johnnyblaze

Uwe, I'm planning to do something similar to what you did here. Looking closer at the photo of the foot pedal, I see what appears to be the splined shaft where one of the plug jacks was. Did you add another potentiometer? I don't see anything on your wiring diagram. Regards, John

Actually www.altenaehmaschine.de shows the 90's in their inventory but the guy seems to have disappeared. I'm sewing some lighter weight polyester sail cloth. The 100's are okay but I thought it would be interesting to see how far I can push the Claes. Really impressed with this machine so far. I've only done a bit of hand crank stitching but it never seems to miss a stitch. John.

Glenn, I picked up an inexpensive servo from Amazon. The controller and motor are separate units so I can mount the foot control remotely. My plan is to build a pedestal stand similar to what Landis sells. I already have a steel plate for the base and the rest I'll build from 3/4" plywood with formica. Haven't completely decided what I'll do yet for a speed reducer. I figure I'll wait and see how slow the servo will run. One option I've considered is machining a larger aluminum pulley to clamp over the existing pulley. I have a Juki flatbed that I replaced the pulley with an 11" one I bought from an industrial supply company. I'm pretty happy with it. And yes, it does have the zig zag attachment. I'll post some more pics when I get the stand all put together. John

I'm trying to locate some smaller needles for my Claes 8346-30 patcher. (system 88 needles). The smallest I've been able to locate online is size 100. I would like to find some size 90. In a previous post someone mentioned Mr. Lars Bethke at www.altenaehmaschine.de. I sent him an email last week but he has not responded. Looking at his ebay page it appears that something may have happened to him because numerous buyers reported they never received items they ordered last year. I tried looking on ebay in Germany but didn't see any. Can anyone suggest anywhere else to try? Thanks!!

LuxuryLuke, How's that orange belt working out? May I ask where you bought it? I'm currently using some Accu-Link adjustable V belt on a Juki flat bed. It seems to grip just fine but it's a little noisy. (squeaky) John.

Sorry for the delay on the photos. Been busy at work and haven't had time to play with the new toy.... It's an 8346-30. There are few areas that I touched up the off-white paint where it was flaking off the casting. My local hardware store was able to color match a quart of Valspar Rust Armor paint for me. (Similar to rustoleum). It's not as hard as the factory paint but I figure it's good enough for touch up. Haven't really had a chance to use it yet as I still need a stand and a motor. It came with what appears to be a regular home sewing machine motor. But the foot control is dead so I'm thinking I'll get a servo motor for it. Can anyone comment on the size of servo motor that would be most suited? I'm thinking I only need a small one. Has anyone ever tried putting a knee or pedal lift for the presser foot on a Claes? John.

Shoepatcher .... I feel very fortunate to have this machine. I haven't sewed anything with it yet and I'm already in love. It's a wonderful piece of German machinery. Now I have to figure out what to do for lubrication. Would it be a good idea to grease the gears (hand crank to mainshaft) and maybe the cam wheel? Or should I just oil everything?

Thanks everyone for the advice and assistance. Better judgement prevailed and I decided to not attempt to remove the top shaft. I was able to clean up the inside pretty well using denatured alcohol, a toothbrush, a wood stick and microfiber rags. Tried some wd-40 spray degreaser but I found the denatured alcohol and rag worked just as well and was a lot less messy. It took a while but I'm pretty happy with the results. John.

I recently purchased a Claes 8346-30 and need some advice. The machine has been well used and is really dirty so I'm in the process of taking it apart and cleaning it up. It appears the previous owner was using lithium grease so the gears and cams are full of crud. I'd like to take the top shaft out but the service manual I have doesn't show any details. From what I can see looking at the parts manual, it doesn't seem too complicated. But I was hoping someone out there might be able to share their experience. I'd hate to mess something up on this wonderful piece of machinery. Also, I'm missing the conical spring for the tension disc assembly. Unfortunately, the parts dealer in the US (Shoe systems) doesn't sell the spring by itself and I would have to buy the whole assembly for $80. I tried using the spring from some of my other machines but they are too small to fit over the shaft. Anyone know where I can find a more affordable spring? The shaft is 7mm. Lastly, I would like to get a new presser foot. Will the feet from any other machine fit the Claes. The Claes foot is over $100. I'm hoping to find a more affordable option. Any assistance would be really appreciated. John.