DIY sewing machine repair at home

Sewing machines do not lose their popularity even in the twenty-first century. Those who were born in the Soviet era remember that from childhood girls were taught to sew various things, from gloves to jackets and coats.

During the Soviet era, most people did their own sewing machine repairs. Even today, those who attend sewing and sewing courses understand that it is better to repair a sewing machine on their own than to take it to a service center:

• Firstly, companies that repair sewing machines demand quite a lot of money from their customers for the services they provide.
• Secondly, the device of even modern machines can be figured out in a matter of hours, one should only carefully approach this issue, and in the future this will allow repairing sewing machines without involving third parties.

Let's take a look at the basic rules for operating sewing machines:

• Sewing equipment should not be placed near batteries or heaters. But at the same time, it should be in a dry room, in which there are no signs of dampness;
• Before starting work, it is necessary to select the necessary materials and tools, needles and threads that will be needed in the process of work;
• Before you start sewing, you need to make sure that the needle and thread guide are in the up position;
• Remember that the sewing machine must be helped at the time of sewing by pulling the fabric towards you;
• After the sewing work is finished, raise the presser foot and pull out the fabric. Next, cut the thread, having found a free end in advance, the length of which will be equal to a maximum of seven, but at least five centimeters.

There are rules and they must be followed. The use of quality materials and additional tools minimizes the occurrence of problems and malfunctions when working with sewing machines. Therefore, the following reasons, which led to malfunctions, are the most common:

1. Broken thread. Breakage can occur both with the upper and lower threads. In the first case, the problem is associated with the selection of low-quality threads or the size of the needle is not correctly selected. In the second case, the problem of a malfunctioning sewing machine may be associated with irregularities, the presence of burrs in the bobbins, and with improper winding of the thread.
2. Problems with advancing the fabric. If such a problem arises, you need to carefully look at the position of the teeth. If they are lifted up or lowered to the bottom, then it is required to bring them to a normal state;
3. Cutting through the fabric. If such a problem arises, in order to fix the machine, we need to reduce the pressure of the presser foot, and check the condition of the needle, it may be too dull.

The above problems are not serious, and are eliminated in a matter of minutes. But there are some types of problems that do not occur very often. Therefore, repairing sewing machines with your own hands, if they occur, will take a lot of time.

The most difficult, most serious breakdown should be considered the appearance of a knock when the sewing machine is running. To solve this problem, it is necessary to pull the flywheel several times, and do this in accordance with the axial direction of the machine.

In order to repair the sewing machine, it must be disassembled. We disassemble the sewing machine in the following sequence:

1. Remove RP (manual drive).It is necessary to remember its location, this will allow you to subsequently assemble a sewing machine in a short period of time;
2. Unscrew the stopper from the nut, which is a classic screw. It is under a manual drive, at the time of assembly it must be screwed back to its original location;
3. Remove flywheel. This must be done carefully, avoiding damage to it, in case of a malfunction of the flywheel after assembling the machine, you need to see if everything is in order with it;
4. Remove the bobbin that looks like a taper. It is located below, after the flywheel. Finding it will not be difficult;
5. Remove the bushing from the shaft base;
6. Slide a tin washer onto the shaft. It is very simple to make such a washer, just cut out the bottom of a tin can.

The washer in 40% of cases is a guarantee of high-quality performance of work using a sewing machine. Sometimes adding it to the typewriter is enough to solve the problem, but this does not always happen. When adjusting the operation of sewing machines, in 60-70% of cases, it is necessary to turn the rail 180 degrees.

The needles are the basic elements that make the sewing machine work. Its further work depends on which needle is chosen. If a defective needle is selected, then the occurrence of the above problems is not a rare case, because the needle is the basis, and without it it is impossible to sew a single thing.

Therefore, when choosing a needle, you must carefully consider its size and thickness. You also need to check the needle numbering if you are doing any complicated sewing work, otherwise it may happen that the thing does not turn out the way you imagined it earlier.

There is another problem in which the wrong choice of a needle can lead to stretching and damage to the tissue. If the needle is too thick and the fabric is thin, then you cannot use the needle with such fabric, otherwise it will break.

Using too thick fabric with a small needle may break the needle. In order to sew something from a compacted fabric, you need to choose a thicker needle, if it is not available at home, then go to the store and purchase it. Before doing this, measure the thickness of the fabric in advance - this will allow you to choose a needle in the store in a shorter time, you will need to tell the seller the thickness of the fabric, and he will independently select the needle of the size you need.

Moscow and Moscow region

Repair of Veritas sewing machines at home in Moscow and the Moscow region.
Departure is free.
Experienced craftsmen.
Inexpensive
Please contact.
Veritas sewing machines have a long history, dating back to the days of the GDR. In the Soviet Union, they were considered one of the most reliable and high-quality cars, along with such well-known brands as Singer and Bernina. Unlike domestic sewing machines Chaika, Podolsk, etc., Veritas machines have an improved design, more precisely fitted mechanisms and assemblies, more operations, and most importantly, some models use a vertical double run-around shuttle. Such a shuttle is already a semblance of a shuttle for industrial sewing machines, it works much more efficiently, quieter, with less vibrations, and the stitching is much better.
After 1991 and the “reunification” of the GDR, Veritas stopped producing sewing machines and spare parts for them, making it increasingly difficult to find original parts. Currently, the Veritas brand has restructured and launched the production of modern sewing machines.

The masters of our service make adjustments, preventive maintenance and repairs regardless of the release time of the Veritas sewing machines. We have spare parts for old sewing machines from the GDR.

For more information about the cost of repair services for sewing machines Veritas and other brands, see PRICE LIST

The frequency of lubrication depends on the degree of use of the machine. After long periods of inactivity, the machine must also be lubricated.The hook, like the heart of the sewing machine, should be periodically lubricated with 1-2 drops of oil. Use only sewing machine oil. Our technicians will lubricate for free when performing major repairs.

From time to time you need to remove the stitch plate and use a brush to clean the feed conveyor from dust and sewing residues. Ignoring cleaning may result in poor tissue advancement. For details on cleaning and lubrication, see the instructions. Our craftsmen will perform a complete (in all inaccessible places) cleaning of the sewing machine, as well as clean the mechanical units from oxidized grease. All these cleaning procedures are free of charge when performing major repairs.

Maintenance. Prevention.

You can order the preventive maintenance of the Veritas sewing machines from us, especially since this should be done by professionals. Prevention includes cleaning, lubrication, pulling mechanical units, cleaning from lubricant oxides, rust, etc. Prevention of sewing machine is free of charge when performing major repairs. The prices are indicated in the price list.

Compliance with the rules of operation

Many sewing machine malfunctions arise precisely from improper operation. To avoid such troubles in the operation of the machine, manufacturers print instructions, so you need to read them before any breakdowns occur.

You should not risk your sewing machine trying to repair it yourself & shyly - you better trust the professionals who will make the repair with high quality
and at reasonable prices.

You can monitor the cost of sewing equipment repair services on the Internet and believe me, you will be pleasantly surprised that our prices will be one of the most attractive for you.

Enter in the appropriate fields of the form your Name, phone number, as well as the actual short text of the message with the described malfunction, and you can be sure that the operator will call you back in the nearest free time.

Moscow, st. Sormovskaya 3 bldg. 2
Moscow, 4th Vyatsky per., 16 building 1
Moscow, st. Builders 11

+7 (495) 745 27 44
+7 (985) 478 07 99

Complex repairs of sewing machines related to the adjustment of units and mechanisms can only be performed by an experienced master. But such repairs are rarely performed, only when a part breaks down at the sewing machine and needs to be replaced with subsequent adjustment.
Most often, the sewing machine starts to “play up” if the rules of its operation, specified in the instructions, are violated or if simple settings and adjustments are not followed.

The main reason leading to a sewing machine malfunction is sewing fabrics that are not intended for this sewing machine model. Sewing a double hem on jeans, replacing a zipper in a leather jacket or bag, etc. - this is the main reason for the appearance of gaps in the stitch, thread breakage, needle breakage. Sometimes this can even lead to a breakdown of the sewing machine, subsequent complex repairs associated with the replacement of parts.

This article provides basic recommendations on how to set up and perform a simple DIY repair of a sewing machine.

Oddly enough, but it is the needle that is the most important part of the machine. During its “life” it makes thousands of punctures in the tissue and is not always light and thin, so sooner or later the needle point becomes dull, and the needle itself bends. And if at least once the needle hits the metal part of the machine body, the tip will bend in the literal and figurative sense of the word.
However, do we pay attention to this? The needle seems to be intact, so everything is fine. But take a magnifying glass and look at its point, its blade will be bent to one side. How would such a point pierce the tissue? Only one way is to break it.

Now let's see how such a needle will form a stitch.
The thread passing through the eye of the needle will catch on the curved point and “slow down”, creating excess upper thread in the stitch. Here is the first reason the loops appear in the stitching.Moreover, the curved tip will cause periodic thread breakage, especially in difficult to sew areas, when the upper thread is extremely stretched.

It turns out that sometimes the whole repair of a sewing machine consists only in replacing the needle.
Treat the needle with great care. Even if it outwardly has no blade defects and is not bent, try to change them more often anyway.
You do not need to throw out the used needles, as there are situations when the needles break one after the other, for example, when sewing a leather bag. Then remember about the jar with old needles.

Another reason for adjusting the sewing machine, especially the old manual machines such as Singer or Podolsk, is the incorrect insertion of the needle into the needle bar. The needle blade (fig. B) should be on the side of the hook nose. Remove the stitch plate and see if this is the case if the machine suddenly begins to twist and break the thread.

It often happens that a seamstress installs a needle from an industrial sewing machine into a household sewing machine. It is impossible to confuse a household needle with an industrial needle. A household needle has a special cut on the flask (Fig. B). But, nevertheless, it is the industrial types of needles that are installed. This absolutely should not be done. Firstly, you break the gap between the hook point and the needle blade, hence the gaps in the stitches, and secondly, you risk damaging the sewing machine hook. Some commercial needles are noticeably longer than household needles and may touch the surface of the hook, scratch it or even damage the hook.

Figure (A) shows a diagram of how to check the curvature of the needle. Externally, the needle cannot be determined whether it is a curve or not, and if you put it on the glass (2), you can easily check the gap (1). Please note that an uneven, bent needle will cause gaps in the stitching and will break sooner or later.

To make the sewing machine “more confident” to work with fabrics that are difficult to sew, such as knitwear, stretch, thin natural and artificial leather, denim, needles are produced for sewing just such fabrics and materials. They have a special point shape and make it easier for the thread to pass through the fabric, almost eliminating skipped stitches and looping of the upper thread.
See Home sewing machine needles.

The thread looping in the stitching, as well as the characteristic knock during their operation, is perhaps the main difference between sewing machines with a zigzag, such as Chaika, Podolskaya 142 of all models. In short, the looping in the stitching occurs due to uneven tension of the thread along its path: broken compensation spring, rusty sole of the foot, incorrectly set shuttle, etc. However, it is impossible to set many parameters yourself without experience. Therefore, if you have a poor quality stitch, pay attention first of all to the condition of the needle, to the tension of the lower thread in the bobbin case, and whether the upper thread tensioner is working properly. Very often, children like to disassemble and assemble it, and after such a repair, the machine stops working.

It is sometimes necessary to repair the sewing machine Chaika quite often, and this is not due to the breakdown of parts, the parts are just very strong, but with the misalignment of the interaction of some units of the sewing machine, mainly the shuttle move.
Almost all of these tips for repairing a sewing machine Chaika can be used for other models of household machines.

First of all, check the nose of the shuttle with a magnifying glass; it should not have any chipping or rusty spots. If there are jags, they must be removed with a small file and polished to a shine, otherwise the thread will constantly linger behind the file marks and loops will appear below. Only this must be done carefully so as not to blunt the tip of the shuttle nose.

Sometimes the bobbin (the bobbin thread is wound around it) can cause repairs to the sewing machine.Yes, it is repair, since an inexperienced "master" often disassembles and assembles all the units, when it is enough to simply replace the old metal bobbin with a new plastic one. If the edges of the metal bobbin are jagged and the bobbin case itself is clogged with thread fleece, the bobbin thread will come out in jerks and the upper thread in the stitching will periodically loop from below.

Often the reason for contacting a sewing machine repairman is that the upper thread is poorly regulated. You are tightening it almost completely, but the tension is still too weak. Look, perhaps, between the tensioner plates, thread fluff has accumulated, which prevents the washers from fully squeezing. The fastening of the tensioner (Chaika) may have loosened.

But still, most often, sewing machines such as the Seagull have a malfunction in the parameters of the shuttle and the needle. This is a complex type of repairing a sewing machine, more precisely setting, but for general information it is advisable to know the main reason due to which all the "troubles" of sewing machines occur.

The most common cause of a sewing machine malfunction is the upper thread. Thread breakage, looping in a stitch, uneven stitching, skips, etc. This often depends on the upper thread tensioner.
It is the fastening of the tension regulator (Seagull) that most often causes its poor performance. The plastic body is pressed under the pressure of the screw and over time the tensioner begins to stagger, or even completely "falls out" of the body.

In this photo, arrows indicate the attachment of the needle bar and tensioner. When sewing rough fabrics, intersecting seams on leather goods, and especially when hemming jeans, the needle bar may move upward with the needle.
Loosen the screw slightly and adjust its position, making sure that the blade and needle groove are in the correct position in relation to the hook (not turning left or right).
For details on how to disassemble and assemble the sewing machine tensioner, see the article "The device of the sewing machine tensioner Chaika".

Adjusting the shuttle mechanism of sewing machines performing zigzag stitching by Chaika, Podolsk, Veritas and others implies setting the position of the looper point above the needle eye by 1.2 (3) mm at the moment the looper point approaches the needle. This parameter is checked when the sewing machine sews not only the straight stitch, but also the left and right needle drop (when sewing the zigzag stitch).
The point of the shuttle must at the same time pass almost closely to the blade of the needle - this is the second condition that allows you to form a stitch without gaps.

In this photo, the arrow indicates the fastening of the shuttle shaft. Loosen the screw with a 10-point wrench, and holding the handwheel by hand, you can turn the shaft (together with the shuttle stroke) by adjusting the position of the hook point in relation to the needle.

However, these are not all of the parameters for adjusting the interaction of the hook nose and the needle. There is such a parameter as the timeliness of the approach of the shuttle nose to the needle, namely at the moment when the needle starts to rise. The needle descends to the lowest point, and when raised by 1.8-2.0 mm, it should meet the nose of the shuttle, the shuttle removes the loop from the needle and wraps around itself.

But that's not all. For sewing machines performing a zigzag stitch, there is such a thing as right and left needle prick. With the left and right prick of the needle, the nose of the shuttle should “confidently” remove the loop formed above the eye of the needle. It should run slightly above the eye of the needle, but less than the distance of the eye of the needle itself, about 1 mm.

However, such adjustments are often not required to be performed, it is enough just to check with a magnifying glass how the shuttle interacts with the needle and make sure that repairs, adjusting the sewing machine are not needed, and look for another reason. For example, change the threads, thread them correctly, change the needle, clean the shuttle from dust and fleece, etc.
To make it easier for you to repair the sewing machine, disassemble the shuttle move and study its device. Observe how the stitch is formed when the stitch plate is removed. At the same time, check all the shuttle settings described above. See also How the sewing hook works.

The settings above can be used as a guide if you decide to repair your sewing machine yourself. As a rule, the machine will work normally with such gaps, but if you need to sew knitted fabrics that are too thin (silk) or, on the contrary, thickened fabrics, you need a more accurate adjustment of these parameters, which can only be set by the master.

In many cases, sewing machine repairs will not be necessary as long as the sewing machine is kept clean and lubricated periodically. If a seamstress takes care of her machine, then, therefore, she will protect it from overload during work, not let it into the “wrong” hands, which means that the sewing machine will break less often.

After prolonged operation, clean the bobbin compartment and other accessible places from dust, fleece, oil stains. The shuttle itself and the shuttle mechanism should be periodically cleaned with a stiff hair brush. It is advisable to lubricate the machine at least once every six months, and after lubricating it a little “idle” on it, especially if the machine is not used for a long time. During operation, the oil heats up slightly and penetrates better into units and places of friction.

It is better to draw machine oil into a medical syringe and bury it in small drops in accessible places where there is friction of metal parts.

The big enemy of all mechanisms is dirt and rust, try to keep the car in a cool, dry place. If the machine will not be used for a long time, protect it from dust, otherwise the oil from the dust will harden, and the machine will turn tightly, or even jam. This case is considered in the article Podolsk Manual Sewing Machine.

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We sew knitwear without gaps and looping
Many who tried to sew knitwear on an ordinary sewing machine noticed that the machine often refuses to make a beautiful and even stitch. There are gaps in the knitted stitching, the lower thread loops and sometimes breaks. Why is this happening and how can you fix it?

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For those who rarely sew simple products or occasionally perform minor repairs on clothes, you can buy an inexpensive economy-class sewing machine. It performs almost all operations, is easy to operate, and most importantly, for such a machine, it will be cheaper to build repairs if suddenly it is needed.

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The overlock is much more complex than sewing machines. It is almost impossible to repair an overlock without special knowledge and skills. However, repair or adjustment is not always required, sometimes it is enough just to adjust the thread tension and it will again overcast the fabric with high quality.

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Before starting your own sewing machine repair, take the trouble to inspect the needle. The seamstress's friend is badly crooked, dull, rusty. Possible negative effects. Friction at the edge of the needle hole, thread chafing, bumps, skipping stitches, pulling the fabric under the table. There are the usual signs of a disordered mechanism; there is an incorrect mutual position of the needle, shuttle, and toothed strips. Setting up will sometimes require serious plumbing operations. You should think seven times when starting to repair household sewing machines with your own hands. By the way, the crooked needle causes the seam to lead. More often than not, there is only one prerequisite - improper handling of the product! Beware of pulling the fabric out from under the foot to the left, towards you, pulling while sewing. Leads to damage to the needle, therefore, the standard cycle of the sewing machine is disrupted.

Nonche sewing machines are divided into groups:

• straight stitches are embroidered with straight stitches, two threads, lower and upper;
• a simple zigzag, the trajectory of movement twists in a zigzag;
• full zigzag, the ability to shift the needle to the side relative to the center;
• full zigzag with decorative, embroidery stitches.

Manual, foot, electric drive. Repair of sewing machines, overlocks does not depend too much on the type of energy. The principle of operation is the same for two centuries. The shoe repair sewing machine is more powerful and durable.

Repairing electrical sewing machines will require basic knowledge of electrical engineering. The mechanical part of the products is similar.

Much attention is paid to the distance between the needle and the nose of the shuttle. The parts should not touch. The normal distance is 0.1-0.5mm. The wider the needle travel restrictions created by mechanical parts, the greater the distance. It will be a mistake to think that incorrect machine settings will cause inoperability. The offset is negative - the needle will hit the shuttle, dull, the consequences are described. It is not easy to notice: mechanical and electric sewing machines are noisy.

The disease is treated with foil. It will be necessary to put thin metal in several layers, laying the right place for the shuttle body fastening, tilting the assembly of parts in the required direction. It is possible to reduce the positive mismatch, to neutralize the negative. The situation is much more complicated if the needle and the shuttle are incorrectly positioned relative to each other. Various negative effects interfere, the sewing machine will refuse to work normally. Specific offset numbers are determined by the product brand.

For example, carrying out the repair of old sewing machines Chaika 132 M class. PM3, follow the figure below. The clearances are maintained as follows:

1. Needle centering - L = V. Adjusted by the bracket of the needle bar frame.
2. Longitudinal alignment as shown. Adjustable with the straight stitch adjustment lever.
3. Zigzag position K = M. Adjust by moving the needle bar frame to the desired side.
4. The distance between the hook and the thread guide plate is 1 mm. Adjusted by offset of the shuttle travel body.
5. The gap between the teeth of the bevel gears is 0.05 mm. If necessary, the shaft is shifted to the desired side.
6. The clearance between the shuttle and the follower on the shaft is 0.3 mm at the end and beginning of the stroke. If necessary, the ends of the pusher are bent carefully so as not to break.
7. They talked about the needle, the nose of the shuttle. The gap is 0.05-0.1 mm. It is regulated by turning the body or by foil.
8. The needle in the down position should be 3 mm below the hook point with the left bevel of the zigzag. It is regulated by mutual rotation of the shaft and gear near the crank mechanism.
9. The needle in the down position is 1 mm below the hook nose with the right zigzag tilt. Adjusted by vertical displacement of the needle bar.
10. A distance of 0.05 mm is maintained between the shuttle and the locking ring.If necessary, the shuttle travel body is milled to the desired parameters.

At the sewing machine Seagull 2 ​​cl. PM3 the situation looks different. Problem: The instruction manuals do not indicate how to set up the sewing machine. The most difficult case - no adjustment means are provided. Happens on hand sewing machines. The needle goes too far from the nose of the shuttle, touches steel parts, it is difficult to make improvements. Often it is required to mill the body to fit the shuttle stroke, the bed for correct mounting. Nothing bad can be said about the products of the Podolsk plant, manual sewing machines gradually bore obstacles, sew, ignoring the wrong setting.

They say that when the Beatles played in Hamburg, they were not known, one of them said about Germany:

• But they lost the war!

The standard of living of the Germans was then high. Today we meet Veritas sewing machines produced in the 50s. The 8010 model with a foot drive costs 2,000-7,000 rubles. The tapered body of the shuttle stroke is attached to the trunnion tip with a locking screw. It is worth noting a bobbin case, a shuttle that resembles the design of a Seagull.

Even for those who do not require repairs, setting up the 8010 sewing machine can take note of one reconstruction method that improves the quality of sewing. The process concerns the ascending and descending threads, in the original version they pass too close, overlap. Remove the thread guide bracket near the compensation spring, loosen the spring, setting it so that it works on the left of the regulator from bottom to top to open it. For reliable operation, an additional 0.5 mm thick can also be added to the regulator washers.

Home sewing machine repairs Veritas 8010 often involve a broken presser foot spring. Retract parallel to the lever plate. Modify the rod. The top is sewn at a 45 degree angle on the outside left side. The part folds to the left so that it enters the presser foot lifter in the center. After the sewing machine can be used again.

A known problem with the Veritas 8010 is the improper shape of the thread guide. As a result, the thread runs at a 30-degree angle, although it should run parallel to the groove of the needle. Bend the thread guide out of the steel wire. Place 8 mm lower so that passes from the back to the left side. As a result, the beginning of the buttonhole will be positioned directly opposite the groove of the needle.

If it is necessary to adjust the relative position of the needle and the shuttle, it is recommended to remove the tapered pin, and the pusher to fit on the shaft by means of two screws. You will need to grind the transverse fasteners flush, cut the threads on the crank. Next to the pin, a screw without a head is screwed in with an M4 thread, a second similar one (by cutting off the head) put next to it in the vacant hole, having previously cut it with a tap. It is necessary to ensure easy pressing of the crank onto the shaft due to the correct turning of the pin, which remains inside flush with the shaft. As a result, the connection becomes adjustable. By the way, the design is used in many sewing machines of the Podolsk plant, which produced the first Singer (Singer). Adjustment of the mutual position of the needle and the shuttle is required, use the method to your health.