Adler 205-64

[cdthayer]

Double post

Edited November 27, 2013 by cdthayer

[cdthayer]

It set outside for a while before I found it. I started soaking it with sewing machine oil yesterday, and I'm already getting a slight movement at the handwheel plus nearly full travel of the stitch lever. The needlebar and feed dog moves with the stitch lever. The bobbin case pops out, and there was no bobbin in there with thread on it to soak up and hold water, so there's not much rust in it at all.

A few more days of soaking and I'll start removing parts to clean them. I'm hoping the hook and race surfaces are not too bad. I'm going to need a bobbin and a needle clamp for it.

CD in Oklahoma

[cdthayer]

A great day in the bikeshop yesterday! The rusted-up, bound-up Adler 205-64 broke free!

After having had only a tiny bit of movement while turning the balance wheel back and forth each way since back in November, I had been giving it a gentle tug on the balance wheel every few days as I let it set soaking up sewing machine oil. Every once in a while, I would give it another shot of oil.

I was fiddling with it again yesterday, trying to decide where to disassemble it to separate the upper and lower shaft assemblies and get serious about freeing the machine up. And since I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it just one more brisk tug on the wheel before taking parts loose, I gave it my best.

Suddenly, I felt it give a little and there was about a quarter of an inch of movement. With increased excitement and vigor at rotating the wheel back and forth, the movement increased to an inch, then a couple of inches, and then after about an hour of it spitting out rusty oil and drinking more fresh oil, the big boy was turning over smoothly full-travel! The reverse mechanism is also moving full-travel. Yea!!!

It was quite a workout for both of us (as my triceps are reminding as I type this), and I'm just thrilled to pieces to have it moving freely. I wound down the afternoon session by cleaning and replacing the few parts that I had removed to get oil inside of the mechanisms. I still need to put the hook and race back together, but I'm leaving it off for a while to spin the machine more and be able to clean out the end of the cylinder arm if it burps out any more rusty oil.

With the machine now freed up, I can turn my attention to drilling the broken lever out of the foot lift assembly and start ordering parts and supplies. I need to replace the needle clamp and get some bobbins and thread coming for it. I haven't cleaned up the tension assemblies yet, so I don't know what I'll need there. Anyway, maybe it won't be long now before I can do a test-sew with it.

CD in Oklahoma

[Constabulary]

Awesome! When you are dome with the mechanical issues I would give the machine a new paint job. Probably light gray or silver...

[cdthayer]

Thanks, but I'm planning on keeping this machine and I like the "scars" that old well-used machines seem to have. I worked hard to get my own "weathered look"and figure the machines did too or they would still look like new.

CD in Oklahoma

Edited February 6, 2014 by cdthayer

[cdthayer]

I got my list of parts that I need. Some of them are available new, and some will no doubt have to come from a donor machine. Parts needed for Adler 205-64:

Qty) Part Number Description

1) 005 00 231 3 Needle Clamp (bis 1991) (Nadelhalter)

1) 992 00 426 0 Needle Clamp Screw (slot) (Zyl. Schraube)

2) 020 00 201 0 Bobbin (Spule)

1) 367 15 027 0 Bobbin Spring (Kegelfeder)

1) 105 11 004 0 Tension Release Pin (Bolzen)

1) 105 13 008 3 Shaft (w/cam?) (Lufterhebel)

1) 204 13 001 0 Plate (Auslosehebel)

1) 893 99 149 0 Shoulder Bolt (Fl. Kopfschr. M4x5)

Also, does 277 thread work well top and bottom in this machine?

CD in Oklahoma

[Trox]

I use diesel. U can use a truck hand wheel knob and clamp it around the edge of the machine hand

Tor

Edited February 15, 2014 by Trox

[Constabulary]

If the shoulder bolt is a regular M4x5 screw you should find them in hardwares stores - if they have metric screws. This is no special screw if it is a metric thread.

Bobbins and the bobbin spring should be easy to find IF you have the early type hook and not the later larger one.

As far as I know the 205 used 2 different types of hooks. The earlier (smaller) hook is the same one they used in the Singer 45K.

[cdthayer]

Thanks Trox. I’ll take a look at a steering wheel spinner knob (a PeterBilt that I drove years ago had one), but I think I want something that sticks out about 3-times as far, so I won’t be hanging my wrist on the center hub. I’m still wanting to go clamp-on though, but I may have to make my own.

Thanks Constabulary. Bob Kovar is looking into parts for me. I dug around in my parts bin and found a temporary needle clamp that shouldn’t hurt the needle bar until I get something else. Most of the other parts have to do with the automatic tension release, so if they’re not available, I’ll rig up a manual tension release on it. I don’t think any of the missing/damaged parts will prevent the tension assemblies from working properly.

I’ll get a photo of my hook assembly and post it so you can help me determine which hook this one has for sure. I still have to put it all back together.

CD in Oklahoma

Edited February 16, 2014 by cdthayer

[cdthayer]

Here are some photos of the hook on my Adler 205-64. The spring inside of the bobbin case is one that I found in my parts bin, and may not work properly, but I might give it a try until I get the correct one.

I’m going to have to modify the temporary needle clamp that I thought might work in a pinch, before it actually can work. I hope I can find something else before I go to the trouble though....

CD in Oklahoma