Needle position adjustment on a Dressmaker 2000 machine
 

We got us a really nice Dressmaker 2000 machine. Uses cams and has 30 of them. When it got here we did the cursory inspection and I saw that the needle will not center. When the lever is centered the needle it to the left.
If you try a ZZ stitch the needle will hit either the foot or the needle plate or both.

The bobbin carrier moves side to side with the needle bar.

Now, I've looked inside trying to figure out what to adjust to move the needle back to center. However there is about a dozen lock and adjusting screws in and around the parts that control the position.

Does anyone here have any experience adjusting these machines they would share?

Here's the GW pic, you can see it's a Japanese made machine. No idea by whom though.

Joe

I've centered the needle on Kenmores...open the side plate so I can see if it's similar.

Joe, some of the Japanese machines have dedicated left needle positions. That is the default for them. My Universal is like that, but unlike yours, it ZZs and does the decorative stitches from that position. I could get used to it if I only sewed with that machine, not a variety, but I'm having trouble visualizing a 1/4" seam on it. The right feeddog is more than 1/4" from the needle, I'm thinking. After I put the new plug on, I'll have to play with it.

I just visited a Yahoo site that says your Dressmaker was made by Dressmaker. There was a manual for $17.00. For that price, I'll figure the Universal out myself.

Left needle position for a straight stitch...yes, sometimes. But he said it's hitting the foot & plate when it zigzags. So it DOES need adjustment.

Ha ha ha ,, I just got back from my sewing machine fix, and came home with a dressmaker .... not quite as Hi tech as yours,, but Just sat here trieng to get figure this out , yes they stay left for straight stitch,, if you put on the quilting foot the needle lines up with the hole in the foot...

Aaaaaa the machine I have takes a shorter needle the the standard singer needles.. I always check the needle lenght in a new machine against a singer needle 100/18,, I put in a singer 100/18 it sewed good but I could hear that chunking sound. That needles tip was beat flat, I found one new short needle in teh goodie box whiched the original .. she works just like new,,, the needle package says made in holland ,,,40F1 - 14 ( 1775 ) just looking there a 1/16 " shorter, grind the top tip off a singer and that would be about right .

The needle and bobbin moves just like yours... no serial or model number just a metal tag at the up and down buttons saying nationally sold ,, made in japan


doing a google on this all I get is the euro pro dressmakers

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/a...7/100_8955.jpg

We have two Japanese ZZ machines that park the needle to the left for straight stitch. Neither of them have a R-C-L lever for the needle position.
This machine does. Based on others we have it should park in the middle with the lever in the middle position.

path49, I'll pop the top off and get some pics today (Sunday).

For those two machines that park to the left I have offset straight stitch feet that go a long way to making a 1/4" seam. A lot easier for me than measuring 1/4" right from the needle and making a mark on the foot.
My wife can eye ball it real good, but she's been doing that for ever.

Joe

irishrose,

I've paid more for manuals. I haven't had time to research this one yet, but with 30 cams and all the controls, I'd drop the cash for a manual.

Joe

Caroline,

I said to my wife: here's one you'll be interested in. She took one look and said, that's mine. We bid on it and one.
It's a nice machine. The GW pics don't do it justice.

Joe

You don't need to take the top off...Just open up the side so the needle bar is visible. That's where you'd adjust it.

OK, I hope this is seen.

First I have a correction. The machine in question is a Domestic 7000. Not a 2000. I misread the label.

Here are the pics I promised path49:

Front w/ cams:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...rontw-cams.jpg

Front a bit closer:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...tic7Kfront.jpg

Top, full length:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...opinsidesb.jpg

Top, a bit closer:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...opinsidesa.jpg

Top, close up of the needle position section:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...nsideclose.jpg

Needle position close up a:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...r7Kneedlea.jpg

Needle position close up b:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...r7Kneedleb.jpg

Now, in the pics of the machine you can see the needle R-C-L lever is centered. In the first needle close up I put a straight stitch foot on so you could see more clearly how off center it is.
In the second needle picture I removed the foot and moved the R-C-L lever to the left. You can see the needle is hitting the edge of the slot on the needle plate.

There must be an adjustment so that is what I'm trying to get assistance with.

TIA

Joe

OK, here's a pic of the left side open:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...essmakerLS.jpg
I don't see how you could adjust the needle position from there. Remember the bobbin carrier moves back and forth in conjunction with the needle.
The whole shebang has to be adjusted.

Joe

Nope...totally UNLIKE my Kenmores! On a Kenmore there's a curved arm that is connected to the front of the needle bar with what looks like a screw/bolt. It's actually an eccentric. On a Kenmore you loosen the nut behind the needle bar that's screwed onto the threads of the eccentric...then turn the eccentric bolt & it moves the needle bar. When it's in position, just tighten the nut.

I doubt that you'll have to adjust the bobbin carrier...the needle bar getting knocked out of position probably didn't move the carrier. I've never had to do any adjustments there.

Let me look in a generic repair book I have & I'll see if I can find anything in there.

The Kenmore probably has a front loading bobbin carrier too. Ours does.

Thanks,

Joe

Nothing similar enough in the book to give any advice. If I were you, I'd try slightly loosening every screw slightly (from the top L-C-R control all the way to the needle bar) that looked like there's adjustment capability (a slot, possible eccentric, etc)...& try moving the needle bar to center. Then tighten them all. Your adjustment (set screw, eccentric, slot...whatever) is for sure SOMEPLACE between the L-C-R control & the needle bar. Then deal with the bobbin carrier if necessary.

She sure is a beauty! Congrats!

I misread, thinking you said there isn't a L _C _ R lever.. this one doesn't have that ,, on my singer 237 it's under the top cover where your looking... but it seems I had to take something else out to get at the adjustment ??

On this one the foot will only raise less than a 1/4 inch, That has to be wrong ??

OMG what a gorgeous machine. No wonder you bought it! Maybe you can find a repair manual online, too. Sometimes even a different model # can help.

Are you sure the needle is facing the correct way. On one of my machines I remember my needle hitting, just like yours, and when I did a search on the correct way to face the needle I found that I had it in wrong. When I changed it around it fit perfectly through the hole.

Joe - does it have some gummy oil in the zz piston?

Miriam,
Will try to check it later today.

Joe

Joe, Cathy may have hit on it! In the pictures it looks like the eye of the needle is facing forward. Shouldn't it thread from left to right?

Pat, Cathy,

The picture were taken as it came to us. I had not started checking on it at that time. You are correct, the needle is in wrong in that picture. However once oriented properly it still did not make it through the hole.

I have since corrected most of the side to side maladjustments, the biggest problem now is the cam drive is binding, the patterns are not properly formed and the top thread keeps breaking.

Joe

Joe it could be you need some more oil and heat near the cam drive - something is still gummed up. oil it every way from Sunday... and then turn the machine upside down and every other direction so the oil can penetrate... The top thread could be a tension problem or thread not flowing through right - hanging up somewhere.

Miriam,

That's very possible. That machine had been cleaned on the outside, but was very dirty and grimy under the front control panel and inside. I've put a lot of oil in it and it still has problems. Right now I can't it anywhere near my work bench so it waits.

Joe

Dressmaker manual
 

Hello. If you join the vintage Japanese group there are manuals in their files. You can print the one you want out.

Catmomma, Joe, Miriam, etc. no longer post here. This thread is from 2012, so things have changed for everyone. I looked for Miriam and Joe, but as far as I was able to ascertain, they aren't posting on sewing machine sites anymore. Both were a enjoyable to read. Miriam had a deep knowledge of old sewing machines.
bkay