Help me fine tune my Pfaff 1245

[mikesc]

You should never go "around the post" ( at the tension discs ), it is there just to stop the tension discs from spinning instead of placing tension on the thread by squeezing them.."he" ( in the video ) is totally wrong.

to the OP Ryanww..you also have a metal "finger" ( fastened with a screw to the machine body, it is sticking out across the thread path at a horizontal angle ) just above your needle thread guide..You are going behind this ..so your thread is rubbing on the machine body ( it has obviously been doing so for a while, there are other wear lines )try going in front of this metal bar ( so that the thread is resting against it before it carries on down to the needle thread guide ) this will add a little more top tension ( every "smidgen" can help down there )..combing that with what Rocky Aussie and Northmount said should help.

Edited January 4, 2018 by mikesc

[chasman52]

Mike and Ryan are correct. I should have looked in the manual too. Sorry for my post.

[ryanww]

I've noticed some improvement with maxing the downward pressure but not much.  I ordered some larger needles, but they have not arrived yet.  I've tried a lot of different leathers so far.  2-3 oz veg tan, 4oz upholstery, 4 oz oil tanned.  I've noticed with the softer leathers it does pull  the knot up a little bit more, but not very much.

What is a rough guide for top tension?  I have it so tight right now I can hardly pull the thread through the machine with the presser foot down.  After stitching the pieces tend to cup a little toward the top because the stitches are so tight.  I know that's too much tension.

[RockyAussie]

Hey Ryan, I am no sewing machine expert and I usually work in metric sizes and missed that a bit earlier in the post. The thickness you are trying to sew with that size thread is a bit extreme. I would be trying a thinner thread for the bobbin if that was alright. If you were up at 5oz (2mm) leather you might have more luck but the 138 (20m) thread knotting into the middle on 2-3oz may be a big ask. With your foot pressure ...Test that it lifts smoothly by lifting them by hand from the feet upward. If there is a jumpy feeling you may need to try more oiling or cleaning up the shaft. Also make sure both feet come down onto the plate with similar pressure when fully down meaning that they are both fully extending down. The bobbin will be very loose to take the thickness you are trying and can take a fair bit to get right. I keep a couple of cases to not have to adjust them when I do get them set for a thread thickness. Hope that is some help until some more expert chips in. Brian

[ryanww]

Quote

If you were up at 5oz (2mm) leather you might have more luck but the 138 (20m) thread knotting into the middle on 2-3oz may be a big ask.

I'm a little confused, are you saying it would be easier for the knot to pull up with thicker material? 

[brmax]

In the thickness of the pieces being sewn. Meaning the knot would have more room, thus easier to be centered. 

 

Floyd

[Wizcrafts]

On 1/9/2018 at 9:20 AM, ryanww said:

What is a rough guide for top tension?  I have it so tight right now I can hardly pull the thread through the machine with the presser foot down.  After stitching the pieces tend to cup a little toward the top because the stitches are so tight.  I know that's too much tension.

Ideally, you'll want to use the least top and bottom tensions that lay down good looking stitches without puckering the material. There shouldn't be loose thread on the top or bottom, nor should any knots be visible. If the top or bottom thread either puckers the material or produces loose loops, shorten the stitch length until the stitches lay flat.

You should select a thread and needle combination that best produces these results. A well equipped sewing room will have at least two spools (one for the top, one for the bobbin) of each color and size of thread that will be used, as well as packs of needles in every size needed to sew those thread sizes. It is usually a good idea to buy the same brand of thread in these sizes and colors. This leads to predictable results. We have dealers who advertise here that stock their brands of thread in matching shades across multiple thicknesses.

[ryanww]

Quote

A well equipped sewing room

I'm not there yet, but working on it!

I'm really hoping to be able to use 138 on top and bottom because I like the thicker thread look.

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, ryanww said:

I'm not there yet, but working on it!

I'm really hoping to be able to use 138 on top and bottom because I like the thicker thread look.

That should not be a problem for your Pfaff 1245. Just use #160/23 leather point needles. If you use #140/22 needles the holes will be tighter and the tension required stronger.

See if you can buy a pack of #150 Pfaff needles. That is a perfect fit for #138 thread.

[RockyAussie]

6 hours ago, ryanww said:

I'm not there yet, but working on it!

I'm really hoping to be able to use 138 on top and bottom because I like the thicker thread look.

2oz leather is only .8mm thick. The thread of 138 if measured is near .4mm. Double that for the knot = .8mm. The thicker leather will be a fair bit easier for you dial in to get close to middle. The thinner bobbin thread would also help a lot unless your foot/ timing is out in some way. As Wiz says above your leather should not be pulling together and should want to sit down flat.