German Language Manual And The Adler 205-374

[llucas]

I have received great advice on this forum regarding the Adler 205-374 I am refurbishing. But I have run into a snag. In checking the action of the alternating feet in the sewing cycle it strikes me that one reason the outside presser feet are leaving a mark on the leather on each side of the top stitch is the outside presser feet don't lift high enough to release the leather even in their highest position in the alternating cycle. The upper foot and the feed dog pull the material back during the cycle and the too-low outside harness feet drag on the leather and mark it. I turned to page 7, sections 2.3, 2.3.2 and 2.3.3 in the Durkopp-Adler Service manual that I downloaded and was struck by the confusing and poor English translation for correcting this issue. There seems to be some confusion of part names when compared to the German language parts list. It has been many, many years since I have read German (my grad school dissertation dealt with Hans-Georg Gadamer and his Wahrheit und Methode) and I find I have forgotten more German language than I ever knew to begin with! I am very, very slowly working through it, but thought I would ask: has anyone on the forum already translated this section of the service manual? The existing English translation is not very good. It is certainly not clear. And my former weak language skills are even weaker now, lol.

[Uwe]

I made a little video about my interpretation of that section in the service manual. It's not a literal interpretation and I took some liberties involving a stack of quarters instead of a proper gauge. The German version of the service manual is a little opaque even to native Germans, haha.

It sounds like your clamp that ties the articulating arm to the presser foot shaft might be loose. In any case, here's the video - I hope it helps:

Edited December 2, 2015 by Uwe

[Thor]

Haven't really checked it all, but try these:

http://sew24.blogspot.de/p/downloads.html

http://www.duerkopp-adler.com/commons/download/download-text-attachments/Vintage_Leaflets_Adler/Leaflets_Adler_Class_205.pdf

[llucas]

Perfect! That is exactly what I was looking for! Another excellent video. I thought that was what the German language section was saying, but there was some confusion between the terminology for parts between the German language parts list and the explanation. Looks like that transferred to the English version. Is there a similar solution for the upper foot? Or is that not adjustable? I haven't finished that section in the manual.

Years ago I was laboring to translate a philosophical article by Heinrich Ott and hit a road block with a few neologisms. A fellow doctoral student was from Austria, so I consulted with him. He read the section and said, "I have no idea what he is talking about, but you must remember: German philosophers do not write to be understood; they write to be admired for their erudition." The same may be true of those who write sewing machine manuals, ha ha.

I made a little video about my interpretation of that section in the service manual. It's not a literal interpretation and I took some liberties involving a stack of quarters instead of a proper gauge. The German version of the service manual is a little opaque even to native Germans, haha.

It sounds like your clamp that ties the articulating arm to the presser foot shaft might be loose. In any case, here's the video - I hope it helps:

Edited December 2, 2015 by llucas

[llucas]

Haven't really checked it all, but try these:

http://sew24.blogspot.de/p/downloads.html

http://www.duerkopp-adler.com/commons/download/download-text-attachments/Vintage_Leaflets_Adler/Leaflets_Adler_Class_205.pdf

Thanks, Thor. I did not have the first one in your list. It is a 1966 edition, but has more information than later versions for the 205 class. That is very helpful. The one I was using for parts is the one for the subclass -374. If anyone else needs it, it is here:

http://www.duerkopp-adler.com/commons/download/download-text-attachments/Vintage_Parts_Books_Adler/205-374.pdf

Edited December 2, 2015 by llucas

[Uwe]

Not sure what you mean by upper foot. The inner feeding foot and outer presser foot perform the same lift relative to each other due to the design of the linking arm. By adjusting lift for one as in the video, you automatically adjust the other. They should always be lifting equal height.

[llucas]

Not sure what you mean by upper foot. The inner feeding foot and outer presser foot perform the same lift relative to each other due to the design of the linking arm. By adjusting lift for one as in the video, you automatically adjust the other. They should always be lifting equal height.

Thanks for that clarification. I thought that was the case, but since the needle does not center perfectly in the transportfuß (which I initially confused with the feed dog), I thought there might be another adjustment. Thanks for the help and clarification. Very helpful, indeed -- and your explanation is much, much clearer that the German version, lol.

By the way, if you complete a video for each adjustment possible in the service manual, you should consider selling a full dvd. A picture is sometimes worth far more than a 1,000 words. Coupled with a new translation of the service manual into English, this could be a big winner. Perhaps Weaver and other supply houses and retail outlets would market it. In addition to helping the novice hobbiest (like myself) it might also be helpful to some beginning sewing machine mechanics who are not familiar with Adler. Just a thought.

Edited December 2, 2015 by llucas

[Thor]

Germany German and Austrian German are about as close as British to American English. That being said, Ott was Swiss and at times I have no idea what they are talking about even though we're speaking the same language. However I noticed that a number of terms can't be translated by the book and one just has to know the appropriate term. Skiver is such a term for example. If it would be translated by the book it wood be what we refer to as a dodger.

[Uwe]

Technical documentation that originated in english isn't a whole lot better at times. Good technical writing is a lost art. The exact same thing (a cylindrical piece of metal) may be called a rod, bar, or shaft, depending on who's looking at it and where it is. I've translated automotive technical manuals in the 90's and it's hard work. You really need to be an engineer in addition to knowing both languages to do it even remotely justice. If you just look up words in a technical dictionary, you end up with documents that read like the translated sewing machine manuals.

[llucas]

Germany German and Austrian German are about as close as British to American English. That being said, Ott was Swiss and at times I have no idea what they are talking about even though we're speaking the same language. However I noticed that a number of terms can't be translated by the book and one just has to know the appropriate term. Skiver is such a term for example. If it would be translated by the book it wood be what we refer to as a dodger.

Ott was indeed Swiss. As a doctoral student I had to work with Austrian, Swiss, and high and low German. Fortunately in my field, there was a commonality of vocabulary tied to the western tradition in philosophy and theology. A few idiomatic expressions were different. The clinkers were neologisms (new words formed by placing numerous terms into one word) strung together like mother-of-pearl necklaces, lol. Ott, like Barth before him, was an interesting read.

Technical documentation that originated in english isn't a whole lot better at times. Good technical writing is a lost art. The exact same thing (a cylindrical piece of metal) may be called a rod, bar, or shaft, depending on who's looking at it and where it is. I've translated automotive technical manuals in the 90's and it's hard work. You really need to be an engineer in addition to knowing both languages to do it even remotely justice. If you just look up words in a technical dictionary, you end up with documents that read like the translated sewing machine manuals.

Uwe, given your background translating automotive manuals it strikes me you are a good candidate to tackle a project like this. Coupled with your excellent video work I suspect you could sell them easily. Just a thought.