ThayerRags

The Adler was, and still is, the “Cadillac of Sewing Machines” with the heavy sewer crowd. Genuine Adler parts demand a premium because of the German Engineering that went into them. That, and the fact that this model is one of the earlier models that takes some parts that had been made pretty much obsolete by new designs on the more recent Adler machines, so there’s getting to be less and less replacement parts.

Finding a parts machine is difficult, not to mention expensive. Owners hold on to them. I doubt that I could touch a parts machine for as little as $700, even if I could find someone willing to sell one.

CD in Oklahoma

oldsewnsew

I'd keep an eye for ya, but the shipping would be murder!!

ThayerRags

Some of the parts that I need for this Adler 205-64 have arrived, and I find that I have more work to do. I was hoping that the center hole of the bobbins would fit onto the tapered pin in my handcrank bobbin winder that I use for some of my other machines, but nope. So now I need to figure out a bobbin winder.

I dug out the surface-mount BW that came with the machine, and of course, its seized-up solid just like the machine was when I got it. So, I’ve got it soaking with oil now to see if it can be limbered back up again. And then, I’ll have to figure out a way to hand-operate it. Just like the machine, any modifications that I do to it can’t be something that I can’t “undo” if I ever want to power this unit with a motor again.

The belt wheel of the BW is plastic, so I think that I can easily drill a single hole next to the outer rim and mount a tiny knob on it to turn the wheel with thumb and finger. I’ve seen a YouTube video of one made for a similar machine by the Morris Sewing Machine Co. They sell a hand-operated-only machine like this for use with no power.

CD in Oklahoma

Limeystitch

Good grief, what a brute! I think that's the heftiest 'cylinder bed' I ever saw. Great find, I'm rooting for you!

kath

ThayerRags

Well, a lot has happened to my Adler 205-64 since my last post. I have it sewing today! Not bad stitches starting out, and it never missed a one! That lets me know that the hook is good (and without being able to try it before spending some major bucks, I was worried), so I’m a happy camper.

Here’s what is going on with my handcranked Adler 205-64 so far:

1. I went with using a suicide knob clamped onto the rim of the balance wheel as I said before. I think it will clamp tight enough to work without damaging the wheel or the knob. I’ll have to see how it holds up to heavy sewing. I put a piece of vinyl in the clamp to help with grip. It will need a counter-balance on the opposite side of the wheel to offset the weight of the knob (it’s a heavy one) so that the needle doesn’t come down when I’m not ready. I’m thinking rolls of pennies in thin rubber tubing tucked into the curve of the rim, but I’ll have to experiment.

2. Since I don’t have a suitable stand, I mounted the machine on the top of a fairly large toolbox. Without a motor to counter-balance the weight of the machine, I’m going to use tools in a cabinet instead. The toolbox has wheels under it too, so that’s important when you’re getting stove-up like I am. I’m always having to move my machines around in my small quarters. The two wheels that are pivot castors have locks on them, but I didn’t need them for my test-sewing.

3. I opted to forgo the replacement parts to the automatic tension release for the time being (it’s a money thing). I’ll just release the tension manually for now using a thumb and finger to spread the tension disks.

4. For winding bobbins manually, I’m using my handcrank bobbin winder. A piece of rubber vacuum hose on the unused small spindle (I don’t have any bobbins with that small of a center hole), along with the thickness of the thread laced through the center of the bobbin when I slide it on, makes a nice tight connection to turn the bobbin. I provide tension with my left hand as well as guide the thread wraps while I crank with my right hand. I could have done the first bobbin a little neater, but I was anxious and in a hurry.

5. My test-sew indicates that my top tension is too loose. The knot is just barely inside of the bottom side of the leather in my sample. I could catch the knot with my fingernail every once in a while along the stitchline, so I’ll be working on getting the tensions set better.

I think that most of my sewing will be making repairs in woven materials (mostly webbing), so before I go too far with tension settings, I’ll get a different test-sew sample. I’m using poly 277 in both top and bottom right now, and I’ve heard that some Adler 205 machines work better with a size smaller thread in the bobbin, so I’ll have to experiment. For repair work, I’d like to use the same size top and bottom. Here are photos of the orphaned Adler 205-64 as it looks now.

CD in Oklahoma

miriam

It feels good to win one doesn't it.
I like to put a piece of bicycle inner tube between the suicide clamp and the wheel - it is a problem where to stop the hand wheel. But if you want it to always stop with the needle up you can weight the knob accordingly. If you want the needle down - weight accordingly otherwise they have a mind of their own. Maybe you need a door stop to slide in there to park it.
Did you make that needle guard, buy it or did it come with the machine?

ThayerRags

Yes, I was very excited that it sewed right off, since I’d had a lot of things taken apart getting it limbered back up again.

I mounted the Necker Knob so that when the needle is completely up, the knob is at the top, and when the needle is down so is the knob. The knob will stay up, as long as it’s centered on top, otherwise, it will roll down one way or the other. It could function alright that way, but I still might counter-balance it for safety. Actually, having the added weight just on the down stroke may help with sewing on some things, but having additional weight in two places on the balance wheel could increase inertia like a flywheel, so either way will probably be a benefit.

The finger guard was on it, although it was bent all to heck and I had to straighten it. I got it bent back nearly to what it was originally, as far as I can tell.

I have to raise the foot with the lever intended for foot use, by reaching over the top of the machine and pushing the lever down with my hand. It’s not a hard push, just awkward. The parts that raise and lock the presser foot up by hand are damaged or missing, so I will be saving my pennies to get them back in order. With the limited use that I expect this machine to see, it may be a while before I have enough pennies. In the mean time, I may try rigging up a way to raise the presser by foot.

CD in Oklahoma

miriam

Maybe you can rig up a stick to hold it in place when you want the needle up.

ThayerRags

It hand cranks through 1/2” of webbing easy enough, if you start with the needle up and keep just a little momentum going. I’ll miss having both hands on the webbing straps, but it is workable.

CD in Oklahoma

SteveH

That is sooooo cool!