HandiQuilter.com
Page 11
Inserting (or changing) the Needle
Figure 7
1. Check that all power is turned off.
2. Move the needle bar to the highest position by
turning the hand wheel or by pressing the needle
up/down control on the handles (prior to turning
the power off).
3. Loosen the needle-bar clamp thumb screw
(Figure 7).
4. With the scarf (small ground out section/dip on the
back side of the needle just above the needle eye)
facing the rear hand wheel side of the machine,
and the long groove down the front of the needle
facing the bobbin case side (see Figure 7), push the
needle all the way up into the needle bar – until it
can go no farther. Look into the sight hole to verify
that the butt of the needle reaches the top of the
sight hole.
5. Carefully tighten the needle bar clamp screw. Over
tightening the needle clamp screw will result in
damaged threads stripping the hole. Stripped holes
are not covered under warranty. Another side
effect of damaged threads from over-tightening
that the needle may be very tight when inserted up
into the needle bar. To avoid over-tightening the
screw, finger tighten only.
SIGHT
HOLE
NOTE: Changing the needle is recommended for
each new 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
above the needle bar clamp screw – make sure the
needle is touching the top of the stop/sight hole
(Figure 7). If it is not, the machine timing will be
off and it may be possible for the needle to collide
with internal parts causing damage not covered by
warranty.
CAUTION: Your Handi Quilter machine stitches at a
much faster speed than your home sewing machine.
Therefore it is essential that the needle is firmly
seated in the needle bar and fully tightened (but not
over tightened). Check often that the needle has not
become loose. If the needle comes loose, it could
break in the machine causing damage, throw off the
machine’s timing, or worse, cause bodily harm.
