How to choose a belt for a sewing machine?

Nowadays it is extremely difficult to acquire or meet an old-style foot sewing machine. But still, some species, such as "Singer" or "Podolsk" are used in some families even now. Such an antique item is often inherited from grandmothers. And in the XX and XXI centuries, more modern models with an electric foot drive became known - for example, "The Seagull", "Podolsk 142", "Veritas" and many others. They perfectly cope with their task and work for many years without complaints from their owners.

At the same time, many machines, for example, Veritas produced by the German Democratic Republic (Germany), have in their arsenal a rotating shuttle that makes perfect stitches. Of course, the biggest advantage of foot options is the availability of free hands for work, which greatly facilitates the work of the tailor. But what if the car crashes? We will figure out how to choose, replace and pull the drive belt for the foot machine yourself.

It is one of the important spare parts for foot or drive sewing machines. Without it, the movement of the main shaft in the foot machine becomes impossible, since the pressure on the pedal drives the flywheel, and it, in turn, starts the entire mechanism. In electrical, this is the connection of the flywheel to the motor. Today you can find different materials from which the belt is made: leather, plastic, rubber or textiles. Plastic and leather are considered popular due to their strength and durability. Their variety is determined by the type of machine, they can vary in length, structure and shape.

Belts can be found such.

• Textured. It is used in electric sewing machines; it has the appearance of serrated, stepped elements located on the inside and outside.
• Leather. Designed for foot drive models. Connected by a metal bracket at the end.

It is worth considering a number of factors affecting the correct choice of belt for a sewing machine:

• temperature range of work;
• resistance to mechanical damage;
• noise at work;
• degree of extensibility;
• replacement method and care.

Paying attention to all these nuances, you can count on the long-term operation of the consumable and reliability under constant loads without losing the original properties. Pressed belt made of high quality leather suitable for foot sewing machines "Podolsk", "Tikka", "Seagull", "Lada", "Keller", "Veritas" and others. The belt is 185 cm long and 5 mm thick.

It is possible to purchase a belt according to individual size.

From constant use, the belt becomes unusable: it breaks or cracks, so it should be replaced in a timely manner. You can buy a new one at sewing parts stores or flea markets. However, the cost will be high, and sometimes it is replaced by a used one. In some species, the problem area is cut off and reconnected, but over time it simply is not enough.

To correctly replace the belt on a foot sewing machine, you should connect the ends so that they do not subsequently lead to rupture. We use a metal clip (bracket) for this, which can be purchased or made from steel wire 1 mm thick. It should be soft when bent. We cut small pieces from the belt at the ends. So that he was in a tense working condition, you should first try it on the wheels, and cut off the remnants of the skin with nippers. We moisten the ends of the skin in water so that they do not tear, and we press with the help of pliers.

Then on the front, smooth part we make a clear, even hole with an awl or any other sharp object. It should be at a distance of half the paper clip. We insert the bracket in one direction, bend it, straighten the belt so that it is not twisted, and put it on the mechanism. We pull on the wheels and make a mark for the location of the second hole. We make the second hole and connect each other, while there should be a small gap between the ends. Next, insert into the machine and let the tips dry. This compound is enough for a long period of use. In addition to staples, kapron threads or fishing line are used, stitching the ends together.

Insert the belt into the machine is not difficult - this is done on the upper flywheel and in the hollow on the bottom of the wheel. Insert and scroll. When tightening the belt, do not overdo it so as not to increase the load on the mating units and prevent their premature wear.

A weak tension increases the chance of a belt slipping off the wheel flywheel or slipping during operation. Fine tune with the touch of a finger to feel a slight slack.

Thoughtful tailors resort to various home methods and use clothesline, laces, braid, rubber, cut an old leather belt, but the rawhide belt is indispensable for proper operation. To make it from rubber, you should take a suitable piece and use a compass to draw 2 circles - external and internal. Then cut them out. In another case, a strip is cut out and fastened with a paper clip according to the basic instructions.

Using a tight nylon cord can return the machine to working condition. The diameter should be selected according to the connector on the flywheels (1 cm). We measure the desired size and cut, leaving a little space for singeing the ends, making them round for a neat and tight connection. We take a needle and a strong nylon thread, we sew everything without pulling the cord from the machine. The rope will not slip under normal tension, and the machine will cope with the task without problems.

Using leather pants or other material sometimes helps to cope with the task instead of the original. The cost of a high-quality leather belt for foot sewing machines starts from 550 rubles for 195 cm. Other types are cheaper, they can be purchased at a price of 200 rubles per 1 meter.

Instructions for connecting a leather belt for a sewing machine can be found in the video below.