Ferdinand/ Adler 205-64 Height Of The Walk Issues

[leftycasey]

I recently purchased a Ferdinand Bull which is just a modified Adler 205-64 sewing machine. This is a jump foot sticher which means the presser foot lifts, removing all pressure and allows the needle to feed the material. Some of the machine features listed in the instruction manual are:

• sews up to 1" of leather and as light as 4 oz. leather.
  
• Steps up and down various thickness without adjustment
  
• Roller tension that self adjusts for various thread weight
  

My problem is when I adjust the lifter adjusting nut clockwise to increase the walk to the maximum walk, the presser foot lifts only enough to clear about 7 oz leather. Is there another adjustment I need to make in order to increase the lift? How does the manual claim that it can step up and down various thickness leather without adjustment if it does not remove the pressure on thicker leather?

Thank you so much for any help you can give me.

[Trox]

I recently purchased a Ferdinand Bull which is just a modified Adler 205-64 sewing machine. This is a jump foot sticher which means the presser foot lifts, removing all pressure and allows the needle to feed the material. Some of the machine features listed in the instruction manual are:

• sews up to 1" of leather and as light as 4 oz. leather.
  
• Steps up and down various thickness without adjustment
  
• Roller tension that self adjusts for various thread weight
  

My problem is when I adjust the lifter adjusting nut clockwise to increase the walk to the maximum walk, the presser foot lifts only enough to clear about 7 oz leather. Is there another adjustment I need to make in order to increase the lift? How does the manual claim that it can step up and down various thickness leather without adjustment if it does not remove the pressure on thicker leather?

Thank you so much for any help you can give me.

Please post a picture of the machine head and places of adjustments.

Thanks

Tor

[pcox]

Have you tried the thicker leather? Raise the presser foot put some thicker leather in and see what happens.

[Trox]

I know the Adler machines both with and without a jump foot/ needle feet and so on. However, I never seen that Ferdinand Bull version of it, if you please could post a picture of it; then maybe I would be able to help you out.

I would love to see how that particular machine looks too, quite rare I would believe.

Tor

[leftycasey]

Thank you for any help you can give me. I have attached two pictures of the sewing machine. The first has an arrow to the adjusting nut (disc) that is to be turned in order to adjust height. The second shows an arrow (labeled A) to the roller arm that pushes the pin up and thus lifts the presser foot.

Please let me know if you need any other pictures. This really is a nice machine. I'm not sure what modifications Ferdco put into the machine but it has a 55 pound hand wheel for extra power.

I have tried thicker leather in the machine and the presser foot does not lift high enough to release the pressure. I guess the only option is to adjust the phillips screw labeled "B" and raise the presser foot according to the thickness of the leather each time. However, the manual claims it steps up and down various thickness without adjustment.

Thank you so much for any help you can give.

[CowboyBob]

The lever that runs out of the back pinches the pressure bar to lift it & if you oiled the top of the pressure bar(just under the spring) it can't grip the bar to lift it.You might have to take the spring off & then that square piece on top & take some alcohol & wash both the pressure bar & the inside the the lifting block.

[leftycasey]

I am amazed and so grateful how helpful everyone is on this forum.

I think I understand what you are saying about how the lever pinches the pressure bar but I think this set up works differently. There is a collar with a set screw on the top with the spring and it allows the lifting block to push the bar up when it makes contact.

It appears that when the lifting block starts to move, the pressure bar responds instantly. The problem that I see is that the lifting bar does not have enough travel. I noticed that there is some slack in the lever connecting the lifting block which is probably the reason for the reduced travel. I have attached a photo to show the space between the rocker once the slack is taken up.

After studying it and losing a lot of sleep over, I think I need to figure out how to take the slack or extra travel out of the lifting lever.

I realized that I attached the same picture twice. The correct photo is in the next reply.

Edited August 5, 2013 by leftycasey

[leftycasey]

Sorry I noticed that I attached the same photo twice. This is the photo showing the slack in the lift. This should have been the second photo attached.

[CowboyBob]

Ok,on the other end of the shaft in the bacl(with the arrow pointing to it) is there a pinch clamp around the shaft?That would be were to adjust it.

[leftycasey]

Bob,

I can tell that you are really knowledgable about these machines and I am definitely not. I wish I could pay you for your advice. I can not find a pinch clamp (maybe I am looking in the wrong place) but I think the adjustment or clamp will be located in the box attached to the machine. It has a grease fitting attached to the box so it can't have a pinch clamp would it???? I need to just take it off of the machine and look at it closer.