Does anyone have the original Grace Machine Quilter frame?
 

I purchased a used GMQ frame a few weeks ago. Does anyone else have an issue with the tracking system? This one was set up but not used for quite awhile and the tracks and rollers were full of dust. I was hoping after I cleaned them it would move smoother. When I do free motion it works great but trying to do a pantograph or follow a pattern the carriage does not move like I would like it to. The Grace company does sell upgraded carriage and track systems. Has anyone upgraded their tracking system and are you pleased with it? Any suggestions would be helpful.

I have the orginal GMQ and purchased the upgraded carriage, which is a great improvement. As of right now I have not upgraded the track system. I feel the joints in the track are the problem and don't know if new track would help. If you decide to upgrade the track, I would be interested to know if you feel it was worth it.

I have the original system too...not much problem with the tracks...I always clean them out before each quilt with a rag and sewing machine oil to make them roll smoother...another hint...check your rollers under the carriage...they get linted up too. Mine gets alot of use between DD and myself...

I too have the original GMQ. I up graded my carriage and got the best deal at allbrands.com . $99/ free shipping. I clean my tracks, wheels and sensors with an alcohol cotton ball before each use. I do have issues with the old track system only because the tracks are in pieces. New full size tracks are not available. When I hit one of the "cracks" my stitching is thrown off quite a bit. I wasn't aware that the new tracks would work on the old system. Please PM me and let me know if you upgrade and it helps! I don't check in here often enough and would otherwise probably miss your post. I have a 17" machine on my frame.

My sister has this frame and also got it used. The tracks were pieced instead of continuous. She contacted the comp. and ordered the continuous track and it made a world of difference. No more jurking at the joints of the track. She still uses the original carriage. It is a plastic one, not the wood one. When the track came, it was rolled up. When she reduced her frame to Queen, and went to put on the track for that size, it broke and the Grace company replaced it.

Grace has great customer service and product support - they will be able to help you out.

thanks so much for the input. I haven't tried the machine oil or alcohol on the tracks yet but I will. So maybe I'm just looking at purchasing a new carriage. Mine is the wood. Paducah quilt show is coming up so I will wait until then before I buy any replacements. Hopefully the Grace company will have show specials. I did see the allbrands website and their pricing is better.

I recently got the original GMQ and it has the continious track. I would like to upgrade the carriage at some point. Thanks for the info about Allbrands.

thanks for the conversation re the Grace frame. I have one with the split rails. I have just been careful when I get to the "connection". Didn't know there were replacements.

I have a GMQ frame which I bought used off of craigslist but have not used it yet. I do have a quilt loaded on it and hope to get to it soon. Thanks for the information.

I, too have the original Grace frame - from a friend. It has 2 black tracks that are continuous, but I still have the black plastic carriage. For the most part it does a great job, but I have trouble with smaller curves. Sometimes my curves/circles get squared off. It almost feels like the carriage gets stuck for a stitch and I am not in control of it for a second. I choose my quilting designs around the little problem. It sounds like some of you are saying that the wooden carriage works better. My DH has been trying to come up with a way to smooth out my system. I may need to start a new thread, but if anyone has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.
Thanks!

Crumb..... I got really excited about this new upgrade when I went to look at it http://www.kathyquilts.com/Grace-Pro...-Carriage.html
Until I read the part where it will not fit on the Little Gracie frame which is what I think I have. Measure how far apart your tracks are. Mine are 22" and it will only fit if they are 21" and smaller.

Carole

I would contact Gracie; they have great support and maybe able to give advice to make your exisiting from work better. A few yrs ago I bought a frame from a LQS used and they were supposed to send me the documentation but never did. I contacted Gracie; they asked me the LQS name and the next week I got the documents in the mail from the LQS. The LQS represents Gracie and they don't want anyone disappointed.

I don't have a frame yet but do a lot of reading about them. :-) Join the yahoo grace frame group and do a search for this problem. One solution was buying inexpensive stainless steel rods and laying them in the groove where the old track was. Since I don't have a frame it was hard for me to visualize all this, but those having troubles with the old track seemed very pleased with this modification. I hope to find a used frame at the right price someday and had this "filed" away.

Replacement Tracks
 

I contacted the Grace Company and they no longer have replacement tracks for the original GMQ.