All things Pfaff 145 (info, tidbits, maintenance, etc.)

[laether]

hi folks!

First time posting here, hopefully I'm not stepping on anyone's toes...Last weekend I brought home "Pfaff 145-1B H2L" leather sewing material and been googling info on it. Found this forum and theres PRICELESS information here. However I learnt its basically spread on different messages / threads so I started this "All things Pfaff 145" thread to collect everything I've found on one place. To help newbies like myself and also collect all the important data on one place.

Pfaff 145 Manual in english:
http://www.pfaff.com/SiteMedia/PFAFF/Products/Machines/Support-manuals/pfaff_145-manual-EN.PDF

Pfaff 145 & 545 Parts book
http://www.industrialsewingmachineparts.co.uk/pfaff_145_545_partslist.pdf

Here's what I've learnt from classification so far:

H1 & H2 7mm under foot
H3 11mm under foot
H4 14mm under foot

Needles: 134 (H1&H2), 134-35 (H3) and 190 (H4)

A: light materials,

B: medium,

C: medium heavy

D: heavy

L: leather

N: 6 mm stitch length

 

[Constabulary]

Is that freakin' Sigue Sigue Sputik in you avatar picture - never thought of seeing or thinking of em ever again...

BTT:

A quick Google website search can help finding 145 information posted in the forum

https://www.google.com/search?q=Pfaff+145+site%3Aleatherworker.net%2Fforum%2F&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab

[Uwe]

Welcome to LW, Laether! Those Pfaff 145 are great machines and fairly easy to maintain. 

Here's a video I made recently about the safety clutch on the Pfaff 145 and 545:

Here's a video that goes over the walking foot timing for the Pfaff 145/545 and many similar machines.

And one about how to insert the bobbin on a Pfaff 145:

 

[laether]

On 4/19/2018 at 12:55 PM, Constabulary said:

Is that freakin' Sigue Sigue Sputik in you avatar picture - never thought of seeing or thinking of em ever again...

BTT:

A quick Google website search can help finding 145 information posted in the forum

https://www.google.com/search?q=Pfaff+145+site%3Aleatherworker.net%2Fforum%2F&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab

Yup! Imago-wise excellent. music-wise mediocre! My idea is to go through the links you also provided and add most important information here on this thread!

Also thanks @Uwe for the youtube-links (you might wanna check my question below)!

Now my question is: I tried top-stitching, had two pieces of leather and first did regular seam, right sides facing. Then folded the seam allowances underneath the other side and started top-stitching. First everything was fine, but when my Pfaff145 reached the folded part with three layers it got stuck and wouldnt go further. This must be something to do with the walking foot? Needs adjustment? I guess with this machine, going from one layer to three should not be a problem at all?

Edited April 29, 2018 by laether

[laether]

Manual says: "12. Regulating the Pressure on the Material: The amount of pressure to be exerted by the presser foot must be adapted to the material to be sewn. The pressure is set correctly if the material is advanced through the machine   evenly without being injured by the teeth of the feed dog. The pressure on the material is regulated by turning knurled nut V (Fig. 1). Turn this screw in for less pressure, or out for more pressure. On Model H machines the pressure is  regulated by turning the knurled screw in the upper guide bushing of the presser bar. Turn this screw in for more pressure or out for less pressure.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/77444-pfaff-145-h4-and-new-tech-servo-motor/

There are two variants of this machine as explained by @Uweon the thread above:

@Uwe: The bar across the top is a spring blade that provides pressure for the presser foot on certain Pfaff 145 subclasses. (see the picture below, my machine that is).




Other subclasses have a vertical spiral compression spring that wraps around the presser bar. And on this thread you can see the other variant: http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/63483-pfaff-145-presser-foot-pressure/ 

But unlike the manual information I guess I have model H AND knurled nut....

Edited April 29, 2018 by laether

[laether]

Actually knurled nut has two "wheels" you can adjust: wonder what's with that?

And still my previous question: tried top-stitching, had two pieces of leather and first did regular seam, right sides facing. Then folded the seam allowances underneath the other side and started top-stitching. First everything was fine, but when my Pfaff145 reached the folded part with three layers it got stuck and wouldnt go further. This must be something to do with the walking foot? Needs adjustment? I guess with this machine, going from one layer to three should not be a problem at all?

And same thing if I adjust and start from the top of the folded seam: machine cant feed the fabric and gets stuck.

Edited April 29, 2018 by laether

[BaroqueLeatherGal]

On 4/19/2018 at 11:08 AM, Uwe said:

Welcome to LW, Laether! Those Pfaff 145 are great machines and fairly easy to maintain. 

Here's a video I made recently about the safety clutch on the Pfaff 145 and 545:

Here's a video that goes over the walking foot timing for the Pfaff 145/545 and many similar machines.

And one about how to insert the bobbin on a Pfaff 145:

 

Hey guys, Im looking at a pfaff 145 that's for sale locally. Its model number says 145-p-6c   H3LMN

Would this machine be suitable for leather? What oz is the limit? Trying to get for a reasonable price if it can do it. Not sure what kinda shape its in. Just want to know more info before I go look at it. They are asking $700, seems a little high to me..thoughts?

[AlfistiMan]

Laether, thanks so much for the link to the Pfaff parts manual, and to UWE for the videos.  I have owned a Pfaff 545 H4 for about 10 years now, only occasionally sewing on it for my sailboat and more recently auto upholtery.  It is a very robust machine.  I do have a question for anyone on the presser foot tension.  Looking at page 34 of the parts manual, the tension adjuster is shown.  There is the knurled adjusting screw, which goes into the 91-011 929-15 fitting that in turn goes into the top of the housing 91-010 676-15.  Below those in the diagram are a small ring washer and the long spring.  

The question that I have is that the knurled adjusting screw touches nothing in the housing on my machine when screwed all of the way in.  Having measured the depth from the top of the housing to the spring, there is still about a 1/2 inch gap between the top of the spring and the tip of the knurled screw when screwed all of the way down.  I am guessing that there is a part missing on my machine between the spring and the adjusting screw that would compress the spring further as the adjusting screw is turned down.

This lack of presser foot tension has not caused me too much of a problem so far.  Maybe my ignorance to this point is bliss, and the machine would sew even better if the tension adjustment worked.  Am I overlooking something here?

[AKtrapper]

I have noticed some of these vintage pfaff  145 and 545 have two springs on top for loading the foot tension while others only have one spring.  Is their a set number of springs that are standard?

 

[Uwe]

There is no standard per se, only variations between subclasses. Pfaff built many subclasses (different versions) of this design. Depending on the subclass, the machine was fitted with two, one, or none of the springs blades across the top.  

[Hippie]

I have a Pfaff 141 and I cant get it to pickup the bobbin thread, I adjusted the hook timing and it still wont pick it up. 

Please can someone help?

I inherited this machine when my mom passed and I would like to use it

Thank You