Once you have your shiny new Handi Quilter longarm machine all set up in your studio and you are getting familiar with how to use it, you’ll also want to know how to care for it, so that it continues to run in tip-top shape for many years to come. So in this blog post I’ll explain best practices to maintain your longarm machine. Handi Quilter machines work so well that people sometimes forget to do any maintenance at all, until it causes a problem. Don’t let that happen to you!

It’s not hard to maintain your longarm

Don’t be afraid that you’ll spend loads of time doing maintenance and won’t have time to quilt! Handi Quilter machines require very simple maintenance.

Why I’m qualified to write about longarm maintenance

Hi! I’m National Handi Quilter Educator, Mary Beth Krapil.  I’ve been longarm quilting on a Handi Quilter machine for more than 20 years and teaching longarm quilting with Handi Quilter for 16 years. I love to share longarm techniques and the best of Handi Quilter products.  I’m totally familiar with all the machines in our Handi Quilter family, inside and out. I know first hand that if you take good care of your machine it will continue to help you finish more quilts for a very long time.

Lint = the scourge of quilters everywhere!

Did you know that quilting is a dirty business? SO much lint! Where does it all come from? Lint is created by the friction of the thread and needle passing through the 3 layers of the quilt sandwich. Lint not only accumulates in the bobbin area of the machine, but also flies through the air and settles on all surfaces.

Maintenance Schedule

Follow these recommendations to keep things clean.

1. Every Bobbin Change

• When you change the bobbin, use the small brush provided, or in the case of the HQ Amara, HQ Forte or HQ Infinity, Moxie or Moxie XL a small puff of canned air, to clean out the lint from the bobbin area. If you are using a brush on the HQ Amara, HQ Forte or HQ Infinity, be careful to avoid the wires that provide lighting or thread cutting, as wires can become disconnected with enough pressure.
• With compressed (canned) air, use quick bursts with short pauses in between. Longer bursts attract moisture to the area and as we all know, moisture is not kind to metal parts.  Rust!!!
• While the use of air is discouraged in Handi Quilter’s older machines, these newer machines have a rubber or metal dam behind the hook that keeps dust from going into the hook shaft and bearings inside the machine.
• Also check inside the bobbin case for lint and brush it out if needed.

Once you have the lint cleaned out, place one small drop of oil on the bobbin race. This is the ONLY place you will oil your machine. Use only Handi Quilter oil.

Pro-tip:  If your machine is one that can be cleaned with air, invest in a rechargeable, cordless, electric air duster.  They are inexpensive and are so convenient.  Better for the environment too! No propellant.

2. With every new project

• Clean the tracks and the wheels by taking a small piece ( approximately 3″ x3″) of left over batting and wiping the tracks, both on the frame and on the carriage. Then hold the batting against the bottom of each wheel and move the machine back and forth so that you wipe the entire rolling surface of the wheel. What comes off will be black. The wheels compress the dust on the tracks as they pass over and pick it up. The black gunk is merely compressed lint. It looks scary, but it’s just lint. At the same time, check for threads wrapped around your wheels.
• Change your needle. The rule of thumb is: every quilt deserves a new needle.  Needles can develop burrs that can cause havoc with your thread, shredding and breakage. Don’t wait til you think the needle is dull. Be pro-active!

3. Occasionally (depending on how often you quilt)

• Clean the display with a lint-free, static-free cloth, like what you would use to clean your computer screen. Don’t use any sprays or cleaners, just the cloth is enough.
• Dust the body of the machine. If you don’t quilt daily, a cool idea for a dust cover is a fitted sheet. It will cover your machine and most of your frame (depending on your frame size) and keep dust at bay.
• Dust the table top and check for threads caught in the blue Pro-Stitcher rack (if you have a Pro-Stitcher).

4. Once every 2 years or 10 million stitches (which ever comes first)

!!! This is the MOST important thing you can do to keep your machine in great condition !!!

• Schedule a spa treatment for your machine. Either bring it to your local retailer or make an appointment to have them come to you.  This is the required maintenance needed to lubricate the inner parts of your machine. Your retailer’s service technician was trained at Handi Quilter to perform this service and has all of the specific lubricants to use. They will open the machine, clean out any lint and check that all the tolerances, including timing, are within specs and make adjustments if needed. They will re-lubricate the appropriate parts with Handi Quilter’s specially chosen long lasting lubricants. Once done, your machine will be in optimal condition and good to go for another 2 years or 10 million stitches.
• It is important to note, if your machine has sat unused for 2 years or more, you definitely want to have this maintenance performed.

As you can see, Handi Quilter maintenance is really quite simple. We know quilters would much rather be quilting than having to perform complicated oiling, greasing, and machine maintenance. You’re welcome!

What’s next?

Now you can go finish more quilts! And Quilt Every Day!

Also, check out our YouTube channel HERE for several videos about machine maintenance.

by Mary Beth Krapil