"The DBX1 should be available from your local repair shop. Occasionally I have seen them in quilt shop listed as for sergers. They are AKA 16X231, 16X87, 16X257. I do have these if you can't find them locally. I prefer the Organ brand because the shank is skinnier than the Schmetz."
I will look for the Organ brand. Today I had gone to a repair shop/quilt store after calling to see if they had the size 12 needles. The woman pulled out some 15x1 needles that had the 12 on the bottom of the package. I tried them anyway, and they were too fat to fit into my slit in the needle holder. Of course, I was trying to put the curved side either out or all the way in, so it would be too fat. Maybe the Schmetz needle shank would have fit if I'd tried putting it in the right way. Would have been the wrong needle anyway. A wasted trip, to say the least, as the repair guy was not there today to help in any way.
I really appreciate your sharing your knowledge in what I need to do to make my machine really work rather than to have it as a toy hand crank that didn't sew, but i could crank it all I wanted and get nowhere.