The Passap Duo 80
The good news – I decided four months was long enough to avoid knitting on a Passap. My last experience with an original Pink Duomatic ended in jammed locks and frustration, no matter what I tried. The Pinkie remains in exile on the top shelf of my closet.
Rather than walking past her bigger and newer sister for the hundredth time yesterday, I pulled up a chair to the Duo 80, sat down, opened the instruction manual, and knit some beginner swatches.
And it worked!
The locks went across without freezing. They’re still a bit stiff compared to what I’m familiar with on a Brother standard gauge, but some oil should help.
The not so good news – I knit cardboard. This sample can literally stand all by itself.
I don’t have a feel yet for what tension settings are best for different size yarns. When I tried knitting at higher settings, the fabric kept sproinging up towards the locks and making a difficult pass nearly impossible. I’ll have to experiment with hanging weights, though I thought with a Passap they weren’t needed.
I am impressed that even with the consistency of lumber, the Passap still knit the sample. I doubt the Brother would have been as forgiving.
It’s hard to see, but this sample includes Fisherman’s Rib, Half-Fisherman’s Rib, Full Needle Rib, and Long Stitch.
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March 8, 2007
15 comments
Thanks for this amusing story about your first Duo attempt (loved the cardboard description!). I bought a DM8O a few days ago and have to now (following your instructions!) deep clean it. Then – I’ll be ready for my first attempt – and if my initial experience is like yours – I may well start up a business in ‘knitted shipping boxes’. π
You will be amazed a what the Duo 80 can do without a punch card just by using the pushers, racking handle, and changing the lock settings. Hopefully you got the instruction book pictured above. It packs a ton of basic information into a small number of pages.
Could someone help me please, ive just got a passap duo 8O, and im having problems casting on, everytime i pull the carriage across it selects some needles one minuite then when i try again it doesnt pick hardly any of them up. Does the machine need a good oil??
I am so glad to have read your comments! I purchased a passap duo 80 a month ago. I have people asking for socks and sweaters everyday! So far I can make scarves. Everyone has a scarf. I have no where even remotely close by to buy yarn from. I ordered some sock yarn from custom woolen mills, it is beautiful yarn. Once I figure out the tensions and stitch length, I will be laughing. Until then frustration is on going…and nobody has socks.
I love this site, so much information and a good read.
Could someone please help me out, I want to buy a Duo 80 and will need to have it sent by Courier. I first have to find out the weight (most important) and packed dimensions. I would be most grateful for an answer as I want to get started on some knitting – that’s after I have done the “deep clean” etc etc.
A question over de pink passap. Are there any parts of sale for PASSAP.
I am stuck trying to attach the beds to the frame. Also am having trouble getting the computer attached. Can you help me out? Thanks, Laura
Please can anyone tell me how to clean the Lock/Carriage.
I recently purchased a Passap duo 80. Fortunately it came with VHS tapes about the table as well as the machine. One tape is copyrighted but the one about setting up the table, etc. is not. Unfortunately a part of the tape got erased by mistake but there is enough info available
Recently I purchased a used Passap Duomatic Jubilee model, which works wonderfully. It came with the Deco system but unfortunately there were no instructions on how to attach this to the machine. Can anyone please help me as to where I can get these instructions – free or to buy? Thank you very much
Joyce
I found a passap at goodwill. It had no instructions. I grew up watching my Great Grandmother using a knitting machine so I knew what it was and grabbed it. I don’t have the first clue how to use it. Any help would be appreciated. It is my New Years resolution to conked this machine. I want to make beautiful things.
Help
Crystal, join the Yahoo group PassapKnits, it is free to join. There are many helpful people and there are manuals, lessons, etc. for the machines. If not on their site they may be able to help you find.
Could you please help me with my passap deomatic 80 electrical motor knitting machine There is something wrong with the 2 locks on the back side one left and one right As soon as we start to begin to knit it goes fine to the right side but it wont turn back to the left side It looks like if something is wrong with the sensors of the 2 locks that it coudnt send any signals out to turn
Sorry my english are not very good Could you please tell me what to do
Thanks Annatjie Prinsloo
Hello to all from Australia.
I have a Pinky Passap with motor.
No punch cards as yet.
Have had a service on it as the motor kept popping off loudly, it was the condenser.
I used a short length artist paint brush, tooth brush, metho, windex & a lot of rags. Not pulling anything apart just carefully poking with brushes to get rid of cluged old oil off the needles foot area & pushers, the same with the carriages to get out the old wool fluff ect. then re-oiled it.
I think it would be good to do this after a while just to keep it running back & forth slickly.
I too am having trouble more undoing than knitting with dropped stitches & jams. Made one scarf not to bad, few bit on ends messy, then second scarf not so good. Third try I am pulling out my hair jams endlessly, undoing, changing wools, different tensions, going crazy.
Start again after two hours, going well put hard to push back & forth, I’m not using the motor because of the jams ect don’t want to break the needles
so-forth. let you know how I’m doing soon.
Keep smiling.
Netty
help, I have just resurrected my Passap Duomatic 80 machine, spent a week cleaning it, putting it back together, and following the instruction book. I am ready to do a test sample. Im on page 18 of the instructions for the test piece and I know I’m doing something very simple that is not allowing me to cast on. I have the needles in position, the pushers in place below to work and dials set on the locks according to the page. I have followed the needle rule and turned the handle to the left, ran the lock to the left and completed instructions to push the lock back. The yarn would not cast on the needles.
Can anyone help?
Thx so much in advance.