J Miller

We made our run to INDY today. Started out great. Actually got out of IL on time and then it went down the toilet. Just as we crossed the line into IN about 10:00 am my wife's boss called her and told her she was officially unemployed. They had closed the store. Wanted her to come in and talk and turn in the key. She said she'd be there tomorrow, we were in IN now. That soured the rest of the trip. Try as we might we just couldn't pull out of the depression it caused.

Got to Goodwill fine. I know the way by now, this is the second trip I've made there.
Got the machine and the bolt of really neat fabric. Loaded up and headed to get some food.
At 2:00 PM with only a muffin for breakfast Subway tasted pretty good.

The machine was exactly as it looked in the pictures. No surprises there. Really neat rotary control nob for the built in stitches. Some extra feet and attachments, a straight stitch needle plate and even a bobbin with thread in it and a roll of thread.
Once home I tried it out and although all the controls work, it sews and the decorative stitches work, there is one small problem. The needle bar will not park centered even with the lever centered. It's so far off it won't come near the needle hole in the straight stitch plate.
The needle bar is a pivoting bar kind of like what the Singer 401 has. I've traced the bar that controls the position of the needle bar and can't see where it's problem is. There is a lot of stuff in the way. I've oiled it up and it eased up a lot, I'm hoping the oil loosens up what ever is causing the needle bar to stick. If not then I've got to figure out how to adjust it.

I got some pics in Indy, but they're still in the camera and I'm too bushed tonight to put them in the computer.

Ah well, can't win 'em all.

Oh, if anyone runs a cross an owners manual for this; free or pay download, or for purchase, please let me know.

Joe

J Miller

Hokay, here are the pics I promised.

First off the machine is an Alden SUZ-2 SUPER DELUXE ZIG-ZAG.
The markings on the machine are:
J- A 13 .
Model #: SUZ-2.
Serial #: SUZ 790045.
Made in Japan.

I do not know who made it yet. I once found a chart that put manufacturers with the J- A numbers, but now I can't find it.

The machine in the back of my Pathfinder:


The storage drawer with some things in it. A couple bobbins, a seam ripper, a needle, a screwdriver;


At home with the top off for inspection and oiling:
Controls:

Insides; the lever at the upper right, red arrow, controls the direction of the machine when the red colored stitches are used. Push it one way and the stitches go backwards. The other way and the stitches go forwards.


The accessory box and goodies:

1: Neat see through box.
2: Straight stitch needle plate.
3: Quilting stitch guide.
4: Hemmer foot.
5: Adjustable zipper foot.
6: Bobbins.
7: Darning or FMQ spring?
8: Double off set needles.
9: Seam guide.
10: Zig-Zag foot.
11: Special purpose or satin foot.
12: Cording foot?
13: Button foot?
14: Straight stitch foot? (Never seen one this big.)

Here's a close up of the last three feet:



In my first post I said the needle bar was not parking correctly. Well, I was wrong. Without a manual one sometimes has to "fiddle" with things to figure out how to make them go properly. This machine, like several others we have, requires the stitch width control to be set at "0" to park the needle in the centered position. Once I figured that out I did some sewing with the straight stitch plate and foot and it worked pretty good.
I'm going to work with it quite a bit till I figure out what settings make the best looking decorative stitches then I'll do a black felt display and post that.
Well, I will if anyone is interested.

Looks like this one might be one to keep.

Joe

dublb

How neat that looks awesome! So much fun!!!!

J Miller

I hope enough of you have at least a little interest in this machine and it's accessories.

May I direct your attention to presser foot #14. It looks like a straight stitch foot, but it's twice the size of any I've ever seen. Is it just a big single stitch foot, or is it a specialty foot?

Joe

dublb

How much bigger? Are each side 1/4 inch? Can it be used as a 1/4 inch foot??

Charlee

Nice machine, Joe....and if there are no grooves or spaces on the underside of #14, then I'd say it was a straight stitch foot..don't believe I've ever seen one like that tho...

J Miller

Bev,

The foot measures 9/16" across, the same as the zig-zag foot.
Each toe is just a hair over 1/4" wide. There's almost a 1/16" between the toes.

Charlee,

The bottom of the foot is smooth. No groves of any kind.


OBTW, where is that thread we had a week or so ago about the darning or FMQ springs?
I forgot to book mark it.

Joe

dublb

I guess it's just a different straight stitch foot. Did ya do a test of those decorative stitches?

J Miller

I worked with a couple of them yesterday and it gave me fits. That was before I oiled and cleaned the machine, and before I figured out some of the control functions.
The one I did get to work is the flower stitch. I like that one.

Joe

dublb

I'm looking forward ta seeing 'em.