Signature MW zigzag lightweight machine
 

Does anyone know how to fix the straight stitch on this machine? It has a model # of UHT J278A Called a Montgomery Ward Signature Lightweight zigzag machine.

It stitches but very tiny zigzag stitch. Tried moving everything I could see it was well oiled--sewed but with very tiny zz stitich, changed all the levers,made sure was threaded right, everything. I wanted to sell it to a lady who just wanted something cheap to sew on. This is a neavy metal gears machine. In a case --just does not want to lengthen stitches or make a straight stitch. Can't make a wider zz either. Amy Did not take pic left machine with lady to look at.

Do you have the manual? I have a similar MW zz but not that one. Mine has never acted up like that. UHT-J276 is mine.

Straight stitch says stitch width should be on 2, knob on the upper left.
Stitch selector knob on right is set for straight stitch, the dashed lines.
Mine has a slider on the top lid, and that is also set for straight stitch, the dashed line.
Stitch length is the big knob on the column.

The feed dogs on mine can be dropped by the small knob on the bed. Are yours up all the way? The prob w/ short stitch length, unless your stitch length knob is stuck, can be feed dogs not feeding correctly.

If yours takes cams, maybe a certain cam has to be installed to get the ss and zz correct?

Is the pressure on the presser foot set right?

I will look through my manual to see if there are any other suggestions or troubleshooting. I have not used this machine much at all.

add: Twin needle lever (little silver lever on the lid) set to I, not II, because II is only for positioning a twin needle.

Check for a buildup of lint or a thread nest somewhere under the needle plate?
Take the shuttle race / parts /whatever out, and brush all of that area out? (Flip the 2 side latches outward, and pull all those pieces out?

Failure to feed right, manual suggests:
stitch length regulator is set below Number 1
presser foot not down completely
insufficient pressure on pressure foot (kinda the same thing, lol)
sew-darn knob for the feed dogs is improperly adjusted
(also look @ feed dogs to see if they do move the full range vs. are stuck partially only up)

Skips stitches:
wrong needle length
bent needle or too blunt
needle inserted wrong way
machine or just the needle not threaded correctly
thread too heavy for needle
insufficient pressure foot pressure
bobbin is threaded incorrectly in the bobbin case

Also check those wing latches for the bobbin case / shuttle / whatever and make sure everything there is installed correctly and the latches are in place.


That's about all I could get out of the manual. Apologies if you already know all that and tried all that. I'm still new here.

scans of the handout that came w/ my machine

same kind of manual plus have a book. went thru the whole thing. feed dogs are in right place think the stitch lever is bent or else the needle bar is.