Guild and I only have one left. The first three have turned out nicely (I have the fourth one loaded and ready to quilt), so I hope when she shows them at Quilt Guild and tells them that I quilted them, that my work on her quilts will prove my ability and generate some business from the ladies in my Guild. I also work full time so don't have alot of extra time so I would be happy with even 1-2 quilts a month to do for people. Hopefully my machine will stay running better than yours has.
Ugh!! I hope my Tin Lizzie doesn't have those same problems--with it only working a couple weeks at a time. If that happens, I won't be impressed! Although I am not doing a business so I won't be using it all the time. I am hoping to start doing some quilts --just by word of mouth- though. And no one in my Quilt Guild has a longarm so I am hoping to get some business from them. I am doing four "practice" quilts for my friend who is also in the Quilt Guild and I only have one left. The first three have turned out nicely (I have the fourth one loaded and ready to quilt), so I hope when she shows them at Quilt Guild and tells them that I quilted them, that my work on her quilts will prove my ability and generate some business from the ladies in my Guild. I also work full time so don't have alot of extra time so I would be happy with even 1-2 quilts a month to do for people. Hopefully my machine will stay running better than yours has.
08-22-2011, 02:52 PM
#13
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 194
I also have a Tin Lizzie, no problems. Do you use pantograms? Haven't tried them yet, but did just buy a laser light.
When you want to do borders with a different design, do you do you do the top and bottom borders when you are doing the center, take it off the machine and put back on to do the two sides or what do you do? Haven't done it yet, just have been doing meandering. Thanks for any help.
When you want to do borders with a different design, do you do you do the top and bottom borders when you are doing the center, take it off the machine and put back on to do the two sides or what do you do? Haven't done it yet, just have been doing meandering. Thanks for any help.
08-23-2011, 12:48 PM
#14
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SW Minnesota
Posts: 1,120
Originally Posted by janice1120
I also have a Tin Lizzie, no problems. Do you use pantograms? Haven't tried them yet, but did just buy a laser light.
When you want to do borders with a different design, do you do you do the top and bottom borders when you are doing the center, take it off the machine and put back on to do the two sides or what do you do? Haven't done it yet, just have been doing meandering. Thanks for any help.
When you want to do borders with a different design, do you do you do the top and bottom borders when you are doing the center, take it off the machine and put back on to do the two sides or what do you do? Haven't done it yet, just have been doing meandering. Thanks for any help.
When I do borders in a separate design, I do them last. I quilt the rest of the quilt first and then go back and do the borders very last. I try to do them without taking the quilt off the frame to turn it. I have only done that once.
07-25-2013, 12:49 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: High Point NC
Posts: 691
i just recently got a pfaff grand quilter with a computer and right in the middle of my quilt i get long stitches found out the encoder was stopping in the middle for about 10 in and then starting to roll after that i have leveled everything nothing seems to help any ideas dont know if it is the frame or the encoder. seems like if it was the encoder it would not work anywhere . any suggestions
07-25-2013, 03:23 PM
#16
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 33
It's probably me being new to frame quilting and I did something wrong but my Brother was skipping stiches at one end of my quilt and I discovered that my batting had a wrinkle in it. Smoothed it out and all was good. With the Grace frame I don't have to baste and the batting is on it's own roll.
07-25-2013, 03:42 PM
#17
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 11,903
Yes, this. Also depending on your machine you might need to clean the bobbin area, put oil in the bobbin area and or tension disk , rethread all your thread top and bottom.
Hmm reading the other post it seems tinlizzy might have some issues. No fun! I hope this is resolved quickly by your dealer.
Hmm reading the other post it seems tinlizzy might have some issues. No fun! I hope this is resolved quickly by your dealer.
Originally Posted by KathyAire
I don't know about a TinLizzie, but when my DSM skips stitches it is usually time to change the needle.
Last edited by Annaquilts; 07-25-2013 at 03:45 PM.
07-26-2013, 12:51 AM
#18
Super Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: S.E. Queensland, Australia
Posts: 1,460
Your problem is probably the weight of the encoders on the tracks, they do not press down hard enough. I bought a TL 18 few years ago and had the same happen to me. Sometimes the needle would stay down in the fabric for 5/6 stitches, and it took me nearly 3 yrs to find the cause and fix, both encoders were involved. I bought some mechano-like bits from the hardware store and attached to the back of the carriage, then wedged some styro chunks between that and the tops of the encoders. It has fixed my problem, maybe your DH can figure a better way, I had no-one. Even the shop I bought it from avoided admitting it was happening. I was sent new encoders, but the same applied. Have noticed recently [at the quilt shows] they have a new type of carriage and encoders, so they knew there was a problem.
Hope this helps you, it nearly drove me nuts.
Hope this helps you, it nearly drove me nuts.
07-26-2013, 01:30 AM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,827
Sounds like you have a dealer who's trying to work with you. What a blessing. There's so many things to check and learning them all is easiest done with an expert.
I have a Gammil, was having problems with breaking thread, the company worked with me until it was discovered that it wasn't getting enough oil. Simple fix.
What Gay had to say was very interesting.
I have a Gammil, was having problems with breaking thread, the company worked with me until it was discovered that it wasn't getting enough oil. Simple fix.
What Gay had to say was very interesting.
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