Pfaff 545 - Tread Pickup Lever Lifting Product Up

[Kryptonite]

Hi Guys,

I have a beautiful low mile Pfaff 545 H3 that I final got hooked up to sew garment leather. I'm having a problem with the thread pickup level pulling the garment leather up about an 1/8+ inch at the end of it's stroke.  So when I am sewing along the edge of 2 layers of leather, this lift is enabling the needle to miss the top layer of leather on the downstroke, ruining my stitch.   The foot/presser timing seems to be good. The needle and the inside presser, and the feed dog hit the product at the same time. I checked my Consew 206RB-02 and there is just a hint of product lift. This to me says something on my Pfaff is not timed right. Can anybody shed some light on why the take up lever is pulling my product up?

I can post a video if needed.

Thanks,

Will in Central Florida

Edited November 2, 2018 by Kryptonite

[Pintodeluxe]

Looks like your foot pressure knob is backed off all the way.  You might try adjusting the black double knurled knob on top of the machine.  Unscrew it to increase foot pressure.

 

[Kryptonite]

There is plenty of tension on the pressers. My fault for not explaining myself very well. it is not that the presser are being lifted up as the thread lever pickup pulls the leather up an 1/8th of an inch. The pressers are ok, they are staying put. 

I think it best if I make a short video  

Thanks, Will

[Wizcrafts]

On 11/2/2018 at 5:28 PM, Kryptonite said:

There is plenty of tension on the pressers. My fault for not explaining myself very well. it is not that the presser are being lifted up as the thread lever pickup pulls the leather up an 1/8th of an inch. The pressers are ok, they are staying put. 

I think it best if I make a short video  

Thanks, Will

I think I Grok your problem. If the feet are staying put on the leather but the unsupported edge is lifting as the needle pulls out, the thread tension needs to be reduced. Lower both the top and bottom tensions to balance the knots. It also helps to tape or glue the layers together before sewing them. I use 3M Venture Leather Tape, or contact cement to secure lined items for sewing.

Another tweak is to attempt to cause the inside foot to stay down longer as the needle ascends. Sometimes this can be done by raising the lift of the inside foot vs the outside foot so it hits the top just after the needle. It will then lift later, as the needle exits. You may even be able to adjust the foot lift timing enough to keep the inside foot down until the needle is fully out. The theory is that the downward motion of the inside foot causes the outside foot to lift off the material and vice versa.

If that adjustment doesn't help, there may possibly be an internal adjustment the alters the lift ration of the two feet. Certain Singer 111 sub-models have an eccentric inside the head to vary the foot lift ratio. I have no experience with your Pfaff model.

[Kryptonite]

Thanks Wiz. I'm trying some of your suggestions.

[Uwe]

We'll need that video or at the very least some close-up photos that show how the leather is lifted. It's just a wild goose chase otherwise.

[Kryptonite]

Well I played with the tension and I can minimize the product lift a little but it still a problem and I am getting pissed. I have ruined 4 projects by going off the edge of a top layer.

As I see it, the take up lever is lifting too high or too late. The last inch of lever travel is pulling the thread taught, the thread releases a bit from the tensioner, and then the leather lifts up.

This to me suggests the timing of the upper shaft is too late. If I'm right, how can I check the timing?

This machine is so smooth I can see why the Pfaff is so highly regarded. I hope I can fix this.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Kryptonite

[Kryptonite]

I made a video

Edited November 6, 2018 by Kryptonite

[Kryptonite]

 

[Pintodeluxe]

I like Wizcrafts comments to lower upper and lower tension.  Did you decrease the upper thread tension and decrease bobbin thread tension too?  That makes sense to me as one fairly simple cause.  The take up lever is trying to pull thread, but tension somewhere in the thread path won't let it. 

I assume you're using a standard thread cone on the stand.  

[Wizcrafts]

I think that the lifting of the top layer may be controllable by adding more thread slack on the upstroke by adjusting the check spring travel and its position in the slot in the disks on the bottom of the tension disks. Shortening the travel adds more slack thread. Moving the position of the disks to the left and right fine tunes the slack. I adjust the check spring disks position to reduce the snapping as the top thread goes around the shuttle.

[kgg]

I think if you haven't changed the threading path of the thread from the photo the problem is when you threaded the top post tension pin in the second hole then going back up to the first hole before you then threaded the thread into the second hole of the second guide then went directly in the little circular tension guide just before the main thread tensioner.  When you threaded through the small circular guide did the thread click in place? Is there a large amount of tension on the thread after the thread passes through the small circular guide? I think you may have a top thread tension issue contributed to by the thread path before your main tensioner which may explain why there doesn't seem to be enough slack in the thread so the top thread is lifting the material to get slack.

 

kgg

[Kryptonite]

Ok thanks guys, I'll work with the suggestions and report back.

[chrisash]

To me it looks like either the timing of the hook is a bit late or the bottom tension is holding back maybe a nick on the hook and then suddengy letting go. i think the video shows the tension comming off the top until the check spring takes up the slack a nano second later as it should which makes me thing its the bottom end

Not a expert by anymeans 

Edited November 7, 2018 by chrisash