Vintage Japanese 'Badged' Zig Zag and Straight Sew Sewing Machines
#461

Another thought, after looking a little closer, it appears that the piece on the very out side is like a nut. Is it possible to unscrew from the front and see what else is in line. Maybe the threads are stripped?
Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 08-07-2019 at 10:38 AM.
#462
Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 5

More pictures
You inspire my online search. I found some similar to mine and the one with the arrows is mine tension assembly. I bravely took it apart and put back per diagrams. However still breaking thread. The arrows show where the screws, pin and breaking points are. Any suggestions?

Last edited by QuiltnNan; 08-08-2019 at 02:44 PM. Reason: remove copyright pic, should have used link
#464

More pictures
You inspire my online search. I found some similar to mine and the one with the arrows is mine tension assembly. I bravely took it apart and put back per diagrams. However still breaking thread. The arrows show where the screws, pin and breaking points are. Any suggestions?

It has been quite a while since I've had a tension assembly apart. Most of mine that I've taken apart are Singers and I have found good diagrams of how they go back together. For some reason, when I first saw your assembly apart, I thought that 7 & 8 were transposed. I could be wrong, but I think the large end of the spring (#8) goes in the open part of the 'bowl' of disc #6 and then #7 fits over the small end of spring #8. So the sequence should be 5, 6, 8, 7 from the machine outward. It seems like I've worked with pieces similar to #9 through #12. It kind of reminds me of the Singer 401 tensions. It seems like there is a way to press on #12 to get the previous pieces in the right slots of #9 & #12 to get the right tension. My "google-fu" isn't working very well, tonight, but perhaps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G49qEBwDBFM or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UttHpnQy0xk would give you some ideas. The parts would be a little different, but similar.
When you have your machine threaded properly past the tension assembly and hopefully tension set somewhat close, if the presser foot is up the upper thread should pull through easily. When the presser foot is down, the thread will have slight resistance, but still able to pull some thread through.
I wish I could help better.
ETA: I don't think those cams are for your machine. Generally there is a door or place on the top of the arm that opens to put the cams in. It seems like there are some that the door is on the front of the arm - where yours has the various decorative stitches.
Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
I
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 08-08-2019 at 06:42 PM. Reason: Not affiliated with off-site links
#465

Upon some further research, I'm wondering if Kenmore 158 tension assembly might be closer to your machine.
Something else I thought about is that the center bars of #7, #8, and #10 all need to fit in the slot of #3. I wish I could remember which of my machines might have a similar assembly.
Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Something else I thought about is that the center bars of #7, #8, and #10 all need to fit in the slot of #3. I wish I could remember which of my machines might have a similar assembly.
Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
#466
Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 5

I was hoping someone can tell me where to get a replacement tension assembly my JA 13 Zig Zag.
I'm not sure of the make other than the KSB stamped in the metal. Attaching some pictures to help ID.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]616357[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]616358[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]616359[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]616360[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]616361[/ATTACH]
I'm not sure of the make other than the KSB stamped in the metal. Attaching some pictures to help ID.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]616357[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]616358[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]616359[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]616360[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]616361[/ATTACH]
#468
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Burgundy, France
Posts: 101

Yesterday, while picking up a machine for a colleague, the elderly seller showed me this machine which he was about to throw away because "it didn't work". He bought it new for his wife when they were newly married.
The motor is dead, it smells of old oil after a couple of minutes but never mind, it is an external motor so I ordered a new generic one
If anyone can tell me more about it, that would be so nice because I have not been able to find information on it online. There is a "made in Japan" somewhere underneath so I thought I'd post it here!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]617171[/ATTACH]
The motor is dead, it smells of old oil after a couple of minutes but never mind, it is an external motor so I ordered a new generic one

If anyone can tell me more about it, that would be so nice because I have not been able to find information on it online. There is a "made in Japan" somewhere underneath so I thought I'd post it here!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]617171[/ATTACH]
#469

On this forum these are often called dashboard machines. They are named that after the auto dashboards in the 50s and early 60s that had lots of different buttons and levers and quite a bit of chrome.
The Japanese seemed to name their machines after anything that seemed to be familiar to Americans and beyond.
Crosley made radios refrigerators and many appliances and even cars in the USA back in the day. I have no idea if they were related to this sewing machine, however. Their name still exists,
The Japanese seemed to name their machines after anything that seemed to be familiar to Americans and beyond.
Crosley made radios refrigerators and many appliances and even cars in the USA back in the day. I have no idea if they were related to this sewing machine, however. Their name still exists,
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