Beware of Spray Baste
 

My SD longarm has been acting up lately, and yesterday it started shredding thread as I sewed. I was dumbfounded as to why, so took apart the face plate and got into the top of the bobbin area. Yuck! The parts were all coated with so much sticky mess, and of course the lint all adhered to it. I cleaned it out as best as I could, but need to get back in there and use something to melt off that sticky crud without damaging my machine. I'm done using spray baste for that machine!

What can I use to clean the gunk off safely? Alcohol? Followed by lots of oil?

I'm confused ... I thought there was no need for spray baste with a longarm.
Maybe you can enlighten me? Thanks!


As for removing the gunk .... I use alcohol swabs on my DSM and it dissolves the spray residue.

However, for your longarm, you might be better to check with your dealer/manufacturer.

I don't spray baste when I load a quilt on the long arm. There is no need for it.

SD longarm is a sitdown longarm.

Sorry about your problem! I never use spray basting, but I've always been considered about the stickiness.

On a Sit Down Longarm, you still have to baste as there is no frame.

Sewbiz, so sorry you are dealing with this!

My apologies for inquiring Ladies ... I was thinking SD was initials for a brand name.
I totally missed that was for Sit Down!

Yes of course ... some form of sandwich basting needs to be done for the sit down.

No need for apologies, QuiltE! I can see how it was a little confusing :)

I knew you could rub your needle with rubbing alcohol to de-gunk it but I guess I never thought about using it on the inside of the machine as well. Silly me.

I have worse news for you. On some brands of LA that stuff can travel up your needle bar and gunk things up in there as well. If you don't have access to take it all apart and clean it out you may have to bring it in for a servicing. Last year I was having issues with mine, (not a sit down machine) and tech support thought glue from fusible applique had mucked things up in the needle bar, apparently it has happened to a lot of users. That wasn't my issue but in the troubleshooting process, the manufacturer (tech support) had me buy a gun cleaning kit for a .22. I had to remove the needle bar and ream out the area using the gun cleaning tool/reamer completely saturated with oil (sorry I can't remember if he just had me use my machine oil or the special oil in the gun cleaning kit) used to clean out a barrel of a gun. So you may be able to clean out your bobbin area using machine oil or the oil for cleaning guns. You can probably pick it up at any sporting goods place or if you have hunters in your family they would surely have it (or should anyways). Most LA manufacturers have phone support. I would call.

I would use a little alcohol on a cotton swab followed by a good oiling when you’ve got the gunk gone.

I use 505 and had the same problem the first couple of times I used it. Here are A couple of things that solved the sticky gunk problem, for me:

1. using a very light hand with the spray baste- I still pin my spray basted pieces in a few places- I don’t use enough spray baste to completely take the place of pinning- But it allows me to get away with using fewer pins- maybe every 12 inches I’ll put in a pin instead of every 3 or 4.

2. Let your quilt sit for at least 24 hours after spray basting to give the adhesive time to set up- that’s what completely solved the problem for me.

Rob