Juki 1152 - 4 Refurbishing job

[Schneiderfrei]

Well, this is my new toy.

Juki 1152-4 Twin needle, needle feed, industrial sewing machine.

The place to pick up industrial machines in Australia is where those garment making businesses have just collapsed. A bit depressing really, but it's good to be able keep them in service.  About 15 - 20 years ago the last garment manufacturers in Adelaide, my home town went out of business, but I didn't have the where-with-all at that time, nor the experience to purchase one.  At that time they could be got for around $450.00.  At that time my greatest interest would have been as a sail making device, time change, slightly.

Currently, 2018, there are many machines on offer for around $750 - $1000, on the eastern seaboard, Melbourne, Sydney.  At 120 Kgs and up to a 2000 km, round trip, I am not able to access these.

With great excitement I saw this machine come up for sale in my city.  It was still an hours drive away, but the asking price was $600.00.  It was good enough to go and get. Trouble was the guy selling it did not seem to know anything about care and maintenance.

It was built in 1985, It had broken the table top, the belt was original, the owner had been using motor oil, ironically this had probably helped keep the interior rust free. The thread guide was gone, there were several machine screws missing, a single needle and only 2 bobbins.  On the other hand the motor and machine head action was great.  It has a clutch motor, 500 watts and weighs 30 kg.  I have a 500 watt servo motor,but I won't install that until the other goes kaput.

I have made a new table top, adding 18 cm to the left side work area. found a new belt, new correct oil, new thread guide, original unavailable - to my knowledge, and a generous friend has machined the correct thread so it can be installed. I have found that aliexpress can be used to get new appropriate parts.

Online many things are available to refurbish such a machine:

PDF versions of most instruction manuals are free: user manual, engineers manual, parts list and oil spec sheet.

Finally worked out how to use Aliexpress.  Typing in what you think you want is not very effective.  Finding the part number and using that in the search, is much more fruitful.

One of the most difficult things is the machine screws.  1985 is my peak year of measuring units, half imperial/half metric.  That's the inside of my brain, right there. Thanks to the time Australia converted and my age.  So, the Juki, machine screws are imperial British Standard screws in millimeter lengths, and there are nearly a dozen different ones in the machine.  But that isn't any help these days.  Luckily I have found a few to get started.

Now, it goes like the clappers!

Here are some pictures:

[Greger]

Not sure about wanting double needle, but the stand with wheels is nice and handy.
Do these use two bobbins?

[Henry Hall]

That's a good find. I feel your pain on the refurbishing (assuming you actually find it painful), since mine started playing up I've had no end of bother. Oil leak, a little nick in the rubber on the pump. I hate the clutch motor, it's too heavy and I want to put a servo on it. The oil bath system is also irritating. I want to part-ex it for a different one.

[spookietoo]

Great find!  Everybody's getting new toys.

My grandmother tried her best to give me her industrial machine in the early 90's. But the table was so big and my apartment so small........que sera sera.

Enjoy!

[Schneiderfrei]

Greger, There are two bobbins, you can operate it quite nicely with only one needle installed.

Henry Hall, I quite enjoyed the search for parts etc. But, that is only because I was able to overcome the difficulties.

Spookietoo: you can rest assured that my wife does not share my enthusiasm.  We also have a small place.

I don't care so much for the speed of the thing, which is astounding, but I really like the control that the needle feed gives.  Rather than a walking foot, the needle feed is basically a walking needle. It enters the cloth and draws all the fabric layers forward.

[pfaff260]

Congratulations!

[peterle]

Congrats also!

[Schneiderfrei]

[Greger]

Sounds like a good find. That kind of double needle would be very handy. Instead of making the pass twice you can can make it once, and they will be parallel. Shirts, jeans, outdoor clothing, tents, awnings, etc. Your skill with speed will come. You probably want a wire finger guard in front of the needles. Far cheaper than doctors and hospitals. And fingers look better without a bunch of holes and thread through em. And that machine will give you double the amount at the same time. Sitting here thinking about more stuff to sew and I come up with nice custom made slippers.

[Schneiderfrei]

Your suggestion about the guard is a very good one, and I already have a suitable presser foot available (I think).  This machine is no domestic thing, its made for making money as quickly as possible. You can feel it in its action, Its made to go 8 hours a day 6 days a week, for years.

Another thing I realised, when I got it. Each industrial machine is made to do only one task. It figures really, but the only variability in this one is that you can take out one of the needles, otherwise there is very little else you can alter.  This model, boasts a facility for sewing backwards and to trim off the threads at the end of seam. That's all.

If you are looking at getting an industrial, you need to make sure it does what you want.

[Henry Hall]

If you are looking at getting an industrial, you need to make sure it does what you want.

Like working at all? I'd happy if the thing I have just did what it was supposed to do! 

[jeffrey]

That is a very nice machine. A really good find.

[hutch--]

Looks like a decent industrial, it may have been a hassle to fix it but you have probably ended up with a better machine for the effort. I do like the double needle, double bobbin setup, would be very useful for jeans type seams.

[Schneiderfrei]

Thanks Hutch, I reckon all the pieces are there and in reasonable order, except a few machine screws - a real problem to replace.

I have all the literature that went with the machine - it's all available gratis on the web.

The problem now is that I don't know how the stitch mechanism works and I haven't been able to create a good stitch.

The blessings are: 1 I have the documents. 2 I have a friend who is well experienced in similar machinery involved in leather garment manufacture and repair.  After I fix her back enough for her to walk around I think she will give me a hand with it, she seems very enthusiastic to help set it up. 

I expect it won't be too long.

[Greger]

With old machinery some parts may need to be made by a machinist.