Pfaff 145 troubleshooting

[Jianis]

On 6/2/2023 at 9:06 PM, shoepatcher said:

HOW heavy a thread are you using.   Stick with #138 and below.  Will sew #207 on top but #138 is better top and bottom.

glenn

Thank you Glenn!

I use the thread that came with the machine I believe it is # 92. The upper one on the photo is a thicker one that I only used to show the thread path. I still have to get some different sizes of needles. At the moment it uses 134-35 110/18

[Uwe]

Your machine may be a binding machine - it appears to be missing the linkage that drives the vertical feed dog moment.

Here’s a picture of a standard Pfaff 145 with the clamping block installed that normally connects a rod to the vertical feed drive eccentric on the upper shaft  (red circle)

Your machine instead has a clamp installed that fixes the position of the vertical feed drive shaft (red circle):

 

I annotated a picture by @Constabularyfrom an earlier thread that shows the difference in the feed drive eccentrics on the top shaft between standard and binding versions of the Pfaff 145. 

 

 

This is the original thread:

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Uwe

[Jianis]

6 hours ago, Uwe said:

Your machine may be a binding machine - it appears to be missing the linkage that drives the vertical feed dog moment.

Here’s a picture of a standard Pfaff 145 with the clamping block installed that normally connects a rod to the vertical feed drive eccentric on the upper shaft  (red circle)

Your machine instead has a clamp installed that fixes the position of the vertical feed drive shaft (red circle):

 

I annotated a picture by @Constabularyfrom an earlier thread that shows the difference in the feed drive eccentrics on the top shaft between standard and binding versions of the Pfaff 145. 

 

 

This is the original thread:

 

That seems to be the case with my machine too !

[Uwe]

This might make things a bit simpler to investigate, since there are fewer moving parts involved in the feed mechanism. 

Here’s what I would do next: Dial in the maximum stitch length and turn the hand wheel until the feed dog is in the very front position.  Keep flipping the reverse lever up and down. Observe and inspect everything that moves anywhere in the machine. Oil every spot that has two surfaces touching and moving against each other. 

That throat plate and feed dog combo is likely for a standard feed machine and may not be correct for your variant. Parts sometimes fit, but don’t really work. The binding feed dog and throat plate set looks very different and may have different clearances.

Please post more pictures of the head, internals and rear of your machine, with cover plates removed. I spend entirely too much time trying to find a suitable picture online just to add an arrow.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Uwe

[Jianis]

On 6/5/2023 at 1:12 AM, Uwe said:

This might make things a bit simpler to investigate, since there are fewer moving parts involved in the feed mechanism. 

Here’s what I would do next: Dial in the maximum stitch length and turn the hand wheel until the feed dog is in the very front position.  Keep flipping the reverse lever up and down. Observe and inspect everything that moves anywhere in the machine. Oil every spot that has two surfaces touching and moving against each other. 

That throat plate and feed dog combo is likely for a standard feed machine and may not be correct for your variant. Parts sometimes fit, but don’t really work. The binding feed dog and throat plate set looks very different and may have different clearances.

Please post more pictures of the head, internals and rear of your machine, with cover plates removed. I spend entirely too much time trying to find a suitable picture online just to add an arrow.

Uwe Thank you for your detailed search for me!
It is hard to say if I have the right parts as I have no dedicated parts book. They are all marked as Pfaff parts.  
The lever that activates the thread tension release pin is missing and its screw is broken but for me, it is not essential at the moment I will attend to it later.

[Trox]

Your feed dog interferes with your  material feed, you got to lower it.

I haven't read the hole topic but I see this is a H2 machine with binding feed. You just have to lower the feed dog so it doesn't prolongs above the needle plate. 1 mm. belove the plate level is good. Then you can't use those thick threads in this machine, I wonder how you where able to thread it true the needle bar's lower thread guide.  A 110 needle is a Tex 40 to 69 thread size. A Nm 120 needle is a Tex 69 thread size. A 145 H2 is one of the smallest sub classes, it doesn't like those thick threads. Just thread it with a new needle (110 or 120) with correct thread size and drop the feed dog, adjust it so it doesn't interfer with the feeding. That's why you get the feed back on the stitch regulator lever. I have a 345 H3 myself with the same feed, I remember that's what happened to me before I realized it had a binding feed, the first time I used it. Just adjust the feed dog, lower it so it doesn't interfer with the feeding. It's there to propel a synchronized binder. 

Tor

[Jianis]

45 minutes ago, Trox said:

Your feed dog interferes with your  material feed, you got to lower it.

I haven't read the hole topic but I see this is a H2 machine with binding feed. You just have to lower the feed dog so it doesn't prolongs above the needle plate. 1 mm. belove the plate level is good. Then you can't use those thick threads in this machine, I wonder how you where able to thread it true the needle bar's lower thread guide.  A 110 needle is a Tex 40 to 69 thread size. A Nm 120 needle is a Tex 69 thread size. A 145 H2 is one of the smallest sub classes, it doesn't like those thick threads. Just thread it with a new needle (110 or 120) with correct thread size and drop the feed dog, adjust it so it doesn't interfer with the feeding. That's why you get the feed back on the stitch regulator lever. I have a 345 H3 myself with the same feed, I remember that's what happened to me before I realized it had a binding feed, the first time I used it. Just adjust the feed dog, lower it so it doesn't interfer with the feeding. It's there to propel a synchronized binder. 

Tor

Thank you  Tor.

I will follow your advice and lower the feed dog  see if it makes a change.

I used thick colored  thread on top only to schouw how I thread the machine  (Costabulary  asked )  . 
I am using Tex 70 polyester thread and new 110/18 needles 

Jianis

[Trox]

47 minutes ago, Jianis said:

Thank you  Tor.

I will follow your advice and lower the feed dog  see if it makes a change.

I used thick colored  thread on top only to schouw how I thread the machine  (Costabulary  asked )  . 
I am using Tex 70 polyester thread and new 110/18 needles 

Jianis

Okay, when the foot presses the material down the feed dog will catch the material even when it doesn't prolong over the plate. But if it's above needle plate level it will for sure interfer. It goes just back and forth, not in a square like a normal bottom feed.  First it feeds the right way and then when the stitch is made, it's feed it back again. For leather work it's the needle feed that's important, alternating pressers are there to climb different levels but the lower feed isn't that important. It just make marks in the leather anyway, but it's serves a purpose as a lower needle guide. It makes sure the needle doesn't bend away from the shuttle, causing skipped stitches. But just lower it a millimeter or two below the needle plate. Let me know how that worked out for you.

Tor

 

[Jianis]

53 minutes ago, Trox said:

Okay, when the foot presses the material down the feed dog will catch the material even when it doesn't prolong over the plate. But if it's above needle plate level it will for sure interfer. It goes just back and forth, not in a square like a normal bottom feed.  First it feeds the right way and then when the stitch is made, it's feed it back again. For leather work it's the needle feed that's important, alternating pressers are there to climb different levels but the lower feed isn't that important. It just make marks in the leather anyway, but it's serves a purpose as a lower needle guide. It makes sure the needle doesn't bend away from the shuttle, causing skipped stitches. But just lower it a millimeter or two below the needle plate. Let me know how that worked out for you.

Tor

 

Tor 

I am new on working on sewing machines so I first have to find information how to lower  the  feed dog.

I see we have the same interest on vintage Volvos!
 

Jianis

 

[Uwe]

To adjust feed dog height, loosen these two screws (red arrows) and rotate the clamp on the shaft. It’ll be a very small adjustment.

 

Thanks for all the other photos, by the way! They will be useful before too long.