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.

[CowboyBob]

Can you take a pic of the backside?

[Trox]

Sorry for the late replay,

I would like a picture of the backside of the machine. What I can see Ferdco has modified this machine with an extra shaft ( top shaft on the back) that goes parallel to the needle bar shaft. Thats possible because the -64 head is the same one they use on several other models including the subclass -370 (triple feed). The ears are there to be drilled out and fit the new shaft in too. Because i do not see the back side I can`t see how the shaft is connected. However, I see how it works, (at least I think I do).

When it turns it pushes the foot bar upwards. Its hard to see the amount of lift from the pictures. The original -64 you adjust the spring pressure with the top collar (arrow on your first pic) like on almost every other machine. The amount of foot lift height is adjusted on the Phillips screw marked B. You adjust the max foot lift (by hand, on the pedal it should lift higher) to be 12 mm (on the original machine).

The new lifting mechanics should work this way; it should always lift the same amount, this amount of lift comes on top of the foot`s already lifted height. No matter how high the foot is raised (the material hight under it) it should lift on top of it. So there is something that limits it.

The cam on the shaft (your last pic) should do the lifting. There should be a possibility to adjust this cam`s amount of lift by turning it on the shaft, or somewhere else on its shaft (backside of the machine).

What happens if you adjust the spring collar on the top, this will move the lifting block upward and reduce the slack over the lifting cam? Please post a pic of the back side and a pic of some material under the foot (about a 1/2 inch or so) you should also post a pic where the machine is turn in to the lifting phase (needle bottom dead point)

I have a hard time to imagine this machine ever would sew 1 inch of material, original it will do a 1/2 inch max) I do not see this cam pushing upwards on any of your pictures? This is very interesting, I got to study the backside too. Please post some more pictures as described. I have to walk my dogs, I would have a look later when I`m back home. Turn the machine (by the hand wheel) and look at the cam`s lifting phase ( the cam under the arrow of your last picture) I will be back later.

Good luck

Tor

[leftycasey]

Here is the picture of the backside.

I measured the max foot lift at 25mm so it does have a 1inch lift. Here is a picture taken with 5/8" leather under the foot.

Here is a picture of the roller cam at its highest point and the most lift on the foot.

Here is the cam position when the needle is at its lowest point.

Bob you were exactly correct about the lifting block pinching the pressure bar. I did not realize this until I put something thick under the foot and it lifted the collar off of the block on top. The pinch is accomplished with the bar that connects to the lifting block. I do have quite a bit of oil on that bar and will clean it well.

Thank you again I hope I am not wasting your time.

I think by getting the lever to pinch sooner I will get more travel but I'm not sure if the timing is correct with the cam and needle position.

Edited August 5, 2013 by leftycasey

[leftycasey]

Bob your the best. I did what you said and cleaned the oil off and the lift works at all thickness of leather. That fixed that problem.

Here I go with another picture! I don't think the timing is correct and I promise this will be my last question. Am I correct that the presser foot lift needs to initiate at the exact moment the needle starts to move the leather (jump foot /needle feed). As it is now, the presser foot begins to lift half way through the needle movement. I guess I can adjust it with the set screw "B" because "A" is pinned.

[CowboyBob]

You might want to check the screws in the handwheel to make sure it's in the groove of the top shaft or you could even try moving & put the other screw in the groove .

[Trox]

Hello, now I see the back side, its a mayor modification from Ferdco. It might be the timing of the foot who is wrong, it can be adjusted on A or on the cam (what you call e pinch) on the front of the shaft. The "B" is the shafts collar that ensure the axial position of the shaft only, you cannot adjust the timing on that.

I am interested of seeing the top spring of the foot bar, that is just out of the picture at the top; it looks like something is wrong there. I understand it does not lift enough, thats not a timing issue; but a height adjustment issue.

You are right about the timing, when the needle hits the top of the feed dog and starts to move it should lift, or else it would not feed right. (with a paper under the foot you see the right moment the needle hits the feed dog) Try to get the foot height right before you adjust the timing on it, because the timing might look different when the height is right.

Tor

[Les No6]

Hi this is an auto adjust foot lift ie say its set to lift 1/8" it will lift an 1/8" whether you are sewing 1/4" or 3/4" you adjust for the minimum clearance if you sew items of varying thickness you need a little higher lift so the foot will walk up hill, too much lift causes excessive noise stress and marking of the leather, thats if there is any adjustement it may well be fixed. This component MUST be oiled failure to do so will cause iratic performance, excessive wear and premature failure, there is an obvious problem with your machine the set screw in the collar is the wrong screw it should be a grub screw and fit wholly within the collar and not interfere with the spring on top which should push down on the block as with all auto adjust foot lifts (very simple mechanism been around since the middle of the eighteenth centruary) it is essential that it do's so, the purpose of the collar is to keep the foot clear of the throat plate and or feed dog to prevent damage to the components with no material under foot, take the screw out and if you don't have an appropriate grub screw just be carefull and sit the foot on a piece of leather when not in use and don't let the foot stamp down when removing you work piece until you aquire an appropriate grub screw. Try it you will see what I mean and beware most sewing machine machanics these days are clueless without a manual.

[leftycasey]

Thank you so much for all of the help everyone has given me. Now I realize how the machine works and the purpose of the components on the machine and it all makes sense to me. I think I have it working just like it should.