Chayse

The LU-563 would be worth the drive for sure!

@480volt..what you don't see on the other side of the Bronco is my 1946 Atlas TH54 metal lathe.....I tinker every now and then when I can find the time. Thanks!!

@motocouture..I truly enjoyed watching the bag unfold to the finished project! Now only if I can find the time to attempt such a thing....

Very nicely done!

Very nicely done!!!!

Stunning!

@Uwe, yep, Evapo-rust is a go to in my garage and have used it many times on name brand tools that I find at auctions and such. A benefit is that it is reusable! I will look into the presser feet when I get more time...semester is winding down and it is almost finals time! Thanks! @R8R...I am afraid you are probably right but my current sewing machine space allocation is dwindling fast...especially adding the Singer 7 to the mix....I am slowly running out of room and don't think the better half can handle me purchasing another machine right now....but there is always..'later'.... @dikman..I couldn't pass it up, as I did just sell my Singer 111W155 to a friend at work that was in a pinch to sew up some replacement canvas for his boat. I did make him promise to give a first dibs when he was done and had no use for it anymore. But with the Pfaff in the 'stable' now, it will be hard to add it back given the capability of the 545! @RhodesAveDesigns...if you are in the market and are looking, just let me know, as I usually start my day with a quick browsing of sites to see what pops up! In this case, it was late when I saw the posting and shot a quick email...this time it just happened to pay off! More often then not, sellers think they can get top $$ for their worn out machines and I have seen many just get reduced when it doesn't sell. And I happen to live pretty close to Miami, which it seems, produces a plethora of decent machines when businesses close. As of now, the 545 lies in waiting until I can get through finals and my 'project' just returned from paint...so there are a few things ahead of getting the 545 back into the game. If anyone is curious, the 'project' is a '95 full-size Ford Bronco that I have spent roughly a year rebuilding for a close friend of mine. I am hobbyist when it comes to welding and fabrication, mostly doing it for the enjoyment and stress relief. Although a certified welder, this truck tested me a few times as I live very close to the beach and the salt had taken it's toll on the truck. Looks as if it will pass for a daily driver and hope my friend is happy with the results. But this is about sewing machines, not trucks....but I may just have to jump on the mill to see what I create when it comes to presser feet for my different machines. Thanks for all the kind words! V/r, Chayse

The story is eerily similar to how I found the Singer Class 7, so I will spare you the details. Long story short, had a second chance on a Pfaff 545-H4, since the last one was sold for a mere $25 more as I was driving to pick it up...not this time! Seller was a very nice gentleman who was unfortunately cleaning out his step father's garage after he passed. I jumped in the truck and headed 2 hours west to arrive at a very nice and quiet parcel tucked back into the woods. The seller explained that his father-in-law purchased this machine many years ago and used it to sew upholstery for a few friends and to recover the pews at his church. It had sat tucked back into the corner of the garage covered for many years. We pulled the machine out of it hiding place and I gave it a once over..it turned very smooth and the machine seemed like it had not been used very much, at least not abused like so many I see being advertised for upwards of $700+!!! I told the man I would take it and happily continue to use it for whatever jobs comes it's way. I paid the man his asking price of $200 and he help me load it in the truck. I got home and just couldn't bear to look at the machine in it's current condition, so I sat down, opened a cold adult beverage and began to remove years of oil, dust, and dirt from it's exterior. Oh, I forgot to mention that in the drawer were about 10 bobbins and an assortment of new needles, none of which I have yet looked at, so will see what I need to pick up. I will just add it to my list of needles needed for the Singer 7. Here are a few before and after shots, all told I maybe spent 45 minutes cleaning it. I will dig a bit deeper and clean a bit better when it comes time to oil it up and run some leather under the presser feet. Ah yes, presser feet..seems if I have a right & left set of piping feet, so will need to source the regular set of presser feet...will add that to my list. Before... After...

Thanks for the info on removing the head @Yetibelle! The paint is..well...ok...and it looks as if it has been repainted in the past, in certain spots. There are plenty of chips and it is apparent it has seen some use over the years. I probably will never get rid of this machine, although large and used for a specific purpose, I may have to sit and just ponder on what to do with it. Although it looks simplistic in nature, I am a bit hesitant to disassemble the machine to paint it. If I decide to do it, I will take pictures and bag/label things so I can remember how this thing goes back to together! But, in the grand scheme of things, it is on the back burner when it comes to 'projects', as there are a couple more important tasks that I need to complete before this one! So, in the meantime, it will get cleaned, oiled, and given a once over before I sew anything with this beast. Then, I am sure I will have to bribe some friends to help me move this machine into the house. My better half and oldest son now just roll their eyes at me when I back the trailer into the driveway...nothing that I buy seems t be light!

Awesome restoration and admire your patience! The machine will truly be a gem when you are finished....only to do it all over again on another machine! I think it is a sickness but not in a bad way. Saving things from the rubbish bin and making them useful once again! I looked at that bin of screws, nuts, and bolts and let out a huge sigh....my hats off to you my friend for having that much patience but it will pay off in the end. Very nice work Constab!!!

Thanks to everyone and the kind words...I really couldn't pass it up! The table is original to the machine...I am still trying to decipher how to remove it to get underneath the machine to give a good cleaning and inspection. So far, in between installing over 600 sqft of flooring in my house, I have sat and just looked at this behemoth...wondering what friends I need to call to get this in my house! For the most part, it is operational and need to get a few more bobbins and the right size needles for what I need to sew. The needles are a 'similar' size to my Chandler 305-64..huge! I know the factory size might as well be made out of unobtanium, so I will just adjust the needle bar to the 7x3 or just modify a needle to work. I know I have read a few threads here on needles for this machine and what needs to be done. I am on the fence when it comes to stripping and repainting the machine...a resto-mod situation. I don't think I will ever get rid of this machine, so I guess I can do what I want, color wise, although probably not Singer Gray/silver or black! I am sure I will have an epiphany and manage to tick-off a few Singer purist. In between passing by the machine and my mill, it occurred to me that I may try to make a few different style presser feet for certain things..it would give me a reason to get on the mill and see what I can come up with.... I will update as things progress, although maybe slow, but will update none the less.

First off, I need to stay off CL, LetGo, etc...this is becoming a sickness....and my better half agrees! So, the usually browsing of the previously listed sites over the morning cup of coffee found me calling an unknown person 2 hours away! Seems that he had a Singer 7-33 Centennial up for sale. At first, he was a bit standoff-ish but as we talked, it seemed we had a bit in common..sewing machines! Long story short, I drove 2 hours to a farm to find an older gentleman on a tractor, carefully extracting the Singer from the barn, where he had used it to repair his horse tack for many years. It was a site to see this gentleman move that tractor with such precision. We all know these things weigh...well, ALOT! When it came into the light, it was a site to see...seemed to be in good shape, on the original Singer table w'motor. A quick check of the serial number yielded 1 November 1950, with 500 being made that year. It was also neat to see a Centennial Badge, as I had never seen one. We chatted and he gently placed the machine on my trailer with surgical precision. I paid the man his asking price of $400, strapped it down and the ride home was bitter sweet. Seemed as if he was 'cleaning house' as he was moving soon and was downsizing...that was 1 of a mere 50 machines he had..although in another building...3 deep and gently stacked 2 high in some cases. He said it was a hobby....well, we all will have an opinion when it comes to things like this.... I know that this machine is more than I needed for a couple projects but the price was right and I honestly just really 'wanted' it. Although I have had a few requests from fellow 4wd enthusiast to sew then up some recovery straps, well, now I have the tools to do so...to say the least. I will say that he thought outside the box, in my opinion, when it came to the pedal....odd location but it worked for what he was doing. He also had adjusted the pedal to the point at full throw, the machine just slowly thumped along....I would guess at 60-100 spm. Given that the factory motor is rated at 1750 rpm, he had it adjusted to the point that it was manageable...without 'running away'. When I got home, I soon realized why he used a tractor and boom....that thing nearly gave me a hernia! Now...how to get it into the house........ Here are a few pics. I will clean it up, oil it, and make sure all is well before stitching the first piece.

My apologies @dikman...I misinterpreted your location! We'll just settle for the Tri-Nations Cup...how's that? LOL!! I am by no means a woodworker but I have made similar mistakes on the mill. But at the end of the day, it is all the same...it fits and looks good!! I am sure you will get it sorted in short time!

Whoopsie!...Admit it..we have all been here....me included...(on more than one occasion...repeatedly)!!

I do apologize, as the seasons are opposite from one another (states vs Oz....Go All Blacks)!!! Not to get off topic but did play Division 3 Rugby (Hooker) here in the States and would absolutely love to see the All Blacks play live...oh how I miss it (but my spine doesn't)! Sounds as if you have a winter project...we don't really get a 'winter' (Florida)...so it is year round projects for me! After building the table for my Chandler, although shorter and less complicated, I am pondering the idea of building one to replace the chip board table that my Singer 111W155 sits on currently. I, however, am not looking forward to routing the appropriate slots, such as you have done. Although it may look easy, it gets quite involved, as you have found out. Ugh...I may just settle for the chip board...but a custom table does really set off the machine tho...decisions...decisions....

Looks great! I have found that if you would like to replace the chipboard tops on the cheap, scour the local sell-it websites for a solid core door...they make very good table tops!! It looks as if persistence has paid off @dikman, now sit back and enjoy a cold one!!

Here ya go... Singer 7-33 https://ocala.craigslist.org/art/d/singer-centennial-model/6221652266.html And another... Singer 7-9 (Too rich for my blood)!! https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/chl/atq/d/heavy-industrial-singer/6206344677.html

@Uwe..no doubt and would take an engine hoist to move them!!! But, I have no idea what @DelNeroDesigns was looking for..thought I would throw this up, as I check CL daily...I am not joking! You never know what might pop up! I agree, those are some big machines but someone, somewhere is probably looking for something to do what they do...again, I only know because I read this forum! But for the money, I think they would serve someone well...one machine (if it truly works like the seller says) and a potential parts machine...that is still usable. To me, if I had a use for them, that is cheap! More often than not people get scared away because of their size but to someone that actually has a use for them...I think that is a bargain! Hopefully someone will save them, instead of ending up in the scrap pile!! Thanks @Wizcrafts and @Uwe, I don't think you both realize how much your knowledge truly impacts this forum! If it weren't for the both of you, so many of us 'new to leather' people, like myself, would be lost when it comes to machines such as this...icons of a time when we actually made things by hand....instead of running to WallyWorld to buy some cheap import. I digress...

Don't know how heavy you want to go..as much as I hate to post it but have seen them listed for a bit. Way out of my league for sure!! https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/tls/d/american-straight-needle/6229306540.html

That sounds like a good setup @LumpenDoodle2..oddly enough, my major in college is renewable energy!!! Solar definitely will help you out..very little watt usage with LED's! If you should need any help in setting things up, let me know...can draw you up a schematic and such, if need be.

@Uwe..I did a quick search for the throat plate on the 'bay...here in the States, it will run you $154...on the 'bay in Germany..$90. At looking at the pictures @Hooksetz posted, it seems that the underside of the throat plate is flat...but that is where an acrylic prototype would come in handy, being able to see any interference. He is just a couple hours drive away from me...I am on the opposite coast. Something that could easily be done in a day. The hard part may be finding the screw that holds the throat plate down...although you could easily drill and tap if a replacement could not be located. If you wanted to go all out, I do have some 1/8" titanium plate but it is a royal PIA to work with sometimes...depending on the application.

@Hooksetz, I looked at the very same machine...but the price was a bit to much for me and settled on a 29K for half the cost of the advertised price of the Adler. The throat plate looks easy enough to machine and would probably only run you a fraction of the cost of what Adler would charge, unless you can find one used! A single piece of flat stainless would do the trick as long as you had the original dimensions...mainly thickness. You could easily make a template for the actual size by using the machine itself. If my garage was not still in disarray from the recent move, I would try to turn one out on my Clausing mill...just because I like to use the old gal!! Hopefully @Constabulary can find one for you!!! **Edit...on second thought, you could probably get away without using a mill...I might have some stainless kicking around here that may work if someone can get the thickness of the throat plate for you. Then it would be a matter of mounting a needle and marking your holes...that is where a cardboard template would come in handy. From there, mic out the adjacent hole...and you are done. Wouldn't matter the material...carbon steel, copper, or what have you....heck you could probably make one out of plexi or acrylic if you wanted!!

Ok, one last little mod that I stumbled across while surfing the web..it is a much needed help as my vision has began to dwindle...at least with objects close up. This is really nothing new but thought I would throw it up here. I stopped by the local auto store on the way home a grabbed a set of LED lights for a car...2, 4" strips containing 4 LEDs each. Each strip will connect to one another and both have 3M adhesive tape for mounting. I merely grabbed an extra 12v wall transformer from one of my old cell phones and hardwired it in...attaching the strip underneath the main part of the head. Here is the result...with the garage lights on and off. Will definitely help and I will plan on installing these on all of my machines...total cost $19.

Thanks @LumpenDoodle2 and @dikman! It has been a long time coming to get it to this point. I will just chalk this one up to being lucky!

@dikman..i feel ya...mine I call the 'garage'! So, after working on my main project ( I am trying to get it out of my garage for awhile), I found about an hour to work on the 305. As luck would have it or by mistake...however you look at it...the extension I made for the side is exactly the size I needed to mount the normal foot pedal! Instead of it mounting under the table...which was very uncomfortable and in a bad spot, I moved it out to the extension. Drilled a couple holes and mounted the pedal. Found an old bicycle brake cable I had and attached it to the pedal, then to the presser foot lift on the back of the machine. I was very surprised it went together like it did...guess a blind squirrel can find a nut every once and awhile!! It works like a charm and since my control pedal for the motor is 6+ feet, I am not forced to be in front of the machine to sew. I will add some non-slip tape to the pedal just for good measure.