Why You Need That 4th Rail
 

I recently got a midarm Bailey quilter, and my DH set it up for me while I was off playing with the DGKs. He did a great job too. Except he forgot to install that 4th rail. Said he didn't know what it was for, and the assembly instructions didn't mention the 4th rail. So today I tried to install it myself, and didn't have the right nuts and bolts to do so. Oh, well, I thought, no big deal. I just went ahead and loaded up the backing, front, and batting to begin practicing, since this will be my first experience with an actual quilting machine. Then, off we went to the home improvement store to get the nuts and bolts and stuff for my vegetable garden. Wouldn't you know, we forgot the nuts and bolts.
This is what I found when we returned:

I have a Gammill and use one rail for the take up bar. One for the backing, one for the quilt to side over and hold it tight to the take up.
I float the top.

enjoy your new toy!

Congrats on your new Bailey!!! I have the 17 and I totally love it. My GMQ frame doesn't have a fourth rail and I too have had the pet problem. Had to stitch and spray baste my batting back together. Thankfully it didn't show when the quilt was finished. Have a great time with your new baby!

my Innova has the 4th rail-love it -no raising and lowering all the time

here, kitty, kitty. he,he.

A quilting kitty - how cute :)

Sounds like my trials...learning my new Janome (it's fine, it's just me being too impatient)...Good luck from now on...show us a pretty quilt soon.

LOL Your kitty is so cute!!!! Have fun with the quilting.

The kitty is quite adorable.

Sometimes there are two rails that go for the takeup. One goes on the bed of the machine and the other is higher and actually gets the finished quilt wound on it. It makes it so that you don't have to raise the rail as the quilt gets thicker and thicker on the rail and then binds on your machine bed so you can't move the machine. I have often wished my set up had a fourth rail