Mansfeld- Singer 34Ksv Clone?

[Doru]

Hello to you all.

I'm new here and I'm happy to meet all of you.My "story" begins about a year ago when I have found an old russian copy of a Singer 15K in my grandma's basement.I knew nothing about sewing machines at the time.The machine was dirty with most of its components frozen.But with a lot of googleing and CLA and patience it's working fine again.After the initial sewing frenzy I've remembered my pasion for leather sewing from university times.So I've decided to find and buy a leather sewing machine that won't kill my pocket.Long story short a couple of weeks ago I've bought this barn find which was almost dead.Full of rust and mud and goat hair(?) and with missing parts but quite cheap.So bring it home,took it apart,clean it and put it back toghether.I did my best to adjust it based on preavious "experience",but the fact that the tension spring is missing and maybe some other parts from the front plate,makes all my efforts useless.I don't even know what sort of tension spring should I look for.It's a regular one like those used on house sewing machines? So now I need more than guessing or luck.I need some solid advices or maybe an user manual which I admit it's almost impossible to find.Maybe someone have a Singer 34ksv manual they seems to be identical.I think that Adler has made something that looks like it but I'm not sure.It also have a special bobbin in dimensions-7,5mm hight,21mm outer diameter,6mm inner diameter.Are this kind of bobbins and bobbin cases still made?Where can I buy it from?I'll try to attach few pictures.

Thank you all and wish you a happy,good new year.

http://youtu.be/yewxJVP3wjE

Edited December 27, 2014 by Doru

[Constabulary]

I guess you are from Germany, right?

Well Christian Mansfeld machines are not wide spread I think. I assume yours was made prior WWI so the chance to find parts or accessories is not very good.

Seems the cover plate for the hook is missing - do you have it or is it gone?

The the bottom thread should "come out" under a spring and not in the middle of the hook but I don´t know the machine and its mechanics but thats at least how it usually works.

A similar one is on Ebay Germany so maybe you can contact the seller maybe he can give you some information

http://www.ebay.de/itm/281539202786?clk_rvr_id=755171170798&rmvSB=true

[Doru]

Hi,actually I'm from Romania...

And I think that the machine is not that old(before the WW1...maybe made between the Great wars).I belive this one is older

http://www.ebay.de/itm/151523421399?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

But the pictures are shot in a poor angle as I can't see if there is or not a thread tension spring somewhere.

Mine it does have the cover plate,it can be seen in the last picture.And believe it or not I knew about the machine from the link you've shared,and I did ask the seller to post an image with the front plate but he/she ignored me.There were few Adlers that looked like Mansfeld on Ebay Germany but I haven;t saved the auctions to tell what specific model they were.

Anyway thank you for your answer and for your time(maybe you have a picture with the spring you said the bottom thread is going under).

[Constabulary]

Ah okay - I just thought the combination of a Russian machine and the Mansfeld machine from Leipzig could locate you to Germany (former GDR area or so).

Is it a video of your machine?

if so - I think in the beginning of the Video you pull the thread under the spring but then pull it too far - this is what I at least amuse because for a few seconds I can´t see the the bobbin case....

In case the hook does not catch the loop of the top thread properly you can try to adjust the hight of the needle bar the way that the hook meets the scarf of the needle about 1.5 - 2mm above the needle eye. This is where the loop is caught by the hook usually.

I´m sorry but I really have no experience with this machine (I wish I had). So this is all I could help you with.

But you could try to contact the Leather Worker member SINGERMANIA - he is from Australia and has a lot off odd and rare machines so this would be the person I´d ask first!

[Doru]

...yes the video is with my machine.Thank you Constabulary for all the help so far.I will contact Singermania for sure maybe he would like to talk to me.Thanks again.

[Constabulary]

here is another one - pictures are quite good

http://www.ebay.de/itm/sehr-schne-alte-antike-SulennhmaschineAdlerPfaffdrrkopp-/331429059054

[Doru]

Yes,this is the picture I was looking for.....I see that the tension assembly it"s like at the singer 16 class one....

Now I need to start looking for parts...do you know any place where to find this kind of stuff besides ebay in Europe?....The thread take up spring and the take up lever especially.Thank you again Constabulary for you help,..It"s great to see an old,almost dead thing coming back to life.

[Constabulary]

I also like vintage machines very much and hope you really can get this one back to life!

Try Ebay.com:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xsinger+16+tension&_nkw=singer+16+tension&_sacat=0

Or College Sewing in the UK, they are my favorite parts supplier:

https://www.college-sewing.co.uk/

[Doru]

Thank you again!

[Doru]

The sewing machine is working again.

I wasn't able to order the spare parts from colege-sewing uk yet.I've made some improvisations first just to make sure that the sewing machine has the willing to sew.One of the problems was the little groove in the hole of the thread take up lever make it useless.Resolved it with a piece of rubber coat,from a power cord and a screw eye hanger.

The next thing to resolve was the upper thread guard.Made it from a piece of steel wire.And find a thread check spring...find one from an old home sewing machine.

[Doru]

This is a piece of suede leather folded in half, not very thick about 3 mm.The stich length is 5mm(or 5 stiches per inch).

And this is how it looks when I've find it in the first place.

Next I'm thinking to replace the take up lever with a new one,a new check spring,a new feed dog,maybe clean all the rust and put a new paint on it.All in all I think I've made a good job and should give myself a tap on my shoulder .

[Constabulary]

stitching looks good so far. Good luck with the further restoration!

[Doru]

Thank you Constabulary!