elainerob

Hello everyone! I've been lurking for - o - probably years, and you all are wonderful! Has anyone converted a stand-up long or mid arm quilting machine, on a frame, to a sit down machine? If so, would you share your advise and comments. Thank you.

Iceblossom

I know that they do make tall rolling chairs to use with long arms.

One of my friends has her frame set up to chair height, she has health problems and it was one of the options she most wanted.

dunster

I think the thing to do is to talk to someone who knows a lot about the type of machine you want to convert, perhaps a factory technician or district rep. I asked once whether my Innova could be converted to a sit down (if for some reason I moved to a place where the 12 foot frame wouldn't fit) and the answer was complicated. Yes, it could be converted, but it would actually be better to trade it in for a sit down machine because of the expense and the loss of features.

The tall chairs (usually saddle chairs) may be helpful to someone who is doing detailed work, such as stippling, because some time may be spent in the same spot. However most work at the longarm requires moving smoothly and frequently back and forth along the width of the frame. Stopping to use your hands to move the chair along makes this very difficult.

Jingle

Welcome to this board.

donna13350

All that you really need is have someone make a cutout in a table so it will sit flush.

grann of 6

I would think that would be a complicated thing to do. A sit down machine you move the fabric, with a stand up longarm you move the machine. The mechanics of the machine would have to change to get the message to work to run while the fabric is moving. I'd do as previously recommended, trade in the stand up machine for a sit down.

Iceblossom

My friend with the chair height frame says she quickly got used to moving with her feet and doesn't even think about it anymore.

For me, I can say that my hard won long arm skills have not transferred over to my domestic machine even though I began machine quilted 20+ years ago. There is a very big difference between moving the machine and moving the fabric. I thought it was more just a technique, but for me at least I have to approach what I'm doing very differently. While some of what I've learned in terms of design appropriateness and such carry over, basically I'm back at beginner level in terms of skill.

mkc

Most long arm heads are specifically engineered to operate on a frame. They don't have foot pedals and most of the controlling is done with the handles.

2 options I can think of which have both options available from the factory are the Grace Q'Nique machines (and their BlockRockIt twins) and the Juki QVP2200. When the Juki first came out, there was much excitement because if could be used in both configurations. Since then I've read a number of reports of frustration with the machine in general so do your reading first. Leah Day's sit down implementation of the Q'Nique 21 was the first I'd need that machine used as a sit down. Leah has since put hers on a frame, but it is at least do-able.

Heads from other brands, the more mainstream longarms like Innova APQS, Gammill, and HQ will likely cost quite a bit more to put in a sit down configuration, if the manufacturer even offers the conversion. If you don't ever want to quilt on a frame, look closer at their offerings already designed to be sit downs or plan to trade if you decide you want a frame.

Macybaby

My HQ has the ability to stitch in cruise mode which means it will stitch at a specific rate regardless of any motion of the machine.

So if I set the cruise at 50% of top speed, when ever I hit the Start button it's going to sew at that rate until I hit the off button. There are been times I've done just that and moved the fabric because I wanted to do something and did not want to mount it to the frame - but more often it's testing something. I'll use the ruler base but that is not really big enough to do anything larger. BTW- this is what my dealer did to make sure the machine was stitching properly after repair.

I seriously thought about keeping my Bailey as a sit down machine when I got the HQ - but the Bailey is basically a stretched Janome with the feed dogs removed. So it came with the ability to use a foot pedal instead of the handle bar controls. In the end I decided against keeping it and sold it to a friend.

AprilM

I think there’s a lot to be said for the idea of trading your standup longarm in for a sitdown longarm.

I personally wouldnt be comfortable letting anyone “convert” one setup to another - they are two separate animals! 😊

Maybe i just worry too much, but what if you were to go to all the trouble and expense of a conversion and find that it doesnt exactly function as you hoped - could you change it back? Assuming that you can successfully make the hybrid (even if it works) are you going to be able to get anywhere near your total investment out of it should you want or need to sell it in the future?

They only thing i can liken the conversion idea to at the moment... my husband bought his “dream bike” a few years ago - a top of the line Harley CVO that he planned to be his last bike. Fast forward to this May of this year and a total knee replacement. Oops! Now he is trying to decide whether to sell his dream bike or have it “Triked” (3 wheel conversion). While he * could * do that (at significant additional expense) maybe he * shouldnt *. Why? Even though the actual value he would have in the motorcycle after the conversion would be 50% more than he already spent on the bike he could never get his money out of it. 2-wheel guys would love the CVO but want nothing to do with a CVO trike (seriously, do you know true blue Harley guys?) - anybody buying a CVO trike would be crazy to pay the CVO + trike price! I told my husband that it’s his bike and i cant tell him what to do and wont. Another issue for him is the 2 wheel and the 3 wheel experience is totally different. He doesnt feel comfortable on 2 wheels after the surgery - so he is the only one who can really put a “value” on this decision. I think thats where you are at.

I do have a sitdown longarm - also a saddle chair. They are a good combo! The machine came built into its own table and everything is set up from start to finish to be a sitdown longarm. Thats what i hoped for, wanted, and paid for. I dont have standup longarm skills at all. But i do have years of FMQ skills on a domestic sewing machine and for the most part those skills transfer over to my sitdown machine.

I’m sorry to be not much help, but just wanted to add some extra thoughts for whatever they are worth! I truly hope that you make the right decision for you - because you are the one who needs to be happy!