Ferdco's Lower Needle Guide

[amuckart]

I'm curious about how the lower needle guide on Ferdco machines works. Can anyone post a picture of it?

Thanks.

[stelmackr]

I'm curious about how the lower needle guide on Ferdco machines works. Can anyone post a picture of it?

Thanks.

Note sure what kind of picture you want, but here is some information.

As I understand from Cheryl, from the former FERDCO company (they closed in june 2012), the major difference between the FERDCO Pro-2000 and the machine it is cloned from (JUKI-441)is the following (taken from the www.ferdco.com page:

PRO 2000/ PRO 2000HH/ PRO 2020: Juki 441 and any of the knock off models of the 441 parts will work. The attachments, the Lower Needle Guide and the Throat Plates we special made by FERDCO Corp and can not be found anywhere else. You can replace the throat Plate and the Lower Needle Guide with the original Throat Plate and Feed Dog from the 441 models.

You may try contacting Cheryl at ferdco@live.com for more information.

Hope this helps.

Bob Stelmack

[dirtclod]

Here's some pictures of my machine. It's a Juki Ferdco Pro 2000 if that's makes any difference. These may be pictures of what you were asking about, if their not ill take some more for ya.

[Sylvia]

Now the trick is to find out who they had make the special parts and get them to make after market ones.

[stelmackr]

Now the trick is to find out who they had make the special parts and get them to make after market ones.

Sylva,

Cheryl said the FERDCO parts were patented, so I'm sure replication of the parts will be under some license arrangement.

Bob Stelmack

[Sylvia]

Sylva,

Cheryl said the FERDCO parts were patented, so I'm sure replication of the parts will be under some license arrangement.

Bob Stelmack

Good point... but with as many ferdco owners there are out there... it might be worth the maker's while to gain that permission. And it could provide Ferdinand with some residual income.

[Art]

That thing should be pretty close to off patent now. It is really desirable for lightweight needles where you can do some bending. If you have a saw, grinder, and buffer, you can modify a dog from a blanket set or a smooth dog from one of the 441 clones to act as a lower guide. It was a good idea at the time as nobody made a dog for a slot plate machine. I've had a slot plate on mine since I had it and have never even wished for a (lower) needle guide.

Art

[amuckart]

The patent expires at the end of 2015, and searching for it has told me what I wanted to know about how it works.

Cheryl, who is excellently responsive, said they are negotiating with an unspecified manufacturer to take over production of the needle guides.

1343798390[/url]' post='258819']

Here's some pictures of my machine. It's a Juki Ferdco Pro 2000 if that's makes any difference. These may be pictures of what you were asking about, if their not ill take some more for ya.

Thank you for those, much appreciated. Pictures of the part I'm thinking of would mean taking the needle plate off, so don't worry about it, I finally found the patent documents which have pictures.

Cheers.

[Sylvia]

yeah Cheryl is really a nice lady.

[amuckart]

Hi Art,

It was a good idea at the time as nobody made a dog for a slot plate machine. I've had a slot plate on mine since I had it and have never even wished for a (lower) needle guide.

Do you have a dog on your slot plate?