Tinker or Sew

Hi everyone,

I've recently adopted a Pfaff 230 with serial number dating her to 1956. No paperwork or dial-a-stitch guide, but most of the accessories are there, and just look at the machine! Despite 20 years sitting unused by the previous owner, the machine has cleaned up beautifully with little effort. One knob is still tight, but that's coming along and everything else appears to be moving smoothly.

But. (There's always a but...)

Update: Thanks! As I was writing this post, I tested the machine a few more times and it appears to be working! That's how good this group is -- just the threat of asking for help and the machine straightened up. I'm still going to share my story in case it helps others, and to see if anyone has advice on causes.
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The motor and I were having trouble. My first try after plugging the foot pedal/power cord, the light came on but nothing happened when I press the foot pedal. I assumed I'd need to replace the foot pedal as a first try, but things got interesting:

There is an extra outlet on the opposite side of the motor, which is where an (optional) knee pedal cord would plug in, according to the manual. No knee cord came with mine, although there is a knee pedal on the frame (not connected to anything).
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When I plugged a lamp into that outlet on the motor, the motor began to hum, and the motor tried to run the machine when I depressed the foot pedal. However, at that point, the machine was tight so I stopped and continued the oiling and clean-up. (The lamp I plugged in dimmed as the motor was trying to work so hard.)

I've got the machine back together, tried the same thing, and the motor would not engage to run the machine. There was still a hum when the lamp is plugged in (why would it hum?), but nothing beyond that.
Then I unplugged and plugged in the machine, the motor ran beautifully for a few seconds, then quit again (light still on, lamp light still on, just no rotation).

I've repeated that a couple of times, plugging and unplugging, and now we're at the point where the motor will run without anything plugged into the extra outlet. So... it's fixed! I'm guessing that the primary issue is with the connection to the power cord. The cord itself looks in great shape, although there is what looks to be a minor incomplete crack in the head.

Has anyone run into an issue like this before? I'm trying to figure out if it's just a loose cord / buy-a-new-foot-pedal issue, or a potential motor issue.

The motor honestly sounds fabulous, eerily so knowing that it sat unused for so long. I've not replaced motor brushes before, but I'm thinking this might be the machine on which I learn that skill. I can share my progress if anyone is interested, and I'm sure it'll be this site that helps me work on the motor. I've just joined to post in the forum, but have been reading for a long time and have many of you to thank for lots of knowledge!

Thanks! Happy tinkering!
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quiltedsunshine

I learned how to sew on my Mom's Pfaff 230. The only thing I can add is that the foot control isn't the original. That machine came with a cool, round foot control. It might be worth sliding off the bottom of the foot control to check the connections inside.

I also wonder if the belt may have been a little dried out, and maybe softened up as you were working with it. That might explain why you could hear it spinning but the machine wasn't moving.

It's a great machine!

Tinker or Sew

Thanks, Annette!

The picture of the round foot control in the manual is adorable. Sigh... This one says Made in the USA. I put the photo in because I figured the control might be part of the issue, and I was half expecting someone to say that this particular control was horrible, or something.

I did check the connections inside the foot and all looks OK. Still wondering if perhaps it's the connection at the machine. But as long as it's running, I'll just speak nicely to it...

How lovely that you learned on a Pfaff 230! I'm glad to hear you praise it. This machine has a particularly nice provenance, and it was just given to me by a stranger who wanted it used, not discarded, right when I needed a machine with zigzag abilities (the only other I have in this country is a straight-stitch only). Can't wait to get sewing!

quiltedsunshine

Yea, that particular foot control is pretty bad.

Sometimes we can bend a prong to make the connection to the motor better. But the white plastic on those old Pfaffs is quite brittle and breaks easily, so you have to be careful not to put any stress on that part.

Sometimes it's just a break inside the cord. In that case, we cut a couple inches off the end of the cord and re-wire it. You'll know where a break is by pressing the foot control and wiggling the cord. If you wiggle one end and it cuts out, you know that's where it is. You've got 4 spots that it could be.

I really doubt that it would be a motor problem. That's a well-made motor. Of course, if the previous owner sewed a whole lot, it's possible that the motor brushes could be worn out. But that's a pretty easy fix. It couldn't hurt to clean the armature if you're going inside the motor. That might help it move a bit quicker.

Tinker or Sew

Thanks, Annette, that's really helpful!

I'm going to tackle some urgent hemming and see how the machine performs and sounds. Then I'll try my hand at looking in the motor at the brushes..

leaha

oh my gosh that is just like the machine I learned to sew on, Daddy got it for mother and she and I took mother and
DD sewing class. Teacher was Norma, and I learned enough to sew all my cloths from then on. Class was the summer after my 6th grade. Our machine was in a cabinet and mother had it until she passed away. Made me a Phaffie for life, LOL