Juki MO-2416 Serger

Juki MO-2416-FF6-500

Status: Working (as of 2022-11-03)

Type: Single needle overedge machine (see note in Tips about machine model)

Year: c. 1984

Materials: Knits, lightweight to medium heavy. Wovens, lightweight to medium heavy. Foot has a clearance of only 7mm, so thick seams won't work well. Not compatible with sticky materials like leather or vinyl
Needle: DCx27, size 12 is good for most materials
Thread: Universal/medium weight (~tex 21) poly or poly-cotton. Cones only, won't work well with spools with plastic at the top and bottom. Not suitable for heavy thread (e.g. bonded nylon 69)

At the end of the piece run off a chain, no need to stop and raise the foot and pull out like with a straight stitch machine. Pulling the piece out could result in a bent needle or broken threads
This machine is meant to sew flat pieces only (i.e. pieces that have not already been sewn in a circle). If you must sew a seam in the round there are workarounds, but they are all awkward
The MO-2416-FF6-500 is meant to be a 5-thread overedge with safety stitch, but Needle Clamp 118-70458 is discontinued (confirmed with Civit 2022-03-10). The current needle clamp and throat plate are suitable for a 3-thread serger setup only. This is the right stitch for finishing wovens, and while not ideal for sewing seams in knits, it will be sufficient for most purposes.
All sergers have a knife placed to cut the fabric as you sew. The knife is blocked by a guard so it is not as dangerous as it appears, but it still *is possible* to cut your finger. Always be aware of where your fingers are.
If you need to change the threads, tie on and pull each thread through. DO NOT UNTHREAD THE SERGER. It takes about 30 minutes and a lot of patience to rethread. If you're doing a big project you should be prepared to have to rethread at some point, it happens. Use tweezers (located on a magnet on the thread stand).