Troubleshooting

Changing the tension spring or complete assembly.
-Loosen the set screw that is to the right of the tension assembly.
-Remove the assembly from the machine by rocking the assembly side to side and pulling at the same time.
-To remove the spring, loosen the slotted screw until you can pull the shaft out of the body of the tension assembly.
-Remove the tension spring and replace it with your new one. Make sure that the inside bend of the spring is placed in the slot in the shaft.
-Put the shaft and spring back into the rest of the assembly. Note that the thread loop fits into the slot of the asssembly body.
-You can adjust the tension of the spring by rotating the shaft. The factory setting is to rotate the the shaft so that the spring is just lightly touching the top of the slot in the assembly body.
-Tighten the slotted screw.
-Put the assembly back into the machine so that the spring is not rubbing against the machine body. About 1/8" to 1/16" away.
-With no thread in it, the spring should be at the 11 o'clock position.
-You may need to adjust your tension when finished.

Setting Hook Timing
Warning: Always unplug everything before servicing your machine.
Put a new needle all the way into the needle bar, with the groove facing forward. Remove the bobbin case and bobbin from the hook. Remove the throat plate, and loosen the three big screws holding the hook to the hook shaft. Turn the hand wheel clockwise (from the needle end of the machine) until the needle is in its lowest position. Look through the hook at the eye of the needle. Half of the eye of the needle should be visible under the top of the hook. Adjust the needlebar height if it is more or less than half, by loosening the screw visible through the hole in the front of the machine head, moving the needle bar and re-tightening the screw. With the needle in its lowest position, notice the marks on the needle bar. Most Nolting machines will have 5 marks. Look at the position of the top mark and the bronze bushing above it. Rotate the hand wheel clockwise until the next mark is in the same position. Now the needle is in the proper position to set the hook timing.
Align the point of the hook with the back of the needle, and just slightly past center, of the needle, to your left. Move the hook toward you so that the hook point looks like it is touching the needle, but not flexing the needle. Tighten the three screws holding the hook to the shaft. Rotate the hand wheel all the way around, both clockwise and counter clockwise. Make sure that the needle is not touching the hook anytime during the rotation. If the needle touches or scrapes the hook, you will need to re-adjust. If the needle clears everything and the hook point is traveling very closely through the scarf of the needle, go back and really tighten the three screws holding the hook to the shaft. Re-assemble the rest, thread it and try it on a practice piece. It gets easier every time you do it.

Skipping Stitches
Skipping stitches is a frustrating experience for any Longarm quilter. The cause of a skipped stitch can be hard to find. Sometimes people confuse a skipped stitch with a long stitch. A skipped stitch occurs when the needle penetrates the fabric but the thread is not tied in a knot. A long stitch occurs when the needle moves a longer distance before penetrating the fabric. Look for the puncture hole in the fabric when trying to determine which you have.
There are many different reasons for skipping stitches. Most of them are easy to cure.
One of the main reasons for skipped stitches is too wide of a gap between the needle scarf and the hook point. Too large of a gap allows the thread to slip past the point of the rotary hook and you have a skipped stitch. Move the hook assembly closer to the needle to reduce the gap.
Always make sure the hook assembly is in good, working condition. Keep it clean and oiled to your manufacturers specifications. The point of the hook needs to be sharp. A rounded hook point can miss the thread in the scarf of the needle. When it is sharp it actually scoops the thread off the back of the needle.
Changing from a large diameter needle (#20) to a smaller diameter needle (#14) can produce a gap large enough for the thread to slip through. Reduce this gap by moving the hook closer to the needle.
Proper installation of the needle is critical. Make sure that the groove is in front and the scarf is on the hook side. The needle needs to be in all the way and square.
Another cause of skipped stitches can be flexing the needle away from the hook point. This again creates too large of a gap. Needle flex is common when you combine thin needles and fast movement. When working from the needle side of the machine, the most common flex caused skip happens when pushing the machine away from the operator. This can be cured by increasing the motor speed, or by slowing your movement down. Using a larger diameter needle can also reduce needle flex.
Worn needle bar bushings on heavily used machines allow the needle to move away from the point of the hook. Check for bushing wear by lowering the needle to its lowest point. Grab the needle bar just above the needle and try to wiggle it with light pressure. If you can wiggle it more than 1/16”, and you have been skipping stitches, it may need replacing. Replacing the needle bar bushings should be done by a repairman or the factory.
Some other causes include; having the lining fabric stretched to tight, some polyester fabrics, some chemicals on the fabric, excessively worn needle, and incorrect needle all have been blamed for skipping.
What it all boils down to is that the hook isn't picking up the thread off the needle. If you look carefully, you will see the cause, and be able to fix it yourself.

Top Thread Breaking
Top thread breakage is a challenge for all longarm quilters. There are many causes for this frustrating situation. The first place you should look is at the thread itself. Bargain bin or old thread can often be too weak to stand up to longarm quilting. Multi-directional sewing at relatively high speeds is very stressful to the thread. You should always use a new cone of high quality thread. You can use a simple test to gauge the strength of your thread. Pull on a length of it until it breaks. Compare that with the thread that was working well for you. Age and dark color dye seem to weaken thread. Check your thread before starting your next project. Many quilters have been successful with Tex 40. If the thread seems to be strong, start at the back of the machine and move forward. Check each possible cause for breakage. Is the thread coming off the cone freely? Is it catching on or under the cone, the handle, the stylus, or any other part of the machine near the cone? If it is jumping off the cone and catching on one of these parts, you can use a small piece of batting in the first thread guide to slow the release of the thread. Always make sure that the thread guide above the cone is centered over the cone. Make sure that the machine is threaded properly. Has the thread wrapped around any of the series of thread guides? How is the top tension? Is it too tight for the strength of the thread? Should you loosen both top and bottom tension to relieve the stress and maintain the stitch quality? If all appears to be fine, check for burrs. Burrs can be found in thread guides, needles, hopping foot, throat plate, bobbin case, and hook. Try using a length of your thread in a motion like dental floss to help you locate burrs. Check each of the parts listed. Once you have located the burr, buff it out or replace the part. Most of the thread guides, and other parts are inexpensive. You may want to have a few spares on hand. Nobody wants to be shut down for minor part. Top thread breakage is frustrating. Use your experience and follow these tips, and you will find the cause.

Static Electricity
Static electricity can be dangerous to your machine's sensitive electronics. We recommend using a humidifier in the room you are quilting in. We also recommend using the spray called Static Guard. Spray it on the carpet around your machine and on your batting and fabric. Another precaution to take is to touch the table before touching the machine. Discharging the static load into something with the sensitive electronics, is good protection. This has been a dry year in many areas. Static electricity is at very high levels. You can protect all of your electronics with these tips.