Saturday, September 26, 2015
MODERN QUILT
I have a book QUILTS IN THE SUN. The cover photo caught my eye. I decided to use up some stash, though I did have to purchase some solid fabric. It was easy to piece so it went together quickly. The quilting is a simple, unimaginative, yet elegant grid that affords me the opportunity to use my ruler over and over again.
If the piecing were perfect, I could set the channel lock and zip across the quilt quickly. Alas, I am not the perfect piecer. The throat on my Long Arm is not quite long enough to stitch the vertical seams completely corner to corner. Oh yes, I toyed with the idea of upgrading to a 24. I reigned in THAT wild horse yesterday on my way to work. I would rather cut my hours and have more time so I am really, really trying hard to practice spending less. Indeed, today I cashed in my credit card reward points for a pair of bicycling tights. Cooler weather is coming. Shucks, it's already here.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Nolting CLX20 Belt
My Nolting whines at just the right pitch to hurt my ears. I tried slowing the speed but then my stitches are too long. I tried increasing the speed but then the machine gets away from me. I wondered if it was a belt noise, and thinking I might be able to adjust the belt, I took the machine apart at the back.
The first thing to do is remove the set screws on the handwheel. There are two and they are set at a right angle to each other. Trust me, there is a screw in there. It is not necessary to remove the screw completely, though I did. That handwheel was STUCK on the shaft and I wasn't sure if the screws had been released completely. Once I had them in my hand I knew that they weren't binding the handwheel. Something else was.
I managed to wiggle the handwheel a bit but it wouldn't come off easily. Every time I would turn it, the shft would turn, DUH. So I got the bright idea to stabilize the front handwheel with a clamp.
I managed to work the handwheel off of the shaft after much twisting and a generous application of Triflow.
You can see where the set screw was positioned by the mark it left on the shaft.
I then removed the hex screws from the back cover
and exposed the belt.
It wasn't too tight and there was no way that I could see to loosen it easily. I moved the belt off of that pulley and that loosened it but it made no difference with the noise so I put it back where I found it.
I don't know why it whines, but I will have to live with it. There is noting wrong with the machine and I certainly can much in some ear plugs. Maybe as time goes on I will get more skilled and can run the machine faster and the noise will change and be less bothersome.
I did happen to hear the same noise on one of Ann Olsen's videos. So I guess it's the nature of the beast.
The first thing to do is remove the set screws on the handwheel. There are two and they are set at a right angle to each other. Trust me, there is a screw in there. It is not necessary to remove the screw completely, though I did. That handwheel was STUCK on the shaft and I wasn't sure if the screws had been released completely. Once I had them in my hand I knew that they weren't binding the handwheel. Something else was.
You can see where the set screw was positioned by the mark it left on the shaft.
I don't know why it whines, but I will have to live with it. There is noting wrong with the machine and I certainly can much in some ear plugs. Maybe as time goes on I will get more skilled and can run the machine faster and the noise will change and be less bothersome.
I did happen to hear the same noise on one of Ann Olsen's videos. So I guess it's the nature of the beast.
