Dressmaker SWM-2000 zigzag does not work
 

Hi - this sewing machine is in very good condition and sews a good straight stitch. No zigzag, however. Zigzag, I believe, would be built in. I have 24 cams for it but those don't work either. It's an all metal machine, so a broken, cracked cam stack can't be the cause of this.... right?

I have oiled all the components of the zigzag mechanism, as far as I can tell, and nothing appears to be stuck. It seems to us that something is missing that activates the swing mechanism. A spring maybe?

We activated it manually, tried to compare what we see to several other zigzag machines but they are all different. We don't have another Dressmaker to take cues from.

I'm attaching some photos and hope that anyone can point to what might be missing here. There is a white small tab-like object screwed to the front edge of the machine that seems to have no purpose.... anyone know what it's for?

If nothing is missing, what might be the cause for the non-activation of the swing mechanism?

Thanks for looking!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]508947[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]508948[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]508949[/ATTACH]

Well, first I do not see any built in cam for the ZZ stitch. I think it will need a ZZ cam on the cam drive.

Second you have to rotate one of the knobs off of the straight stitch position to engage the ZZ drive. And there is I believe a lock knob or lever to hold it where you want it.
Some control has to move the big silver lever to the rear so that it can pivot the black cam follower into the cam. That would be one of the knobs.

I don't see anything missing that's obvious.

The white tab is a stop for something, probably the big silver thingy.

Joe

I can't answer your question, but could you please tell me how you got the red line and words on the picture?

I agree that you need a zz cam on the stack to make it zig zag. I have a dressmaker that needs cams so it can do all it's fancy stitches including the zig zag. Which is annoying because I don't have any of the cams. LOL So really it's just a straight stitch machine until I can track down a set.

From what I can tell with the dressmaker cams there's different versions so your cams might not actually go with your machine. If the cams do go with your machine, then I would try widening the stitches. That is what I usually forget to do and then I start cursing the machine for not working right when it's really just user *coughmecough* error. lol

As for that plastic tab, check the underside of the top. It might be there as a spacer for something underneath it.

Joe, thanks, you're right -- the white tab is a stopper.

I did move the 2 knobs for setting and locking in the stitch width and the machine does not respond.

I believe the cams are the right ones, they fit size-wise and also in the guide that sticks up, and the black arm that traces the edge of the cam does reach the edge. That mechanism works, but does not translate into movement of the "swing arm". Somewhere is a breakdown in communication, maybe as minor as a spring that needs to connect to something.
I will dismantle some of the mechanism tomorrow. I did read of broken cam gears somewhere, even a metal one.... so I'll look for that.

Foufymaus, if you have time, can you take a photo or 2 of your machine to compare? I did adjust the stitch width to max without any result. And using the cams has no effect either, all I get is a straight stitch. (BTW, I did see a set like mine on eBay.) Thank you for your suggestions.

June, I went into a drawing program - if you have a PC you will probably find "Paint" as default drawing program. All basic drawing or photo editing programs are very much alike, and you can download them for free.

Select your image by clicking "open" and find it in the folder that you saved it to. Reduce it to ca 900 pixels wide if you want to post it to this board.

You can chose the type of line you want, either free hand or straight, and you can select a thickness and color.

Click on a button for text, move the cursor to where you want text and write it down, either straight onto the image or in a dialog box, depending on the type of program you have... Again select size and color and a particular font if you like.

Remember to save your image while working on it.

Hope this helps :-)

When you turn the knobs the silver piece should move back and forth. The curved piece with the rectangular block that moves in it should follow it, and the black cam follower should also move. If they do not, somethings missing or broken.
The machine will do nothing unless it has a cam in it. So put a ZZ cam in it and try again.

Joe

Can you post a pic of the machine with it's cam port open or the top off? Or if you already have, link me to it? I have a couple sets of cams I have no idea what they fit.


Joe

I'm going to be the odd man out here and say that I don't think you need a cam to make a zigzag on that machine. I have a Dressmaker SWA-2000 with guts that look very much like yours. I don't have any cams for it, but it will make a zigzag...almost. First, this is what my machine looks like (is yours similar?):

[ATTACH=CONFIG]509062[/ATTACH]

Mine has a plastic gear that drives the zigzag mechanism, which is circled here:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]509063[/ATTACH]
The gear on mine is cracked all the way through, but hasn't broken off yet which my best guess is why I am getting a scalloped shape when zigzagging, demonstrated by blue and black stitches here:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]509064[/ATTACH]

Also, in your photo, there appears to be the end of a wire (or end of spring) that is clipped onto the edge of the cam follower. If you can see in my photo, there is no such wire clipped on the side of the cam follower. Yours also appears to be loosely wound around the base of that cam follower and mine doesn't appear to be that way. I'm not sure how that actually works...so it's entirely possible yours is correct and mine is not. That's just the only difference I notice. But, there's no way for me to check mine for function without any cams.

Could you also post pictures of your machine and the cams that go with it? It helps others identify machines/cams. There is a good thread you could post those pics on here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...d-t252968.html

There is a yahoo group called vintagejapansewingmachines where I did read some discussions about replacing the gear on my model with one that is apparently still available, but I haven't pursued that. There are people in that group that can probably help you more than I can. I became completely unimpressed with this machine and a Morse with cracked cams/gears.

Good luck.

John

John, thank you for your response :-). I was just about to return the machine but decided to check for responses to my inquiry. I will take some photos of the machine, check for the gear that you pointed out, and take a photo of the cams. I did see them on ebay. No guarantee but they look very much like mine: link . Maybe ask the seller to repost them for you?

I am a member of that yahoo group and may have come across those posts, but then I figured without an original zz cam I'm not getting anywhere.... It is not included in the set of 24, but now it seems that maybe I don't need it if it's actually built in....

to be continued....