handi quilter Avante QM30239, User Manual

Page 1: ...HANDI QUILTER 18 INCH LONGARM Designed by a Quilter for Quilters USER MANUAL QM30239 VERSION 3 0 ...

Page 2: ...HandiQuilter com Page 1 ...

Page 3: ...nt out for reference and forums for asking questions Remember if you ever have questions your local Rep can help you If the Rep is not available contact Handi Quilter directly at techsupport HandiQuilter com or by calling us at 1 877 697 8458 Monday Friday 8 5 MST Package Contents Please keep your original box and packaging Contents of Package 1 Bobbins 5 pieces one in machine 2 Needle 135x5 size ...

Page 4: ...s 7 Installation Handlebars 8 Installation Power Cord 8 Inserting Needle 9 Changing the Handi Feet 9 Laser Stylus 10 Installation Thread Mast 11 Threading the Machine 12 Horizontal Spool Pin 14 Bobbin and Thread Tension Adjustments 14 Easy Set Tension Adjustment 15 Maintenance Oiling and Lubricating 16 Touch Screen Displays 17 System Information 24 Diagnostics Tests 24 HQ Stitch Regulator Operatio...

Page 5: ...n remove the plug from outlet pulling from the plug not the cord Never operate the HQ Avanté if the cord is damaged or not working correctly If a mechanical or electrical problem is encountered return the HQ Avanté to the nearest authorized service center or the manufacturer for examination repair electrical or mechanical adjustment 12 It is not recommended that the HQ Avanté The HQ Avanté utilize...

Page 6: ...de C 5 Tension Assembly 6 Stirrup Thread Guide E 7 Take Up Lever 8 Thread Guide F 9 Front Casing Frame 10 Handwheel 11 Side Laser Stylus Post Hole HQ Avanté Components Front Side View 3 1 2 10 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 3 1 2 10 5 8 9 11 3 1 2 10 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 3 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 3 1 2 10 5 8 9 11 Figure 1 ...

Page 7: ...les 27 Top Laser Stylus Post Hole Back Side View 28 Spool Pin 1 29 Electronic Control Pod C Pod 30 Laser Stylus Power Connector 31 Serial Port for Stitch Regulator 32 Rear Handle Bar Serial Port 33 Rear Threaded Handle Holes 34 Accessory Power Outlet 35 Power Cord Connector 36 On Off Switch 37 Power Pod P Pod 38 Spool Pin 2 39 Bobbin Assembly Rear and Front Views 37 26 27 33 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 3...

Page 8: ...ctors on the cable should remain in place Failure to unplug the cable when removing the machine from the carriage could result in damage to the cable encoders and carriage Installation Studio Frame Figure 4 Installing Front Handlebars Caution Unplug the HQ Avanté from the electrical outlet All power to the machine must be turned off when installing the front handles Failure to do so can result in ...

Page 9: ...e not damaged when the plug is pushed in Push the plug securely in place Installing Rear Handlebars Insert the cord into top power connector on the rear of the machine Plug the three prong end into a power source see Figure 6 The lower power connector is for powering other attachments developed by Handi Quilter Not yet available Turning on the HQ Avanté There are two power switches for your machin...

Page 10: ... quilt loaded on the machine or any time the needle becomes bent dull or burred IMPORTANT Check the needle to confirm that it is fully inserted The needle bar has a stop sight hole Your machine came with two Handi Feet a ruler foot and an open toe foot Use the ruler foot for ruler work and everyday quilting and the open toe foot when you need greater stitch visibility such as micro quilting Other ...

Page 11: ...ure Laser Focus Laser Image Size This high quality laser is focusable The laser is focused by simply grasping the threaded housing surrounding the lens and turning clockwise or counter clockwise see Figure 10 The laser image can be adjusted bigger or smaller The direction of rotation needed is determined by the distance of the laser from the intended focal plane Experiment by turning the threaded ...

Page 12: ...For use at rear of machine To attach the laser stylus to the side of the machine 1 Place the nut on the laser stylus post with the washer under it and thread the laser post into the threaded hole see Figure 1 11 page 5 near the rear wheel base Turn until securely in place Lock in place with lock nut The washer will be under the nut to protect the machine paint An unused spool pin can also be used ...

Page 13: ...a knot causing thread breakage and bad tension For most threads on a cone it is important to thread all three holes for consistent results and to make adjustments at the top tension assembly An exception to this rule is when working with very delicate threads such as holographic or threads that are prone to breakage in which case you may try skipping one or two holes on thread guide B Threading th...

Page 14: ...d through the hole thread guide F 7 Make sure the thread is following the groove down the front of the needle and threads from front to back Be careful that the thread does not twist around the needle Figure 15 Important notes The HQAvanté quilting machine does not have a presser foot lever or top tension release like a home sewing machine On a home sewing machine the top tension is released when ...

Page 15: ...age 13 Optional Horizontal Spool Pin Inserting the Bobbin Note Turn off the power switch while inserting the bobbin case or anytime your hands are near the needle area 1 Place the bobbin in the bobbin case so that the thread pulls off clockwise when viewing the open side Figure 17 2 Slide the thread through the slot Figure 18 and under the tension spring leaving 5 6 inches of thread hanging loose ...

Page 16: ...up down button with right hand bringing the needle back to the up position 3 Pull the machine three to four inches away while holding the needle thread 4 Bobbin thread will pull up and through to the top allowing you to grasp the loop and pull it to the desired length Bobbin Tension The bobbin tension is the foundation tension for the entire machine To test that bobbin tension is correct hold the ...

Page 17: ...n the HQ Avanté Internal oiling is not necessary on the HQ Avanté except when the machine is taken to a service technician for routine maintenance and cleaning The hook assembly however needs regular lubricating Failure to keep the hook assembly lubricated can cause severe damage to the machine To lubricate turn off the machine Remove bobbin and case before oiling Clean around the hook assembly wi...

Page 18: ...on the right handlebar Switch between the up and down position by pressing the Needle Stop button Easy Set Tension The tension box Figure 25 on the Main Screen shows the current tension setting as a numeric value As you turn the tension dial clockwise to tighten the top tension the number increases in increments of five As you turn the tension dial counterclockwise to loosen the top tension the nu...

Page 19: ...re 27 Manual Presets Save up to three manual mode preset speeds to quickly switch between speed preferences For example you may prefer a slower speed when using rulers and a faster speed when doing all over meandering quilting Use the and buttons to adjust the speed percentage and then press one of the record buttons next to the preset value to store that speed as a preset When you want to use one...

Page 20: ... movement of the machine After selecting the basting stitch setting begin quilting by pressing the Start button As you move the machine across the quilt it will perform a stitch needle down and then needle up every half inch one inch two inches or four inches according to your choice The basting stitch options are available in stitch regulation mode Cruise and Precision Figure 29 Stitch Regulation...

Page 21: ...chine so this green indicator shows that the Start command was accepted and the machine is ready to begin stitching In Cruise mode the red box will turn to green and the needle will begin stitching immediately at the set Cruise speed On Off Indicator If the machine does not sense that it has been moved in any direction after it has been started it will automatically stop regulation mode and the st...

Page 22: ...of thread the preset represents Put a new bobbin with the same thread into the machine and press the New Bobbin button Then press the Alarm button As you quilt the remaining bobbin thread value will estimate how much thread remains on the current bobbin and when you reach the capacity value an alarm will sound warning you that your bobbin is nearly out of thread Figure 37 When operating in Manual ...

Page 23: ...when you want to zero out the timer and begin a new timing session Sound Screen The Volume portion of this screen has two buttons and a sliding control Pressing on the Mute button turns the alarm volume off Pressing the Max button turns the volume to its loudest level Pressing the sliding control in any position sets the volume to the level indicated in that control Pressing and moving back and fo...

Page 24: ...uilting UV lighting UV lighting can be very useful when trying to view white thread or white chalk on white fabric The best contrast is achieved when viewed in a dark or dimly lit room Although Handi Quilter has chosen to use UV lights which emit a light wavelength at the lowest end of the UV spectrum to minimize eye strain and damage constant or direct exposure to any UV lighting can cause eye st...

Page 25: ...on just to the left of the Trip box The Lifetime counter cannot be reset and should be used as an indicator to determine when general machine maintenance should be performed by an authorized Handi Quilter Representative Figure 44 Press the Main button to return to the Regulated or Manual menu screen or the Back button to return to the More menu screen Set Language The HQAvanté screens can appear i...

Page 26: ...nted at the rear of the carriage As you slowly move the carriage left and right you should hear a pulsing beep that pulses faster as you move faster A solid beep no beep or periods of irregular beeping with constant motion indicate a problem with the X encoder The most likely cause of a problem is a stitch regulator wheel that is not making consistent contact with the track Check the spring tensio...

Page 27: ...mbly on the machine to assure that it will easily return to the fully extended down position after being compressed Also assure that the track is straight with no dips or indentations and that it is clean and free of contamination Other causes are an unplugged or damaged cable or possibly an issue with the main control board Figure 50 Press the Main button to return to the Regulated or Manual menu...

Page 28: ... the tension device You should only calibrate the tension device under the direction of Handi Quilter technical support While calibrating the tension you will be asked to do the following 1 Remove the tension knob 2 Gently press the spring against the tension discs while not compressing the spring 3 While holding the spring in place press Reset 4 When calibration is complete replace the tension kn...

Page 29: ...e the indicator will turn green As you start moving the machine it will begin stitching When you stop moving the machine the needle pauses sometimes in mid stroke HQ STITCH REGULATOR OPERATION Choose from Two Types of Stitch Regulation Cruise or Precision When you press the Start Stop or Needle Up Down key to stop the machine the indicator will turn red showing that the needle will not move when y...

Page 30: ...s get shorter and can build up on top of each other breaking the thread or making it extremely difficult to unpick The stitch speed can be decreased while maintaining a constant motion with the machine to bring the stitches back to the desired length Getting Started Quilting In Stitch Regulator Mode Set the machine to desired stitch length Begin moving the machine to become accustomed to the resis...

Page 31: ...ightly left in order to adjust for a more positive thread loop pickup by the hook point Loosen pole tension on the frame Fabric that is rolled too tight causes the fibers to separate This reduces the needle friction on the thread resulting in a smaller thread loop Loosen top tension Re check top and bobbin tension see pages 12 13 Inspect that the thread take up lever thread stirrup or tension spri...

Page 32: ...ive Measure Carriage wheels not centered on track Thread caught in wheels Center the carriage wheels on top of the continuous track Check that the machine carriage has not jumped track Remove all thread or debris in wheels Check that the tracks are free of lint and threads Motor Fails to Run Corrective Measure On Off switch turned off Machine not receiving power Turn the machine on by using the sw...

Page 33: ...which makes thread brittle Do not use poor quality thread or thread that is rotted or brittle Check thread tension in top and bobbin for proper balance See pages 14 16 Check that the machine is threaded correctly Inspect for accidental double wrapping of thread on thread guides Inspect the thread mast making sure the eyelets of the mast are directly over the spools Inspect the vertical positioning...

Page 34: ...r such other point or place that may be designated by HQ All other costs including cost of freight and shipment for repair under this warranty shall be the customer s costs This warranty shall be in force only for the original purchaser The machine registration card must be completed and received by HQ before warranty is valid Warranty Exclusions HQ shall have no obligation for any claim under thi...

Page 35: ...warranty or ninety days from the date of shipment of a repaired or replaced Product whichever is longer HQ s entire liability for any defective Product shall in no event exceed the purchase price for the defective Product This limitation applies even if Handi Quilter cannot or does not repair or replace any defective Product Warranty Claims Service under the above warranties may be obtained by ret...

Page 36: ...____________________________________________________________________________________ City __________________________________________________________ State _____________ Zip ________________ Day Phone ____ _______________________ Evening Phone _____ ___________________________ Fax _____ ______________________________ Email _________________________________________ HQ Quilting Machine Model circle o...

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Page 38: ... Cruise stitch regulation a How to use Precision stitch regulation a How to use the front and rear handlebars a How to use the laser pointer stylus and the included pantograph a Review features unique to the purchased machine HQ Sweet Sixteen only a How to use the foot control a How to use the color touch screen a How to use the functions of the touch screen a How to set the presets and My Speed a...

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Page 40: ...ts reserved Printed in the U S A PRINTED 11 01 2014 Handi Quilter Inc 501 N 400 W North Salt Lake UT 84054 1 877 MY QUILT 697 8458 www HandiQuilter com HQ Avanté is part of the family of innovative quilting products from Handi Quilter ...