greywuuf

I have heard people mention several times that the old, Say ... 15 series machines are their favorite for their absolute straight stitch, and have further mentioned that a ZZ machine has the potential to be "not as straight" due to the possibility of the needle bar moving. Well I have run some stitches with my 306 and have found I am a bit dissapointed in it. I spent almost all of last night step by step going through the Service manual and checking (and adjusting when I absolutely had to ) the feed timing, the hook timing the end play the needle bar lift and everything thing else I thought I may have disturbed when I cleaned it. As near as I can tell and to the best of my ability it is "Spot on" even have new needles. I guess I need to drop back to some lighter thread and give it a fair shake, but compared to the VS machines I have this thing is kinda picky, and the bobbin side stiches are not straight... rather they lay in a slight angle IE: the top of the stitch goes in a hole about a thread width out of line with the Bottom of the stitch... no much... about a thread width, but it is visable and it bothers me. the 27 and several 128's I have all make perfect dead even straight stitches from Tiny to rather long.... dead straight and pretty, crappy old cotton thread from my moms old sewing box to #69 heavy Nylon. the 306..... not so much sure it ZZ's but for straight stitch.. an old machine gets my vote.

So in the opinion of the rather experienced forum here, Do i still have something off, or am I being to critical, or is that just they way it is ?

Dan

greywuuf

Bah.... Nevermind.....Apparently domestic machines were not intended to use heavy thread. The full rotary motion does not lend itself as easily to heavy threads/materials as the older machines. My 306 seems to work perfectly as a home machine with more reasonable thread selections.

Dan

J Miller

Dan,

Mom used to use #50 Coats & Clark's thread when I was a kid. That was her favorite size and brand of thread.
I started sewing and messing with machines about 6 months ago I cannot find the old size #50 like she used to use. So I've been trying different brands and sizes of modern threads. Most of them are so fine, thin, and weak it's pitiful. And even those that give the # sizes on them do not equal the threads of old.
We won several batches of thread on GW mostly for the wooden spools, and many of them were the old #50 C&C thread. Some were even brand new, never been touched.
I threaded up several of my machines with the old thread and my oh my what a wonderful difference it made. Beautiful stitches like mom used to make. Then when I was working on the tensions of my Singer Mdl 66 cabinet machine it said in the manual to use #50 thread to set the tension. I used some of the old thread and you would be amazed at how much better that machine sews.

I have found that the thread makes more of a difference in how a machine sews, given the machines are in good order, than weather or not the machine is a straight or zig-zag stitch.

Joe

greywuuf

Thanks, yes I am not used to machines being quite this picky about thread. the VS machines seem to digest it all. I will say I have a spool of the most gawd awful stuff I have ever seen and feel ripped off to have even Bought it. it is supposed to be the "Good" stuff to. it was advertised as "Bulky nylon" and when wrapped up looks like a heavy nylon thread, when there is no tension on it it is Embroidery Floss. super fine and fly away ... what a mess. however it does work rather well in my 306... go figure I find the thread selection process at most fabric stores to be confusing and inadequate. just a grumpy old man I guess.

J Miller

Nope, not just a grumpy old man. As I was reading your comments to my wife she was agreeing with you. She's over 60 (29 and holding ) and has been sewing since she was 7. So she's seen the good thread come and go.

Joe

miriam

I am grumpy about thread too.
Is your zig zag plunger thingy on the needle arm cleaned out all the way or is there a little tiny dab of oil in there still, Joe?

J Miller

Well, it would not surprise me if there were oil in there since I oiled everything that moves.
Ummm, what machine are we talking about?

joe

miriam

That Alden should have a zig zag plunger - it may have dried oil in it

J Miller

Oh, OK, I'm thinking the plunger would be the part that connects the needle bar to the front end of the main shaft. As the needle bar moves back and forth the plunger slides in and out of the fitting that holes the bar. Is my understanding right on that? Well, the Alden doesn't have one. It has a segmented piece that moves back and forth as the needle bar does. Sort of like a flat U-joint. I just took a pic of it. Joe

greywuuf

That linkage looks remarkably similar to my 306
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