Just got a Pfaff 138

[sandmanred]

I know this is not a great leather machine but this is by far the best website for help on sewing machines.  I got this one as a loose head.  It does sew as is but is clearly missing a few parts.  Looking for advice on what the essential missing parts are.

It seems to have two tension discs sets.  Not sure the thread up when you have them both.  On line manuals I can find are printed so poorly I can't make out the thread up.  It seems to sew okay with the one tension stack but it shouldn't be too hard to find the parts to refurbish the missing one. 

It also looks like I at least need a thread guide at the bottom of the needle bar.  There are other missing guides but they don't look too essential?

I think B in the model means it's the more heavy duty model.  Not sure what the S means

Any other advice for this machine is welcome.

 

 

[Constabulary]

B is medium weight material. To Pfaff specs this means needle NM 80 - NM100 but I´m sure you can use 120 as well (just try) and maybe a more coarse toothed feed dog compared with the A Model. So nothing special for heavy duty. S is for the zz needle hole width (4.5mm). Don´t let sub classes on the tag mislead you. It´s a plain 138 garment / tailor sewing machine with 4.5mm Zig Zag.

As far as I can tell  a tension spring and nut are missing as well as the 2 thread guides on the face plate and on the needle bar.

138 came with different needle bars. I think the thread guide here was just a piece of bent wire held by 1 screw on the needle bar but I´m not sure.

 

Edited July 12, 2022 by Constabulary

[sandmanred]

Great, thanks!  

I got as a head only.  It was seized due to being stored outside.  Luckily the only thing seized was the hook spindle.  All it took was some penetrating oil and some light tapping to free is up.  Timing was close, the hook would kiss the needle when the needle was in the far right zig-zag position.  A little adjustment and that was taken care of.  

One question about thread up, again the on line manuals I can find are hard to read.  I think the photo shows pretty clearly what I did and it does seem to work but it'd be good to know the intended thread up.

The video shows #20 needle with T90 thread going through 4 layers of vinyl coated canvas.  This machine will definitely handle heavier needles than advertised.

 

https://youtu.be/QyTlOcVOwdc

[kgg]

2 hours ago, sandmanred said:

I think the photo shows pretty clearly what I did and it does seem to work but it'd be good to know the intended thread up.

A couple of quick notes:

i) the top thread should be thread through the top hole in the top guide pin where you thread through the top hole and around so the thread comes out the bottom hole in the top thread guide pin

ii) the spool of top thread should be placed so you have 2 1/2 times the height of the spool from the base of the spool to the thread stand guide arm hole. This will allow for better unwinding of thread from the thread spool.

iii) Avoid having the thread stand guide arm hole too high so not to create a steep angle to the thread guide pin. The closer you can get it to being on a horizontal line to the thread guide pin the better.

iv) If I'm not mistaken your machine is rated for a max needle size 100 (#16). A #16 needle is good for V69 thread. Using needles and larger sized thread may cause problems depending on the thickness / type of material being sewn and the hook to needle clearance.

kgg

[LoopSolutions]

As for your threading: The two separate tension assemblies are for running either a double needle system or often kept adjusted for different weight threads. Looks like you are currently running through both of them. In addition, the thread guid above the assemblies has two holes, one on the right for the left assembly, and on the left for the right assembly. This guides either thread into the tension discs properly.

Good machine. I am rebuilding one now.

 

[sandmanred]

So far, so good.  Thanks for the threading advice.

I got it with one bobbin.  So far I've ordered 2 different types that claim to fit a Pfaff 138 but so far none of them fit.  They are all too wide bye at least 1 mm.  

Where is a reliable source for bobbins that fit?  I need part Pfaff 9033 or 91-009033-05.

[Constabulary]

No one knows what a certain dealer has in stock so its either trial and error or you buy from a dealer who provides the bobbin measures.

The 9033 is quite a standard bobbin that fits for a lot of different Pfaff machines.

This looks promising to me: https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/809301592/cutex-pack-of-28-metal-bobbins-9033-for

 

 

[sandmanred]

Tried amazon for bobbins the ad called out the correct part number but they weren't even close.  I'm waiting on an order from Goldstar. 

In the meantime I added a larger handwheel pulley that when combined with my servo with a small drive pulley gets me down to just over a stitch a second and low speed.

[sandmanred]

Goldstar provided bobbins that fit