alexitbe Report post Posted December 13, 2015 I just picked up a Pfaff 38-6 and it does not have a needle position adjuster on it. Reading the manual, it says that one could order it with or without this feature at the time. My machine looks similar to the smaller pfaff 130. Do you think its needle position adjuster would fit? Has anyone tried this or knows of where I can buy the spare parts? I don't mind buying from the US. I need this adjuster to make button holes... Thanks for your time. Alex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kohlrausch Report post Posted December 13, 2015 I just picked up a Pfaff 38-6 and it does not have a needle position adjuster on it. Reading the manual, it says that one could order it with or without this feature at the time. My machine looks similar to the smaller pfaff 130. Do you think its needle position adjuster would fit? Has anyone tried this or knows of where I can buy the spare parts? I don't mind buying from the US. I need this adjuster to make button holes... Thanks for your time. Alex Hi Alex, if you live in a Pfaff-country you could try a repair shop. Some part out old machines and, if they look long enough, can come up with just about any screw or spring. Easiest way may be to do just this yourself. Today a Pfaff 130 sold for 24 Euros on Ebay Germany. If you need a relay in shipping I will be glad to help. You might also try to contact Josef in the Pfaff-section of Hobbyschneider24.net. He is a retired Pfaff technician and has some stock of spareparts. If you want me to shoot him an email I will happily do so. Greets Ralf C. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uwe Report post Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) Does it have the needle position adjuster feature and it's just missing the knob/lever? If it doesn't have the mechanics behind the knob, ordering a knob won't do you much good. Edited December 14, 2015 by Uwe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alexitbe Report post Posted December 14, 2015 Good Morning Gents, Thank you for the responses... Yes, I live in Pfaff country... In the old DDR... In all honesty, I do not know if it has the mechanics behind the dial or not, I just got it last week and finally found space to assemble it. All I do know is that the needle positioner was an added option, so I guess it can be installed as a module to one without... Maybe? Ralf: would it be possible to contact your friend Josef for me and ask if atleast the parts will fit? I don't like to contact him without an introduction, he might find that a bit cheeky. Or if he has the parts, I will buy from him. That would make my life much easier.. Lastly, the straight stitch seems to have a little zig-zag in it.... Is this normal or do I have to do a bit of tinkering? Cheers Alex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Constabulary Report post Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) I´m not sure if the adjuster can be retrofitted. I doubt it. I´d rather buy a Pfaff 38 or Pfaff 138 or an other zig zag machine with adjuster. As Ralf said, you can find them dirt cheap on Ebay sometimes. Retrofitting the adjuster will probably end in dissembling main components of the machine. I personally would not try that for just adding an adjuster which will probably cost more than another machine. Edited December 14, 2015 by Constabulary Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alexitbe Report post Posted December 14, 2015 Hi Constab, Ofcourse, I will keep my eye out for a pfaff 38 with adjuster.... Because I cannot help myself simply looking...However, somehow it ends up in my Cellar... I don't know how... I was hoping to buy a pfaff 130 and simply fit in the needle adjuster... Since my 38k is only the 4.5mm zig zag version like the 130... Is it possible to do button holes without a needle adjuster? I must research that too... Cheers Alex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Constabulary Report post Posted December 14, 2015 There are buttonhole attachments for straight stitch machines out there maybe thats something you could try. http://www.ebay.com/itm/INDUSTRIAL-SEWING-MACHINE-BUTTONHOLE-ATTACHMENT-/160701165759 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kohlrausch Report post Posted December 15, 2015 Hi Alex, if you live in a Pfaff-country you could try a repair shop. Some part out old machines and, if they look long enough, can come up with just about any screw or spring. Easiest way may be to do just this yourself. Today a Pfaff 130 sold for 24 Euros on Ebay Germany. If you need a relay in shipping I will be glad to help. You might also try to contact Josef in the Pfaff-section of Hobbyschneider24.net. He is a retired Pfaff technician and has some stock of spareparts. If you want me to shoot him an email I will happily do so. Greets Ralf C. Hi Alex, if you live in a Pfaff-country you could try a repair shop. Some part out old machines and, if they look long enough, can come up with just about any screw or spring. Easiest way may be to do just this yourself. Today a Pfaff 130 sold for 24 Euros on Ebay Germany. If you need a relay in shipping I will be glad to help. You might also try to contact Josef in the Pfaff-section of Hobbyschneider24.net. He is a retired Pfaff technician and has some stock of spareparts. If you want me to shoot him an email I will happily do so. Greets Ralf C. Alex, please register at the German forum Hobbysschneiderin24.net, go to the Pfaff-section and ask your question there. It will be read by Josef. Just to give you a headstart: Josef will want to see photos. Please show a general overview of your sewing machine. A detail view of the zigzag-knob. A detailview of the zigzag-knob from below. And, if you are bold and brave, take off the zigzag-knob and take a picture of what's behind. The knob will be secured by a setscrew either on the underside or at the right side. Josef does have parts, he wants to see if he has the right ones. According to him there seem to have been several versions. As for buttonhole attachments: The Pfaff-industrials are a few millimetres more high shank than the average industrial machine. You would have to make sure that an attachment actually fits. Some sellers state expressly that their attachment is for high shank industrials except Pfaff. Same applies to high-shank-low-shank-adapters. You can use Pfaff's own adapter 6603. I would then recommend the Singer Professional Buttonholer because it comes with a variety of different shapes an sizes and is not restricted to one fixed steering cam. In any case you will need an actuating lever - with household sewing machines this usually is the needle-thumpscrew. With an industrial you will probably have to fix your own lever. In the German secondhand market Pfaff 130 start for free, commonly sell for 20 to 50 Euros and won't sell above 150 Euros. Pfaff 38 are being offered for 30 to 120 Euros and Pfaff 138 range from 50 (treadle), 70 (motorized) to about 250 and likely don't sell easily above that. With prices being so low it might be a lot easier to just get another machine that actually does what you want it to than to tinker along and tweak and twist. Also I am not sure that a zigzag buttonhole is a good idea with leather. You might just perforate it. Maybe the book "Schneidere selbst" by Lieselotte Kunder will give you some ideas. It was coproduced by the Pfaff Sewing Academy and relies heavily on the Pfaff 260 for examples - which uses the same zigzag mechanics as your 38. HTH Greets Ralf C. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alexitbe Report post Posted December 17, 2015 (edited) Hi Ralf, Thank you for the comprehensive response...And also with taking the time to contact Josef. It seems like I joined Hobbysschneiderin24.net sometime ago, but I never used it, because my German is so Schlekt. I will write a thread in the Pfaff group and hope Josef can find a solution. I was working on the machine last night, oiling it ,etc and it is running so smoothly now... I am very happy with the machine it would be a shame to have to replace it. I also love using the treadle... Its wonderfully hypnotic..It makes one forget about one's troubles. I need to take some more picture, because the ones I took last night are very dark. so i hope to put a thread up there on Friday... Thank you very much. Alex Edited December 17, 2015 by alexitbe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kohlrausch Report post Posted December 17, 2015 It seems like I joined Hobbysschneiderin24.net sometime ago, but I never used it, because my German is so Schlekt. Oh, I thought you were German. But no prob, there are plenty of English speaking members at Hobbyschneiderin24.net. And ya, the 38 is nice. Pfaff kept it in production even after the advent of the 138, because it was used by leatherworker professionals like the shoe industry. Even today there is also an international professional secondhand market where 38s command four-digit-prices. Greets Ralf C. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
