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Friday, August 29, 2014

Adler 187

Here's an interesting machine I picked up yesterday.




This is an Adler 187 made in W. Germany in the early 1950s.  I haven't done any research on this machine except glancing at a blog or two, so here goes:

Adler made these machines for only 3 years, 1950 - '52.  From what little I've been able to find out about it, I wouldn't classify this as a rare model; however, it's not common and parts can be difficult to find.  It's a zig-zag, which surprised me when I had a chance to see it in person.  From pictures I'd seen months ago (and the machine was in the distance in the ad for this machine), I assumed it was a straight-stitch, as most of the controls are in the bottom right and all I really saw is the vertical length lever.  Seeing it for the first time, I immediately thought of the Necchi BC with a bit of Singer 15 thrown in due to the tension/thread take-up on the nose plate.

It's heavy and heavy duty.  Most interestingly, this machine is built to run clockwise rather than the standard counterclockwise.  This means that the motor and shaft (which turn sympathetically like any belted machine) turn in the opposite direction of all other machines I own except rotaries which are friction-driven, the motor and shaft turning toward one another.  Odd.  The wiring is bad on this machine and must be replaced, so regardless of direction, it won't be turning except by hand in the near future.

Another interesting feature is the bobbin case/hook/race assembly.  The bobbins themselves are flatter than most, as is the case and are placed in a clam shell style housing whose door is then snapped shut which puts the bobbin into position respective to the needle.  In watching the movement, the distance between the needle and hook appear to be constant and thus the amplitude of the needle appears to be the diameter of the hook travel circumference, though I'm not certain.  

It came with a carrying case (not in good shape), a box of attachments (feet, bobbins, straight-stitch plate, manual, Adler oil can, guide/screw, etc.).


It also came with a rather cool mid-century style cabinet that is original with the machine, complete with both knee and foot pedals:



I did have to clean the machine pretty thoroughly, even a preliminary cleaning just to take decent pictures.  It was covered in an oil haze that resembled shellac and some of it was very difficult to remove.  I had to resort to the Necchi Solution: 90% kerosene, 10% sewing machine oil and I used very fine steel wool, a toothbrush, rags, etc.

For $40, I believe this was a good deal.  It needs work but my first impression is that this is a very well-made, heavy duty machine.  Looking underneath and seeing the various shafts and pins, this may very well be a semi-industrial machine, though it's small for anything other than domestic use.   

(Sorry for the lackluster pictures.  I'm getting used to my new cameras and have just cracked open the manuals.)

9 comments:

  1. Beautiful Adler. I have only seen one's like this online. They are built like tanks. Great find!

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  2. Hi, Wil. In giving this thing an exterior (and partial interior) cleaning, I'm amazed at how it was machined. There are several joint enclosures that are impressive and the bias can't be more than 1/32nd of an inch in some spots. Even with a thick oil varnish, it was still smooth. I can't wait to get it to 100%. I may even post a short clip. Stay tuned!

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  3. I made a video on my 187, feel free to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLe4m8GgvQc

    Sounds like you've done your research on the machine. Enjoy it!

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  4. Thanks for the url to your very good video; you've explained the machine extremely well. It's a pleasure to listen to someone who is excited about something that I agree is very cool. (:

    I also have another 187 that is the older version with the paddle-style length lever and a bobbin winder the size of a Wonder Wheel. (What were they thinking?)

    I seem to remember you mentioning that you're in the Bay Area (?). I remember seeing a fairly rare Anker machine for sale on CL a few weeks ago near Hayward. (I only know this because I was looking for info on my Anker/Free-Westinghouse and this other machine was one of the search results.) It looked fantastic and the price was only $70 including the desk. Just a heads up!

    Thanks for commenting. Stop by anytime!

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  5. Hi! I just acquired a 187 Adler and have been trying to find info on it. Have you found out any more information on this machine that you would be willing to pass on? Thanks!

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    1. Thanks for commenting and congratulations on a really fine machine. If you look above through the comments, there is a video recommendation posted. I highly recommend it, as it covers most of the information you'll probably need. It's a unique machine (main shaft rotates clock-wise, for example) and some of the parts can be hard to find (bobbins and bobbin case). Good luck!

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  6. What did you end up doing with this machine

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    1. I still have it. I just took it out of the case two days ago to check the bobbin size/shape for a friend. What a great machine.

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  7. Thank you for the nice pictures. I have a question about the mentioned knee lever inside the cabinet:
    By examine my Adler 187 and comparing it with my Pfaff 138 I realised that there seems to be the posibility to add a knee lift lever with the Adler. You can see a little hole in the ground plate just on the back right side of the ground plate, at the left corner of the right pillar of the machine. Also there is a screw thread at the back of the machine besides the ADLER writing.
    Could you please show some more pictures of the knee lever in the cabinet? This would be a cool feature on an Adler: Put a strong engine under the sewing table and you would have a little baby Pfaff 138 :-)

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