roguequilter

looking for FREE ) owner manual source. looking for manufacturer & any information regarding this machine. found at estate sale - asking price 75$. bought for 10$. either belt of shaft issue. took to local machine guru. new belt, completely cleaned, lubed & gneral serviceing. i worked on my truck for years, never my sewing machines except gen'l clean/lube. anyway total now is 95 + 10 into it. started looking for feed dog/darning foot cover. then got absorbed in finding anything at all about this machine. did some more interior cleaning. the belt disentegrated w black rubber dust all inside belt area including the stitch thingy for the discs. thought that might become an issue later, so cleaned as much of the black rubber dust from all around moving parts as could.

i have found info about sources for wards machines up thru national it's subsequent names etc and on to the erra of wards machines produced in japan by "Happy" sewing machine manufacturing. seems they made for brother, sears, wards & more?

anyway, this is my first post to this forum even tho i have read every page here and looked at every picture - some dozens of times. love this forum! thanks if you can lead me to any more search wordings, etc. have done the usual searches by ser #, model #. thanks in advance.

miriam

Would a generic manual help for a while?

http://www.dontai.com/wp/images/imperial-535-manual.pdf

roguequilter

thank you for the reply, miriam. i should have added a pic. took one this am, will see if i can figure out how to load to the board via my ipad. but the bobbin is front loading, the thread holder bobbin winder is completely different. i did manage to find pictorial threading and bobbin use on net and have saved screenshots to my ipad as reference guide while using the machine. i would like to have more info like lube etc. i finally found manual photocopy for 12$ at a couple of sites. seems high for blk & wht photocopies that can tend to be poor quality. it also has top loading drop-in cams for decorative stitches, button hole and zigzag stitches. i have never ever used a machine w drop in cams before. i will keep looking on-line. i am in a very rural area, my few quilt group friends all have new machines w embroidery capability etc. i am the only one who loves older machines. not a collecter. just think they are cool. i have a 30+ yr old necchi that has been my main machine. i bought it new. before that my main machine for all sewing, household & clothing etc was my fw. was my grmothers. i still use it to travel to q group meets. necchi is finally dying. found a newish janome 1600p on cl, but it is only straight stitch. couldn't believe how wonderful it was for fmq etc, but i need a zigzag etc machine for fabrics like home dec, satin, flannel etc.

miriam

Those old MWs machines are very nice. I have had a couple here and there and I have a lot of respect for the Happy Company. Did you not get any cams with the machine? Do you know we have pictures of other older deluxe machines?
Here is a link - feel free to post pics: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...s-t207880.html
I'm thinking there are two kinds of vintage fancy stitch machines - those with a cam stack and stitch selector and those with drop in cams. I think I like the ones with the cams - much simpler machines and they get the job done well.

J Miller

roguequilter,

Relics has your manual. Both printed @ $21.00 and download @ $12.00.
I know you don't want to pay for the manual, but I have purchased several manuals from Relics and can attest to the fact their printed ones are very good. Not the run of the mill photo copy type.

The manual for your machine is the 7th one down on this page: { http://pages.sewing-machine-manuals....1794215/3.html }

Joe

roguequilter

thanks joe, relics is one of the sites i went to, but i didn't see for the j1960. have the site saved in my sewing machine repair/service bookmarks. will go ck again.

J Miller

roguequilter,

In their listings they don't put the letters in the model. Just the numbers. When I checked I compared the photo to yours and it's the same machine.


Joe

roguequilter

i have the tool box w screw drivers, a few feet and full set of cams it looks like. all the pegs are filled and then there are a few more that don't have pegs to hold them. a lot of the terminology i read here is unfamiliar to me. but i think my necchi has what you refer to as stacked cams. i like that idea better. this new-to-me wards has the discs that drop down into top of machine. playing w these a bit this a.m. ...the needle positioner is weird, to me ). but i didn't break anything. like the speed control. this machine is probably 20+ yrs older than my necchi but has such nice new seeming user features. been looking for a pfaff from the 90's - simple, no computer boards. there was one model no computer at all, another w limited. i think the simpler the better longevity for the item. ) like my truck, it doesn't have power windows, heated seats or any other fluff that gets rattled to death on back country roads )

roguequilter

thanks. just went again. that pic is my machine. i guess i put too much info in search box. do you know of any sites that have parts from unsalvadgeable machines? the spool holder/cover plate from belt access area has been broken and glued. just thought if there are sites that sell used parts i would look into that too. checked a few newer happy sites but they don't sell parts that i see. looks like thier focus is industrial and embroidery machines now.

J Miller

You might try Thayer Rags parts: { http://thayerrags.com/ } he has lots of things there. I've done business with him and it went well. Other than that, your local SMG if he keeps old machines like ours does.

Joe