A find of a lifetime, a free Pfapp 130
04-11-2016, 11:58 AM
#12
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Colorado
Posts: 193
I love it when I have a project like this!
Done list:
Clean the petrified tape off the needle plate.
Clean bobbin hook.
Reshaped bobbin winder tension disk spring.
She's had tape on her bed for a seam guide. No biggie, I'm guilty of that minor sin myself. But this tape was looong past it's prime. Peeled the scotch tape off and found the crusty remains of what might have once, very long ago, been masking tape. Eew. Soaked the plate in soapy water to soften it enough to scrub off. Took two soaks but it's clean now.
While oiling her last night she suddenly wouldn't move through part of the stitch cycle. She'd move most of the way through, then just stop at this one section. I carefuly inspected everywhere but the bobbin hook race and stitch width adjuster because the screws stubbornly refused to move. Nothing. Since the movement didn't feel or sound crunchy (indicating hard, gear mangling crud) I figured the oiling knocked some thread into the works around the bobbin hook. The range of motion had increased as I was moving the handwheel durring the inspection so I just gently worked the handwheel back and forth until she could run through the cycle again so I could finish oiling, though she still had a hicup.
The next day (today) I got the bobbin hook screws loose and the hook and it's race were strangely clear of everything but oil and small traces of that hard-packed flat gunk machines tend to get. After I cleaned and oiled the area she still had the cycle hicup, even without the hook back in place. Then I noticed a new symptom: a quiet squeek. Squeek = not good, squeek = friction. Hunted it down to an alignment guide for the needle bar that I'd somehow missed oiling. Oil = no squeek and hicup mostly gone. Mostly. She does hesitate a bit at that same point in the cycle, at the slight pause where movement changes from moving the needle up to moving it down. That sort of problem is pretty common with machines so I think the catch in the cycle was a combination of that awkward movement change and lack of oil and/or some tiny bit of gunk in just the wrong spot.
The spring for the bobbin winder tension was bent and stuck out. It would work, but it'd also catch on something sooner or latter. The pin is pressed onto the post and doesn't come off, but the spring can be partialy pulled in front of the disks where it's easier to reshape. Squeezing the spring gently around and around to tighten the coil was a bit fiddly but only took maybe five minutes. When I put the spring back it cheerfully hid behind the disks in the no-sang-um zone.
Before, spring pulled forward
[ATTACH=CONFIG]547581[/ATTACH]
The coil of the spring doesn't just look bigger than the disks, it was. Also note how the end is far out and loose. Far out and loose is good for a vacation but not for a tension spring.
After, spring still forward
[ATTACH=CONFIG]547582[/ATTACH]
Coil now smaller than the disks and end overlaps with the coil, all tucked in and safe. Is it just me or does it look happier?
Done list:
Clean the petrified tape off the needle plate.
Clean bobbin hook.
Reshaped bobbin winder tension disk spring.
She's had tape on her bed for a seam guide. No biggie, I'm guilty of that minor sin myself. But this tape was looong past it's prime. Peeled the scotch tape off and found the crusty remains of what might have once, very long ago, been masking tape. Eew. Soaked the plate in soapy water to soften it enough to scrub off. Took two soaks but it's clean now.
While oiling her last night she suddenly wouldn't move through part of the stitch cycle. She'd move most of the way through, then just stop at this one section. I carefuly inspected everywhere but the bobbin hook race and stitch width adjuster because the screws stubbornly refused to move. Nothing. Since the movement didn't feel or sound crunchy (indicating hard, gear mangling crud) I figured the oiling knocked some thread into the works around the bobbin hook. The range of motion had increased as I was moving the handwheel durring the inspection so I just gently worked the handwheel back and forth until she could run through the cycle again so I could finish oiling, though she still had a hicup.
The next day (today) I got the bobbin hook screws loose and the hook and it's race were strangely clear of everything but oil and small traces of that hard-packed flat gunk machines tend to get. After I cleaned and oiled the area she still had the cycle hicup, even without the hook back in place. Then I noticed a new symptom: a quiet squeek. Squeek = not good, squeek = friction. Hunted it down to an alignment guide for the needle bar that I'd somehow missed oiling. Oil = no squeek and hicup mostly gone. Mostly. She does hesitate a bit at that same point in the cycle, at the slight pause where movement changes from moving the needle up to moving it down. That sort of problem is pretty common with machines so I think the catch in the cycle was a combination of that awkward movement change and lack of oil and/or some tiny bit of gunk in just the wrong spot.
The spring for the bobbin winder tension was bent and stuck out. It would work, but it'd also catch on something sooner or latter. The pin is pressed onto the post and doesn't come off, but the spring can be partialy pulled in front of the disks where it's easier to reshape. Squeezing the spring gently around and around to tighten the coil was a bit fiddly but only took maybe five minutes. When I put the spring back it cheerfully hid behind the disks in the no-sang-um zone.
Before, spring pulled forward
[ATTACH=CONFIG]547581[/ATTACH]
The coil of the spring doesn't just look bigger than the disks, it was. Also note how the end is far out and loose. Far out and loose is good for a vacation but not for a tension spring.
After, spring still forward
[ATTACH=CONFIG]547582[/ATTACH]
Coil now smaller than the disks and end overlaps with the coil, all tucked in and safe. Is it just me or does it look happier?
04-11-2016, 06:12 PM
#17
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Colorado
Posts: 193
I still have to figure out where it's going to go. We've been working on selling off and clearing out some of our stuff, then suddenly, a sewing machine cabinet. First world problems :\ Done list:
Clean the petrified tape off the needle plate.
Clean bobbin hook.
Reshaped bobbin winder tension disk spring.
Cleaned and oiled the stitch width adjustment.
Got the stitch width adjustment assembly apart. Turns out I had, ah, forgotten about the set screw at the base of the knob. *cough* All cleaned, oiled, and back together again now. Gotta thread her up and give her a test run!
Last edited by Freaky_Quilts_Dragon; 04-11-2016 at 06:22 PM.
04-11-2016, 06:18 PM
#18
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Colorado
Posts: 193
Of course the scary truth is there's no garanteed safe way to clean an antique sewing machine. What works or doesn't work on one may not on the next.
04-11-2016, 07:01 PM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: East TN
Posts: 2,857
Color me jealous on your find! I have bought two bargain Pfaff 130 machines and taken them to the OSMG, but he hasn't been able to make one working machine out of them yet.
That cabinet is really cool too. I like a lot of Pfaff's cabinets.
If you have never tried a knee controller before, you should definitely try it on this machine before you convert it to a foot pedal. I have one machine with a knee bar (Singer 503A) and I get much better control of speed, stop, and start with the knee bar than I do with foot pedals. You may find you prefer the knee controller.
Have fun with your new toy.
That cabinet is really cool too. I like a lot of Pfaff's cabinets.
If you have never tried a knee controller before, you should definitely try it on this machine before you convert it to a foot pedal. I have one machine with a knee bar (Singer 503A) and I get much better control of speed, stop, and start with the knee bar than I do with foot pedals. You may find you prefer the knee controller.
Have fun with your new toy.
04-11-2016, 07:13 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 534
This is a wonderful find for you. Enjoy! I have 2 machines waiting for me to learn how to refurbish, both acquired in the last month. Your machine looks beautiful & has me itching to start. Congratulations!
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