Alden SUZ-2 Super Zig-Zag is home
 

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

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:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ofPFatIndy.jpg

The storage drawer with some things in it. A couple bobbins, a seam ripper, a needle, a screwdriver;
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ragedrawer.jpg

At home with the top off for inspection and oiling:
Controls:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/Controls.jpg
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.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...cs/Innards.jpg

The accessory box and goodies:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...boxwithacc.jpg
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:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...seupoffeet.jpg


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

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

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...

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

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

Sure would be nice if we could find out more about these beauties, wouldn't it? My Universal is J-A 38. It looks very much the same inside as your Alden. I do not have a single hole presser foot and my needle parks to the left only. Is the Alden a short shank? Some of the feet look like longs. THe U is definitely a long shank and, of course, I have no long shank accessories like a hopping foot or a walking foot. I look forward to seeing your stitches.

Gorgeous Joe! That spring is the one piece I am missing out of the accessories that came with the Toyota I picked up a while back. as for foot#14 - I have 4 different Japanese machines and all 4 have a different sized foot, some really skinny, some a bit fatter...and yours is the super sized version!

Joann

I got an offset, high shank, straight stitch presser foot from my local sewing machine guy for my Dial 'n Sew. It's a zig-zag that parks to the left.
I also got an offset, low shank, straight stitch, presser foot from him that so far doesn't fit anything I have.
I'd love to find sources of information for these machines. I hate to admit it, but the Japanese machines are more interesting to me that the Singers made from the 60s on.
We've got a small walking foot that is a low shank foot. It came with an adapter for the old style Berninas. We took the adapter off it works fine on regular low shank machines.
I'll get the stitch patterns made as soon as I can.

Joe

Caroline,

I wouldn't be at all surprised if your Universal and this one was made in the same place. At least they probably share many of the same designs.
I've got to go back and look at your machine. I can't remember what it's controls look like.
Perhaps it needs the top off and a gallon of oil poured inside. That's just about what I did to this one. Besides the two or three actual oil holes, there is a bunch of moving, pivoting, sliding, turning, parts that were dry, so I oiled them. I put the Tri-Flo grease on the two gear sets at the left end as well.
I think people sometimes just put one drop of oil in the oil holes and then forget the rest of the moving parts. Then they run the machine to death and wonder why it quits working.

Post me a close up pic of the entire front of your machine and I'll cogitate on the controls.

Joe

Joann,

How do you use that spring?
Do you need a hoop for the fabric?
Do you have to use the plates over the feed dogs or can you just drop the dogs and use it?
Any particular way to run the machine while you're using it?

We've been comparing that big straight stitch foot to all the others we've got and it's the biggest.
So, I think we've found a name for this machine: Big Foot. It should work great, I'm going to try it on something.

Joe

Joe, I think the conversation about the needle springs was on the Vintage shop thread...

Oh boy, that's gonna be even harder to find. I'll go take a look see later after I "accomplish" something.

Joe

Gonna go back and look at my pics as I thought I had taken one of the top of the machine. If not, I will. I did take the top off to look inside. WOW, a whole bunch of awesome gears. I was not sure if they should be oiled or greased so I didn't. Pics coming your way soon. I am also going to bring the Morse inside today and start tinkering with her. She has been in the garage until I could find room in the house. Solution, move plants that are on the plant stand to the greenhouse, move plant stand to the deck and voila, perfect spot for the Morse.

Caroline

the wires on my Toyota are crunchy so she hasn't been plugged in since we brought her home as I have been working on getting one of the machines in my avatar (the one in front) cleaned up and ready to go to the daughters this wknd.
I will dig out the manual and see what it says, if anything, about how to use that spring.

J

here is what my manual has to say about use of the darning spring:

Joe, here is a thread about the springs. http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...s-t183629.html I want one of those. I would have had a better view of what I was doing when I was thread painting the ducks and eagles on my son's quilt. Thank you, JMCDA, fo the directions in case I find one.

Caroline, does that stick up thing (now there's a technical term) in the top center of your machine move. A similar lever is bigger and further to the right on my Universal. It has to be moved to the right in order for the big knob to turn and choose different stitches.

Joe, my Universal is twin to my mothers' White and as far as I can find out was made by the Koyo factory that manufactured Whites. When White went out of the manufacturing business and only became a distributor, the factory kept making machines and shipping them to the US where new names were given. Caroline's looks like a higher end model of the same machine. Caroline, what is the # on yours?

I sat down at the machine and could operate everything - muscle memory, maybe? BTW, when I have a machine apart, I oil everything that moves or even might move.

JMCDA,

Thanks for the instructions. I saved the pic to my PC. As soon as I've gotten the controls down pat on this machine I'll give it a try.

irishrose,
Thanks for the link to the thread about the springs. I"m gonna bookmark it this time.


About the great big straight stitch foot. .....................

It dawned on my pea brain about 17 minutes ago why this machine has such a big straight stitch foot.
It's because the feed dogs are very wide. The wide foot covers the wide feed dogs. Really too simple. Hey Joe: "Here's your sign".
If you'll look at the pic you can see the straight stitch foot on the left and the zig-zag foot on the right. Both are just a bit larger than the feed dogs.
Pretty smart, the designer.

Joe

Caroline,
OK, I'm really feeling left out now. Where in the blue blazes is this picture thread? I've looked and looked and can't find it. I want to see the "sticky uppy thingy" too.

Joe

I just updated my thread with some more pictures. Give me a minute and I will send you the link. Or you can go to my profile to look at my recent threads.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...z-t184858.html

Here you go Joe.

Caroline, I thought so. I'm also J A 38, but the serial number is N 10303. Yours is a little newer than mine.

Here's a picture though it was precleaning when the motor was still off. http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...-universal.jpg

I think that I saw a manual on TIAS for your model or one similar. I am thinking that that manual may have enough information to operate my sewing machine.

Congrats. Nice machine. Love the little drawer under the casing. Fantastic attachments. You are so lucky.

Rumbols,
I'm beginning to agree with you. After cleaning, oiling (a lot) and greasing, this machine is settling in and running quite nice. My wife has been putting decorative patterns around the pockets of jeans she's making shopping bags out of. For a machine to sit there and do patterns through 3 and 4 layers of jeans denim is unusual. Our MW 7 Jewel will not do it. It will do light duty things, but not jeans pockets.
It's also quieted down a lot since we've been running it too. I'm pretty sure the oil is getting into all the places it needs to be.

.................................................. ......................................

Caroline,
I posted on your Universal thread.

Joe

Ooh -aah! I want one just like it. It reminds me of a 2-tone 1952 Chevy that my friend's mom drove - a real cream puff!

That is one sweet looking machine!!

Joe, will you post a picture of one of the bags. I need ideas for our church bazaar. My Elna will do anything I ask and I bet the Universal will, too.

Sure is a neat machine. Looking forward to seeing the felt display of it's specialty stitches.

Sure, here it is:
JOe

The machine has pretty much settled in. It's quieted down and is running pretty good. I should have the felt done tomorrow or Saturday.

Joe

Joe, that is a really cool machine!! very nice looking. When I saw the picture of your Alden it reminded me of my dad's old Falcon, he still has it.

I just ordered an electronic foot controller from Sew-Classic for the Alden. I've been working on the felt with all the decorative stitches and can't do more than a half dozen at a time before the foot controller that's on it is too hot to keep my toes on the pedal. The motor is only a 0.8 amp motor so the controller Sew-Classic sells will work fine.

I'll have the pattern chart done tonight for sure.

Joe