Originally Posted by
Ellpea
You kind of wonder why this was made so difficult, when the machine is so sweet and intuitive on every other level. Surely they realized that a mark or a stopping point was necessary? Or perhaps some needles that far back were of inconsistent size, and this was a helpful way of making the machine more flexible? In fact the needle that came with the machine was not a standard needle at all, but very long with no groove or thicker, round bit at the top. Perhaps it didn't even sew successfully (I didn't care -- I just WANTED that machine!).
It was just an earlier design. The model 12 was actually much easier to use than its predecessors and was extremely popular because of this. Round needles were the norm and only after the model 12 did they come up with flats in needles, needle stops and other luxuries. Think of how a prototype relates to a polished final product or how drivable and comfortable a car from the 1940s is compared with one from the '60s.
With the 'how far do I set the needle in' question, if you can't find the marks you can expose the bobbin area and turn the hand wheel toward you until the shuttle tip is in line with the needle. Set the needle in so the eye is 1/16" below the shuttle's tip. Tighten it up and start sewing :-) I'm assuming you have a 12x1 needle, which are much slimmer than others so don't try and squeeze a 15x1 in: The larger diameter moves the needle away from the needle bar and it won't sew properly.