Constabulary

Investigation went on and I figured some interesting details on this old work horse. I´m not into domestic machines but the long beak shuttle hook seems to be the same as for the early Singer Class 15 machines. How do I know? It happens thats I´m studying old manual parts lists and catalogues to find cross use of parts (if you know what I mean) and a while ago I found an old 1940´s parts catalogue from a German aftermarket parts mfg and by the Lord - they have parts of this particular Class 16 jump foot machine in their catalogue Now that really surprised me!

Thats no problem, the magnets here are rather weak and not as strong as neodymium magnets or magnetic edge guides. I´m using the orig. Grabobbin holder (with Bernina logo) for years and the bobbins are not much magnetized and it is not not causing any issues. I think when you have an anti backslash spring in your bobbin case it is causing more "rubbing". If you do not have a router + bits and you need them for standard G style bobbins you can buy them quite cheap on Ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/233448635373 I just wanted to make one for my larger size 132K bobbins but figured I have a few other bits that fit for my other bobbins so I went on and made some more... little funny weekend project. Jimi as you know the earth curvature is different in Spain and I´m sure you can use aluminum magnets. You only have to put them in a solution of type A moon water and type Z unicorn dust first - problem solved!

don´t know how your machine looks and what model it is but maybe this Techsew video gives you an idea , or check the BONIS website: https://bonisparts.com/owners-manual/

oooouh - that is cool!

It bent not too much but when I tried a 2nd run for another bobbin holder I noticed the grove became wider and wider (just 1mm overall but still...) so the bit went to the trash immediately! I just made a few more bobbin holders from an old oak plank - one for the 45D91 and one for the 108w20 (with a different bit of course and step by step). I´ll make a few more tomorrow... Ouh - in the 2nd post I wrote birch wood - but I meant beech wood

few more BTW - I killed the cheap round router bit, the 6mm shaft was a bit to thin and bent but still worth it I think. Birch wood was too hard I guess. Should have dome this step by step and not in one run However - 8mm shaft was not available and 12mm shaft was too thick for my router.

Some may know the useful magnetic bobbin holders sold by GRABOBBIN and the like, you find them everywhere for approx 10€ / $12. They usually hold approx 20 G or A style bobbins (~20-22mm diameter) but I wanted one for my Singer 132K6 bobbins (34mm diameter) and none are available so I made one. My bobbin holder is ~300mm long and can hold 19-20x Singer 132K style bobbins. What you need is: a piece of 2" x 1" wood from the scrap box cheap magnetic knife holder: https://www.ebay.de/itm/312739525221 32mm round router bit: https://www.ebay.com/itm/401789386660 6mm router bit (already had one) You can make 6 fairly long bobbin holder from the 3 knife holders. If you need fewer just look them up but the set of 3 were the cheapest I found broke down to 1 magnetic holder / 2 magnetic strips. I will make some more bobbin holders for other machines so I bought the set of 3. Decal is a left over from a restoration project so its a nice add on here I think. Some pictures - last picture shows a Grabbobin holder in comparison.

Looks good!

It´s not a secret that they do not produce the machines they sell, they buy em overseas and put their brand sticker on them. Consew is in business for a long time but afaik they never produced their own machines. Afaik they always have sold foreign made machines (made in Japan, China ...) and relabeled them. But that does not mean the machines are bad.

Check if the a gear on the main shaft is present! Often the machines w/o the wheel hub on the front do not have gears on the main shaft. Even if it is there it could be worn and you may need both gears cause used and news parts sometime "do not play well together". VT is Vermont, right? So I would probably check with TECHSEW they sell 29K clones (Techsew 2900) so maybe they can help you with parts.

RTFM is always a good advice You can learn a lot from reading manuals - as long as they are good. Sometime is makes even more sense than watching stupid (and often faulty) YT Videos.

Well, looks like your machine is not set up to run with 160 needles. You probably have to buy a foot and feed dog with holes wide enough to accommodate the 160 needle + thread (or open up the holes with a Dremel or similar) and you probably have to move the hook saddle a bit to the right the way the thread can slip thought the gap between needle plate and bobbin case (maybe gap is wide enough already but I of course do not know) EDIT: Wiz was a tad faster. Some machines of this class can handle 160 needles but not all - my singer 111 can but I do not use needles thicker than 140 with this machine.

thats the food chain

or to be dinner We are very international here so Yes, because its easier to provide information when you at least know what country she / he is from. Often folks like to buy materials from a domestic dealers or a dealer form their "continent" (or similar) rather then from overseas dealers (meaning that causes higher shipping cost and even import taxes and so forth). Also recommending a sewing machine dealer / service is easier. I doubt many will import machines from the US, UK, Canada Australia or... when they can buy similar machines from their own country or continent! No one needs the name or full address and no one gets hurt when they provide country and / or state they live in.

The 30-6 Adler (if not mistyped) is the same as the 30-5 but was originally fitted with a tape binder attachment. It has a small hook but is using the longer 332 LONG needles so you should be able to sew approx 10mm thick max.. But keep in mind, this is a patcher machine not a heavy duty leather stitcher. It´s meant for repairing ( patching things like shoes, boots, bags, pouches and small repairs on different other things - in best case the stitch length ranges between 4-5mm but could be less depending on the wear but overall condition seems to be very nice. This is not a 105-25 - this is rather a 5-25 (the predecessor of the 105) or someone put a "fake label or badge" on it. For more details a picture of the backside of this machine would be interesting to see. However the Adler class 5 or 105 usually can sew approx 12mm material. If it really is a 25 subclass it has bottom feed and a driven top feed with independent stitch length adjustment for top and bottom feed - its quite special. You can downland a Adler 105 leaflet with technical information here http://sew24.blogspot.com/2012/02/vintage-leaflets-for-adler-sewing_23.html But as I said - the shown machine is an Adler 5 - not 105.

Yeeeah - bad overall machine you have there (no Singer = bad machine) **kidding** sorry - I somehow have not noticed it´s your machine. I was just scrolling down and noticed the dialed down tension nut so...

BTW - when I look at this picture - you probably should install a heavier beehive spring on the tension unit to achieve more top tension - at least I would do that!

You basically can use either needle in either machine when you adjust the needle bar height. 135x16 is a little bit longer than 134-35. So if you want to use 135x16 in your Pfaff 335 clone you have to raise the NB by the amount the the 135x16 is longer than the 134-35. Looks like approx 0.8mm + some fine tuning. Measured from end of shank to right above the needle eye. I have set the majority of my machines to 135x17 / 135x16 just for the reason that I do not have to stock different needle systems. Some technical data sheets from the DOTEC website:

The needle size these machines can handle often depend on the throat plate and feed dog the machine is set up with. With other words the size of the needle hole in the feed dog and the width of "thread gap" between hook and throat plate. Small holes and tight gaps will cause problems with larger site thread - so it depends... If you have bought a used machine you never know if it still is set up the way it left the factory. So its well possible when the manual says max 100 size needle that one of the former owners / users installed a different feed dog or throat plate to accommodate larger size thread - it could also be just the other way around. So machines of the same class & subclass may be set up totally different - it´s always trial and error wit used machiens. If a used machine is set up the way you need it - great - but I would not necessarily expect this. When you add a soft layer on a harder material the knot is easier to hide because of the additional thickness and in softer material thread knots are easier to hide. I would guess when the soft layer is on the top you will still see the knots on the bottom side. Try a needle 1 size larger if the hole in the feed dog is wide enough. or use thread 1 size smaller in the bobbin.

Just look up Singer 16K - you may find more information this way. The subclass (56 in your case) often just describes different accessories the machine was fitted with but the main machine often is the same - not always but often! I just recently (few month ago) I discovered a Singer 16K SV 11 model no one seems to have seen before. Still have not found further detailed information but you can compare unknown subclass machines with the "standard model" and this way you find out the differences. BTW - the serial number gives you an idea when the Singer 16K has been manufactured Same with the Pfaff 192 638 L - just look up Pfaff 192 If you don't mid please post pictures of your machines. Not only because it is interesting to see them but maybe we can figure out more details regarding the sub class so that's a good help for other people who are looking for information. Maybe you are interested in the 16K model I have found:

I had that with bobbins for my former 34K post machine - from a German dealer I bought so extra bobbins made of aluminum and they did fit not fit the winder. Then bought some SEKI made bobbins and they work well! I also has issues with my 132K bobbins I bought overseas then bought some SEKI bobbins from College sewing and they work perfect as well. Sometimes the price really matters - SEKI is more expensive but yet no issues with their bobbins.

I would make it mandatory to fill in the location during the registration process the way that registration cannot be complete w/o filling in the location. At least the country for intl. members and for the US members maybe the state as addition.

Yes - the bottom part. And this is the CLAES tension "setup" w/o a spring that applies tension to the pulley on the bottom part - if that is of any interest. The top tension has a small pulley between the discs. So no matter what kind of grove U or V the pulleys have (or what ever) the main thread tension usually is applied by the tension discs (with or without pulley) on the upper tension unit - in my opinion. Others may have different opinions but this is mine

Tell a Willys Jeep restorer / WWII military collector that you need an OD color and you get a 2 hrs lecture of how different OD can be - guess how I know There are so many shades of olive drab....

It basically does not matter HOW you apply tension to the thread (or should I say friction between thread and what ever...) but it matters THAT you apply tension and the amount of tension (top and bottom) depends on the kind and the thickness of material you want to sew and the type and thickens needle and thread. There are several different type of "tension devices" (meaning different systems) and their purpose always is to apply the necessary amount of tension to the thread that you need to sew your chosen material with the chosen thread am needle. The way they (the tension devices) do this (apply tension) is not really important. The point it that they to have apply a certain and constant amount of tension during the sewing process. You can achieve this by just tension discs with different strength springs or numbers of wraps around a post or a pulley or combinations of them (as on early 1900´s patchers or saddle maker / harness maker machines). There are even disc tensioners with a pulley between the tension discs (F.i. on different CLAES machines). The BUSMC #6 even has a totally different tensioner system. Sewing machine engineers have developed different tension systems over the decades - some have survived some not. Nowadays - because of simplicity and effectivity - you mainly have tension discs + springs in different strength (depending on your application). I run a 45K which has the same tension system as the Adler 4, 5, 104, 105 (and so forth) and many many similar more modern type machines of this class and I DO NOT wrap the thread 1 + 1/2 time around the pulley, I just apply tension with top tension discs. I have the "tension" on the lower unit just as low / high that the pulley can spin. The Singer 136K / 133K (and their modern clones) have a similar system (incl. upper tension unit with discs). But there is not really a pulley (with V or U grove) it rather it a plain roll (more or less) and a massive one sided tension disc. On the other side of this tension disc is the roller in combination with a massive disc that is spinning while the thread is running between it - kinda hard to explain ). Basically the same system abut technically a bit different. Pretty sure I somewhere have posted a pictures of a disassembled 133K / 132K lower tesnion unit) So again - it´s not important HOW tension is applied - import is THAT a certain amount of tension is applied and it does not not matter how this is achieved. EDIT Addition: The CLAES 213 / 214 is the same class machine (same hook, same needle, same feeding system for same applications and optically and technically quite identical...) as the Singer 45K or above mentioned Adler models and so forth. They are using all the same type of tensioner (top and bottom) with the difference that you cannot apply any tension to the lower tension unit on the CLAES machines but their lower "tension unit" has the pulley which is just held by a screw (no tension spring) and the top tension unit has a small pulley between the discs. You know what I mean? It´s not important HOW - important is THAT...