miriam

The little knob holding the zz disk unscrews and a different disk can go on there.

manicmike

Quite right Miriam, it's very easy. Still never had a needle strike the bobbin case after more than a year of using 15x1 needles on my 320K2. Partner's modded 319 also gets a lot of use with 15x1s and again no broken anything.

Rodney

Congrats on your 306!
Rodney

Manalto

Goodwill must be the place these days for 306es. A couple of weeks ago, I found a "K" in black and gold, also for $25. It was in excellent condition, mounted (incorrectly) in a Queen Anne mahogany cabinet, with bench. Just the ZZ cam was in place; no accessories with it. I cleaned it up with some non-abrasive hand cleaner (GoJo), waxed, oiled and put in a new needle and made the "Baby Blocks" quilt that I posted here this morning.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...ml#post7287551
Only the free-motion work was done on another machine.

The machine had a standard needle installed when I bought it and it stitched fine. I replaced it with the correct 206x13 needle for this model and it continued to make perfect stitches. I have many 206, 306 and 319 machines (too many) and I've never been able to sort out the controversy with the needles.

James

manicmike

It will whether the bobbin is modified or not. The danger happens on full bight zig-zag when the 15x1 will hit the bobbin case. There's a really clear explanation about the problem and solution here.

Manalto

OK, Mike, I'll check it out. In all the discussions I've seen about the 206x13 needles, this is the first time someone has mentioned that the problem occurs when zigzagging. Thank you for clearing that up!

MFord

James -so weird - mine is in a Queen Anne mahogany cabinet as well! No bench, though. Still sidelined with the tendinitis - just have to be patient or it will never go away! Looking forward to working on this one someday...

manicmike

If you have a look at the pictures you'll understand why it hits the bobbin case when zigzagging and why removal of the target area fixes it.

Manalto

Mine doesn't fit properly in the cabinet if you want to drop it down to put it away. I took it out and used it as a portable. (The cabinet and bench are on the back seat of my car until I can figure out what to do with them.) I like how quiet this machine is (when properly oiled) even out of the case; when going slowly, you don't hear it at all. I can't decide if I like this model or the 206 better. I like the design of the 306 and the light weight (it's aluminum) but other than the zigzag haven't had much use for the decorative stitches. As I recall, a few of the 206es were made of aluminum but most are iron.

Take care of those tendons!

Mike, I did look at the link you provided above. It all makes sense now. Thanks for clearing this up after all these years. I've been involved in some pretty heated "yes, you can - no, you can't" discussions, demonstrating my ignorance with great flair.