Threading the Needle of the Ultrafeed LSZ-1 – Sewing Machines Los Angeles

One of the handiest and least often found tools on a sailboat has to be a sewing machine. Most cruising or weekend sailboats are covered in Sunbrella fabric or something similar. From the sail cover to the bimini or seat covers there is fabric everywhere and most of it sits in the sun day after day. The fabric itself holds up extremely well considering, but I have found that the stitching that holds everything together seems to want to be the first to go.

A few years back we purchased a Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 sewing machine. While the machine is fairly easy to use, if you are like me and do not use it every day (or month), threading the needle can be a complicated process to remember.

After unpacking and setting up the machine onto a flat surface the first step is to assemble the thread stand arm. The thread is brought off the top of the cone to the hook area at the top of the thread stand arm. From the stand arm the thread is lead over to the top of the machine. There is a bobbin tensioner on the top front edge of the machine. It can be identified by the unique pigtail protrusion. The thread is brought from the back to the front wrapping from right to left so that it ends up running through the center of the pigtail.

The next step is to loop the thread through the ear holes. These are located on the front of the LSZ-1 under and slightly left of the pigtail. There are three holes in the arm. The thread is lead from top to bottom through the right hand hole. It is then brought back up and lead top to bottom through the left hand hole.

The upper tension is the knob device on the front of the machine under the ear holes and above the needle. The thread comes down behind the knob from the right hand side and wraps under and back up on the left hand side. There is a small notch behind the knob that the thread is brought up to and then goes back down to catch the wire hook.

From the wire hook the thread is lead back up to the take up arm at the left hand top of the machine. The thread is lead through the take up arm right to left and brought down through the front slot to the needle assembly.

On the assembly that holds the needle there is a small hook. The thread is passed behind the hook and down the left side of the needle to the eye. Up to this point the thread has always gone right to left. The thread is passed through the eye of the needle from the left to the right. This part almost never happens on the first try and has a better chance of success on land rather than a rocking boat, but with patience you will get there. Pull out about 6 inches of thread and you are ready to start the project.