Help me fine tune my Pfaff 1245

[ryanww]

I have a new to me Pfaff 1245-706/48  CLPMN.  I'm brand new to industrial sewing machines.

I found a copy of the service manual, adjustment manual, and owners manual thanks to some older threads on this site.  I still have a few questions.  A few simple adjustment questions then some more complicated stitching question.  I'll try to provide as much information as possible but if I'm missing something or you need more pictures just ask.

I'm using 138 bonded nylon thread and a 190 LR size 22 needle sewing through various leathers, 2-3oz veg tan, 3-4 oz upolstry leather, etc.

1) The presser foot height adjustment screws slipped a bit and I've readjusted the height, but my question is should the needle plate be the bottom stop for the presser foot, or is there a metal on metal stop somewhere else?  Before I adjusted it the hinge would bottom out on the frame of the machine and the presser foot would not sit on the needle plate.  I'll show in a picture.

2) The manual states that the vibrating foot and the needle point should arrive at the needle plate at the same time when set to the longest stitch length.  Mine is very close, probably within 1/16 - 3/32"  , but everything seems to feed nicely and be timed together.  Is this a real critical adjustment?  If I adjust the vibrating foot I'll have to adjust the feed dogs too, because those two seem to be in time really nice together. 

3) I'm having a few stitching issues.  At first the machine was skipping a few stitches.  Someone had adjusted the needle height to be be in approximately the right location when the hook spun around, but I re-evaluated the timing and it was off by about 60 degrees according to the service manual.  I successfully re-timed it and now it never misses.  However I'm having what looks like tension issues.  The stitches look like not enough top tension or too much bobbin tension.  I've gone through the whole range of tension on needle thread from barely able to pull the thread through the disc to fairly loose.  I've also gone through the full range of bobbin tension and it is currently very loose.  Adjusting the needle thread tension does change the appearance of the top a bit, but it's still not pulling the lock up from the bottom.  I'm 99.9% sure everything is threaded correctly.   I'll show some pictures of the stitching.

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

Ryan

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Edited January 3, 2018 by ryanww

[Northmount]

You should show us your thread path from spool to the needle as well.  It is critical to being able to adjust the top tension.

Tom

[Pintodeluxe]

Pull the tension discs off the upper tension mechanism and check them for wear.  That can cause irregular tension issues. 

How does it sew with #92 thread and the same needle?   

[ryanww]

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You should show us your thread path from spool to the needle as well.  It is critical to being able to adjust the top tension.

 

[ryanww]

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How does it sew with #92 thread and the same needle?

I have not tried it with any other thread.  Before I got it, it was sewing nicely with #69 thread using a different needle through synthetic fabric and webbing.

I will check the discs for wear, but the issue is not irregular, it's regularly off

[Northmount]

You don't show the top guide post in your threading pics.  If you take a wrap through it, you can further increase top tension.  Too small a needle in tough leather makes it hard to pull the knot up into the leather.  Where it was doing fine in textile material with 69 thread, it would appear that the combination of thread, needle size and leather you are sewing is at the root of the problem.

Try going up to a larger needle size so there is a bigger hole to pull the knot up into the leather.  I imagine you have read a number of posts about bobbin and top tension, so you already know that you don't want much tension on the bobbin. Should be easy to pull the thread from the bobbin.

Tom

[ryanww]

18 minutes ago, Northmount said:

You don't show the top guide post in your threading pics.  If you take a wrap through it, you can further increase top tension

I do have a wrap around the top guide post.

 

18 minutes ago, Northmount said:

Try going up to a larger needle size so there is a bigger hole to pull the knot up into the leather

I will try this.  You may be on to something here.  From my reading I figured size #22 with 138 thread was a safe bet.  The hole punched by the needle is more of a slit than a hole.  I don't currently have any other needle sizes or designs so I will have to get some.

Edited January 4, 2018 by ryanww

[RockyAussie]

Just check that you are getting enough foot pressure down. If you have been mostly doing fabrics the foot pressure may be lighter than what that leather needs. If the leather is veg I would expect to see some at least light pressure marks on your sample piece. Just look and see if the leather comes up a tad when the needle is on its way out ....if it does your knots will form on the bottom.

[chasman52]

Thanks you for posting. when I was looking up this youtube thread  for your Pfaff1245 I realized I also wasn't threading my 1445 take up through both holes. I'm not sure that will help me.

 Pay attention the part about the tension disks . He goes around the post. It seems logical.. Hope this helped

 

[ryanww]

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Just check that you are getting enough foot pressure down. If you have been mostly doing fabrics the foot pressure may be lighter than what that leather needs

This is entirely possible that the pressure is too light.  I will try to increase the pressure.  Good tip, thanks!

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Pay attention the part about the tension disks . He goes around the post. It seems logica

I'm not sure where the idea comes from to go around the post.  The manual clearly shows not to go around the post.  To be sure I've tried it both ways without any noticeable difference.