Welcome back everyone!

In several of my posts, I’ve talked about the great features available on Handi Quilter longarm quilting machines. But none of those features help when your machine isn’t working properly! So today, I want to review some of the basic things you need to do to keep your longarm machine in good working order.

Clean your longarm frame

Yup, even before you touch your machine, take care of the frame it sits on.

First, using a duster or soft cloth, go over the back table that holds your machine carriage. Make sure the duster picks up any stray threads or lint that may be sitting on the table. If you have the ProStitcher, make sure the blue flex track is totally clean.

Second, using a small piece of batting or a microfiber rag, clean the rails that your machine carriage sits on. There are two sets of rails:

1^st the black rails that run along the back and front of the back table. This is the rail that your carriage sits on, allowing your machine to move left and right along the frame. We dampen the batting with water and run it along both tracks to remove any dust and dirt.

2^nd the metal rails of the carriage that your machine sits on, letting it move backward and forward. Again, run your damp batting along both tracks to remove any dust and dirt.

Next, using that same piece of batting or microfiber rag, clean the carriage wheels running on those tracks.

The 1^st set of wheels are the eight metal wheels of the carriage running on the black track. Hold your damp batting/rag against each wheel as you move the carriage back and forth on the frame.

The 2^nd set of wheels are the four black wheels on the base of your machine that run on the silver track of your carriage. Get your batting/rag down into the groove of these wheels to thoroughly clean them.

Also make sure your encoder wheel is free from dust and threads. (The 5^th wheel running on the silver carriage track.)

For those of you that own the ProStitcher, also be aware of the white gear wheel underneath your carriage that runs on the blue flex track. This wheel needs to be kept clean of debris for your ProStitcher to operate correctly.

Finally, make sure all cables connected to your longarm are secure and plugged into the correct port.

How often should you clean your frame and machine carriage? Ideally every time you complete a quilt.

And here are some examples of what you DON’T want to see!

Maintain your longarm machine

First, just as you dusted your frame, dust over your machine. Make sure there are no stray threads or dust lying on surfaces.

Second, check the thread path of your machine. Make sure everywhere the thread travels from the cone to the needle is clear and clean.

If you notice a thread snippet or piece of dust caught anywhere after cleaning, carefully use a pair of tweezers to remove it.

Third, clean out the bobbin hook area. We prefer to use a stiff bristled brush to do this. Gently brush out this complete area. Be careful not to catch any cables housed here. You should also brush over the posts holding the needle and quilting foot, as well as in the groove surrounding the needle plate of your machine.

Next, oil your machine by placing one drop of oil at the 6:00 o’clock position of the bobbin hook mechanism. Using your needle up and down button, run an unthreaded needle up and down about 10 times to work the oil into the bobbin mechanism.

(If you’d like to see a demonstration of how to clean and oil your machine, check out Angie’s Answers for a two-minute video. I’ll show you how we do this on our longarm machines.)

Again, do this for every quilt. In fact, if you’re quilting a large quilt, brush out the bobbin area and reoil your machine every other bobbin.

Check your needle and quilting foot

You may be changing your needle and quilting foot either before or after you complete a quilt. Either way is fine, but here’s what you should be aware of from a maintenance perspective.

Your needle

• Make sure you’re using a needle made for your machine.
• Make sure the needle is the correct size for the thread you’re using.
• When you change your needle, make sure the needle is sitting securely all the way up in its housing. Make sure the long groove of the needle is to the front and the scarf/notched area is to the back. Finally, make sure the eye is facing forward at the 30-minute mark. (You can place a pin in the eye and make sure it is pointing straight back toward you.)
• Make sure to securely tighten your needle in place, but do not overtighten the screw.
• Once you thread the needle, make sure the thread goes from front to back, and that it is not wound around the needle.
• Finally, change your needle for each "king size" quilt. (If you are doing small projects or baby quilts, you can change your needle after completing two or three quilts.)

Your quilting foot

• Choose the foot best suited for the type of quilting you are doing.
• Lift the hopping bar to help you remove one foot and replace it with another.
• If you are using a metal foot, you can firmly tighten the screw holding it in place. If the foot is plastic, make sure the foot is secure, but don’t tighten it quite so much as the plastic can crack. Either way, do not overtighten the screw holding your foot in place.

Shut down your machine

If you have ProStitcher, make sure you use the shutdown function on your tablet before turning off the machine.

Turn off your longarm using the main power switch.

Unplug your machine from your electrical power source.

NOTE: Ideally, you are plugging your machine into a surge protector, which is then plugged into your power source.

Arrange for professional machine maintenance

In addition to your personal machine maintenance, you should have your machine serviced professionally every 24 months or 10 million stitches, whichever occurs first. When servicing your machine, we will take care of oiling and greasing the internal parts of your longarm as well as making sure it is in proper working order.

Well, that takes care of basic machine maintenance. Did I answer all your questions? If not, please let me know!

And as always, if you have ANY questions or want additional information about the products and services we offer, please call us at (262) 723-6775 or email us at info@QuiltingConnection.com.

You can also visit us online at QuiltingConnection.com or in person at 21 Adams Street in Elkhorn, WI (usually M-F 9-4, please call to confirm we’re open) or 1017 W. Northland in Appleton, WI (W, Th & F 10-4, S 10-3).

Finally, check out our blog at QuiltingConnection.com/blog and our Facebook posts.

Please share your thoughts and questions with us. We love to hear from you!

Angie