Restoring my Pfaff 145

[JulesPDX]

Hi new friends! I'm very new to leather working, sewing machine repair and this forum! I'm a huge fan of mechanical things but have little experience. I was able to get my hands on an old Pfaff 145 for $200 and am attempting a restoration. The first thing I noticed is that the decal is very gently applied and I'm nervous about washing the machine. Is this something I should care about? The machine is in kinda rough shape (cosmetically) and I'm not sure the best path forward to restoration. Is it important to not change anything about the machine and try to save as much as possible? or is it ok to repaint and cover up the imperfections to stop corrosion? Pics if they're helpful and thanks for the feedback!

[Uwe]

I’d start with a good wipe down with some cleaning oil (I like Marvel Mystery Oil - essentially diesel oil with red dye and perfume) using a soft cloth, a tooth brush, or some other brush with plastic bristles.

You may find that much of the rust color wipes off, leaving clean, shiny paint and a dark metal color where paint is missing. It might end up being a pleasing vintage battleship look. The oil then protects the bare metal from rusting again soon. 

Here’s a pic of the cleaning oil that’s available at most automotive parts stores in the US:

Edited March 12, 2024 by Uwe

[SingerDad]

bed paint does not have much wear.  that appears to be a low use machine.  should clean nicely.    I would not paint that.   if the decal bothers you, you could always buy a replacement waterslide decal online.   take pics

Edited March 12, 2024 by SingerDad

[JulesPDX]

thanks, both, for your advice. I'll pick up the Marvel oil!

[JulesPDX]

wow, I may just throw that Marvel oil in my old Bronco, too!

[fibersport]

keep in mind that the marvel mystery oil may remove the decal so you might want to avoid that area, I had a 145 and upgraded to a 545.  Great machines but parts can be difficult to find.  You might also want to lubricate all the working parts with the oil and then start taking it apart to further clean it once you have it free up and running smoothly.  I have a bunch of files for the 145 and 545, holler if you need anything.

[JulesPDX]

Ok, here's progress! I've soaked a bunch of the parts to remove the rust, scrubbed off a lot of the surface rust and coated with Marvel oil. I oiled up the gears and cleaned/scrubbed some gunk out. Seems to be moving much more smoothly now! I still have to replace some of the parts as you'll see. Thanks for all the advice! Now... I want to replace the old clutch motor with a servo motor. Advice on that and the belt to run it?

Oh, also - is there a way to get the big wheel on the right off? I'd like to remove it to give it a good clean since it is still pretty rusty. Thanks!

[AlZilla]

Well, nice work getting that thing cleaned up. I would not have believed it could look that good.

I was worried for you ...

I can't answer the hand wheel question but it should just be a screw of some sort in the center.

You'll get all kinds of advice about the servo motor. I can tell you my 111W machines work fine on inexpensive 550 watt motors I found on ebay.  If I were using them all day, I'd buy high quality servos.  But for my hobby level usage?  They'll punch through as much vegtan leather as I can fit under the presser foot.

You will probably want the speed reducer, basically a couple of pulleys to slow the machine down. Think of it as a torque multiplier.

The belt will just be a trip to the auto parts store. If I recall correctly, it's a "3L" and then you'll need to get the length right. I think mine were in the 44-ish range, 3L44, maybe?

Good luck with it!

Edited March 18, 2024 by AlZilla

[fibersport]

Nice job on the cleanup.  It really looks like a low hour machine.  For a servo motor, just go with a simple brush motor, the Consew CSM550 is great, that's what I use on mine.  I got mine here https://www.tolindsewmach.com/motors.html .  Be sure to call them up and ask Bob for the 45mm pulley, you probably won't need the speed reducer with the smaller pulley.  The belt will depend on a few things, but it will be a 3L belt, you can get them at ACE Hardware. You can get a close measurement with a piece of closeline or even an extension cord.  As for removing the pulley, there is a set screw that needs to be removed as well as a horizontal screw.  Take them both out and you might be able to tap the pulley off, if it's really stuck you can pull it off with a 3 jaw puller.  A little heat from a propane torch and some penetrating oil could also be helpful.  I might not be too concerned with it though, it wouldn't be worth breaking it just to clean it up as replacements would be tough to find.  You could also just use the motor to run the machine while you clean it up with a scotchbrite pad or sandpaper, depends on how far you're taking it down.

 

[Uwe]

Wow, that machine cleaned up really nicely, congrats! I personally really like that look. No need to contemplate repainting anything, I think.

Next I would get a nice, new tension unit, which is readily available on Ebay, and other vendors. One exampleexample :

 

 

[shoepatcher]

pull balance wheel and clean that.  Looks great so far!  remark all oil holes with red paint stick.

glenn

Edited March 19, 2024 by shoepatcher

[SingerDad]

love these before and after pics.  Good for you to keep us up to date on the progress.   As for belts.... others may balk, however I have had great luck with the polybelts that you can cut to length and melt the ends together.  you can get custom fit every time.   

[shoepatcher]

I prefer the hollow ploy belts with the aluminum burr.  Even better than the solid belts.

glenn

[Uwe]

13 hours ago, shoepatcher said:

I prefer the hollow ploy belts with the aluminum burr.  Even better than the solid belts.

glenn

Can you elaborate on that please? That aluminum burr is new to me, I’ve not come across that type of belt in my online searches. A link to a source would be great. 

[fibersport]

I think this is what he meant by the hollow [ploy(sp)] poly belts, but the connector is called a barb, not a burr.  https://durabelt.com/hollowbeltinfo.php

You need to be careful on the minimum pulley diameter with the ones shown, says a smaller pulley will cut through the tubing.  There are other brands.

Edited March 23, 2024 by fibersport
additional information

[JulesPDX]

Hey friends - thanks for your replies! I am still trying to get everything turning smoothly but now the machine is locked up. Please let me know if you have any ideas of where to start diagnosing, and thanks!

 

[JulesPDX]

Found this…

 

Edited March 23, 2024 by JulesPDX

[Uwe]

The short answer is that there’s nothing wrong with your machine.

Don’t turn the machine backwards. Don’t turn the machine much in either direction with the throat plate removed. It’s likely to bind up, especially in reverse because it’s not designed to do that.

It’s okay to turn the machine by hand with the throat plate removed while adjusting hook timing, just watch the position of the bobbin case. The tab that’s normally under the throat plate should generally point at the needle when you remove the throat plate, don’t allow it to spin freely.

Only turn the machine in the designated direction - meaning the hook will rotate clock-wise.  Small adjustments in the reverse direction (counter-clock-wise) are okay, but not a full turn in reverse or more. Bad things will happen. 

 

[fibersport]

Check this manual out, it's for the newer 1245 but most of it will apply to the 145.  While the machine isn't designed to run backwards, it shouldn't bind up in a turn or two, it might take a few times to get everything set correctly, just make sure it's oiled up.  I like to use a mixture of a light grease like Lubriplate and a 3 in 1 household oil.  

One more thing, is there a chance the safety clutch was tripped?  If it was, the timing will be off and it can lock up like that.  Read up on resetting the safety clutch and check that.

1245-1246 adjustment manual.pdf

Edited March 24, 2024 by fibersport
additional information

[Uwe]

When turning the machine backwards with the bobbin cap on and without the throatplate, the bobbin case opener ends up on the wrong side of the bobbin case “triangle”. Then when you change rotation again it catches on the bobbin cap, causing the bind. That’s not a normal operational situation. There may be other things going on, but that bind in the video is quite obvious. That bind situation would never happen during normal operation of the machine with all parts in place.

 

 

This video was made on a different machine, but the concepts are the same. 

 

Edited March 24, 2024 by Uwe

[Uwe]

19 hours ago, fibersport said:

I think this is what he meant by the hollow [ploy(sp)] poly belts, but the connector is called a barb, not a burr.  https://durabelt.com/hollowbeltinfo.php

You need to be careful on the minimum pulley diameter with the ones shown, says a smaller pulley will cut through the tubing.  There are other brands.

Thanks for that clarification, I appreciate it!

 

[JulesPDX]

Thanks so much! Ok - no moving the handwheel in that direction anymore. Really appreciate your time and knowledge everyone. I can't wait to get this set up with a motor and give it a whirl!

[JulesPDX]

Uwe that video showed me exactly what was wrong as I reassembled the bobbin mechanism. Thank you!

Edited March 24, 2024 by JulesPDX

[shoepatcher]

On 3/22/2024 at 9:21 AM, Uwe said:

Can you elaborate on that please? That aluminum burr is new to me, I’ve not come across that type of belt in my online searches. A link to a source would be great. 

will try to get a pic of it for you.  Sorry for the lateness.

glenn

[Pink1977]

On 3/12/2024 at 10:54 AM, fibersport said:

keep in mind that the marvel mystery oil may remove the decal so you might want to avoid that area, I had a 145 and upgraded to a 545.  Great machines but parts can be difficult to find.  You might also want to lubricate all the working parts with the oil and then start taking it apart to further clean it once you have it free up and running smoothly.  I have a bunch of files for the 145 and 545, holler if you need anything.

Can you share your files please ? I have the manual and spare catalogue parts for the 145 modele