Originally Posted by
quiltedsunshine
We've sold the Grace frames where I work, and the one thing that takes practice, is getting the tension on the bars right. If you tighten too much, it will bow in the middle. So, loosen up the tension on the bars, but add bungee clamps on the sides, to balance out the tension.
this is what I was told also. If you watch LA quilting videos from various manufacturers, they often tell you that you should have the quilt sandwich on the frame loose enough that you can poke a finger up from the back and grab it from the top. Again, watching videos, you can see the base of the quilting machine move under the quilt. It seems like it's too loose to work right, but it does. I also do not roll the top or the batting. Just get the backing rolled on smoothly, lay the batting on top & smooth, lay the top on the batting, pin the top, then baste. For the side clamps, I just clamp the backing.
This also might be a silly thing, but are the side legs exactly vertical? if they are bowed out where the feet are wider than the top this would put pressure on the top rollers and maybe bend them a bit?