The Elna Jubilee & Elna Air Electronic are very similar to each other and for the purposes of this article I will be using the Jubilee. These models are from the late 70's and can still be a good find. One particular issue with these is their air driven foot pedal, which can be finicky and leak or not realize you've changed your foot's position. However they can handle most materials decently, I've used lighter materials like chiffon & heavier materials like 10oz canvas.
The first thing you need to know about using this machine is the speed control on the right side of the front should be used to go slow, not the foot pedal. The threading on this machine is slightly different as you need to go around the tension that is on the top of the machine instead of down the front of the machine. Once you are familiar with those differences this is a good reliable machine that will only need basic maintenance.
Winding and Inserting the bobbin thread
- Place a bobbin on on the bobbin pin to the far right of the machine top.
- Place your spool of thread on the machine's spool holder
- Run the thread through the tension dial on the left top of the machine. The tension dial on this machine is the fairly big disk with the arrow curved around it in the picture.
- Wrap the thread around the bobbin a few times in a clockwise motion.
- Slide the bobbin to the right so that the plastic stub is inside the bobbin.
- Loosen the inner hand wheel on the right end of the machine. (Black in the picture)
- Make sure you do not have anything near the machine's needle as a safety precaution and turn on the motor of the machine. Using the motor switch on the right end of the machine.
- Use the foot peddle to wind as much thread on the bobbin as you think you will need for your project or until it stops.
- Push the white button on the inner hand wheel on the right end of the machine.
- Next slide the bobbin back to the left and lift off the bobbin pin.
- Pull the bobbin off the pin.
- Push the back of the silver plate under the machine's presser foot so that it is out of the way.
- Place the bobbin in the bobbin case area so that when you pull the thread it spins counter clockwise.
- Guide the thread into the notch above the bobbin and pull the thread to the right.
- After threading the top thread make a single stitch while holding the top thread's tail to pull the bobbin thread up & pull it to the back of the machine.
