Sewing machines PMZ: description, types and instructions for use

For a long time, sewing machines PMZ were the main working tool of Soviet seamstresses. Once the plant was formed as a branch of the Zinger enterprise, and after nationalization it switched to the production of its own products. An overview of Podolsk machines with a manual drive allows you to get a fairly complete picture of the technical capabilities of such equipment. Among its obvious advantages are the ability to customize and adjust with your own hands, simplicity and trouble-free operation.

Operating instructions for old typewriters of the mechanical plant. Kalinin allows today to easily use mechanical sewing equipment. Of course, in terms of their technical data, they are much inferior to modern models. But most of the PMZ sewing machines today remain "in service" - they can quite successfully grind down the details of clothing and be used for its repair. So it's worth learning a little more about them.

The history of Podolsk sewing machines began at the beginning of the 20th century, when the Singer company decided to open its own enterprise on the territory of the Russian Empire. The plant was built under the leadership of the German manager Dixon and was put into operation in 1902. 11 years later, the enterprise already had a very respectable status - in a completely manual mode from original German spare parts, workers assembled 600,000 sewing machines annually. The popularization of home sewing was facilitated by the high quality of the products sold, as well as their sale by installments through a network of company stores.

After the 1917 revolution, the company was nationalized. For some time, equipment was produced from the remains of parts under the brand name "Gosshveimashina". Products bearing this logo were available from 1918 to 1931. Later, on the basis of the enterprise, the Podolsk Mechanical Plant was formed, since 1948 it received the prefix “im. Kalinin ". It was on it that the PMZ sewing machine began to be produced, considered completely Soviet development, but based on the same Singer machine.

Traditionally, it is believed that all the equipment of the plant was of a higher quality at the time when original Singer parts were used in its configuration. That is, if you look at the years of issue, these are 1902-1931. It is possible to decipher the production time of PMZ sewing machines by the serial number, if you know how to read it, but there is no single database. The easiest way is to navigate according to GOST standards - they correspond to certain periods of product release.

In 1932 the company received its own foundry. At the PMZ, they began to produce the parts of the bodies of household machines and the first industrial sewing equipment of the 31st class, cast in the USSR. The volume of iron casting reached 36,000 tons annually. Since 1935, the plant began to produce motorcycle equipment. During the Second World War, the enterprise was redesigned to manufacture ammunition bodies.

Production of sewing machines at PMZ resumed already in 1946 - in July a batch of 100 pieces of equipment rolled off the assembly line. But by 1957, the demand for these products in the household segment had dropped markedly. Instead of the planned batch of 3,000,000 units, it was necessary to cut the volume of machines produced to 1,200,000. It became clear that the enterprise could not do without cardinal changes. A lot of work was done, and a few years later, the first "Chaika" - a new sewing machine that met the requirements of the time.

How the device of PMZ sewing machines looks like is known thanks to the operating manuals. Their design necessarily includes:

• platform with base and legs;
• sleeve with reel core;
• flywheel;
• needle bar with thread guide;
• stitch adjustment lever with head screw;
• lever thread take-up with spring and regulator;
• washer required to tighten the threads;
• thread guide element;
• thread trimming element;
• foot and primitive fabric conveyor at the bottom;
• stitch plate;
• rod needle holder with clamping screw;
• front panel with adjusting screw;
• head screws for controlling the pressure of the foot, adjusting the stitching;
• coiler with spindle, pulley, latch, bobbin pin, bottom tensioner.

By the type of construction, machines equipped with different types of drives can be distinguished: foot, electric, manual. Depending on the side where the shuttle is looking, right-hand and left-hand models are distinguished (the latter are of later production). Electric cars are equipped with a special pedal and work much faster than manual cars.

All models are equipped with a shuttle with a central spool. The maximum sewing speed reaches 1200 rpm, the stitch length reaches 4 mm. The sewing equipment supports the creation of a straight seam, reverse stitching, and is equipped with a convenient travel switch. The package includes a basic working platform with dimensions of 37.1x17.8 cm.

The lineup includes the following options.

The most common model, almost completely corresponding to the Singer sewing machine. This option was widely used in school production plants and today you can find equipment in very good condition. In terms of power and other characteristics, the machine is not inferior to many analogues with an electric motor. "Podolsk 2M" is suitable for sewing thick materials, multi-layer products, natural leather. The only drawback is the limited list of available operations.

Electromechanical machine with a pedal, similar in appearance to modern options. Designed for sewing woolen, linen, silk fabrics, can sew in a straight line, zigzag, darn and embroider. The machine supports work with double-bar needles. This is the first full zigzag model produced by PMZ.

An improved model, functionally almost the same as the previous version. The design has become more perfect, the controls are ergonomic, the quality of the metal has improved.

Even if only an old car is available, it can always be customized and applied as intended. For an experienced seamstress, it will not be difficult to open the internal mechanisms in the stand, thread the thread into the shuttle, and adjust the presser foot. For a beginner, even a task such as having to insert the needle into the holder or adjust the free play of the flywheel can be a serious problem.

After a long downtime, as well as during intensive use, the rubbing parts of the Podolsk sewing machine need lubrication. Daily manipulations are carried out in all units of the mechanism. Hard-to-reach parts have special holes for filling in machine oil. To make the shuttle work properly, its guiding elements in the body of the mechanism are also lubricated, and to apply a composition to reduce friction on the hinge part of the needle bar, you will need to remove the front panel of the machine.

The intensity of pressing the material changes quite rarely. But in some cases it turns out to be necessary. Changing the factory settings is simple: you just need to turn the head screw. This is done in a counterclockwise direction, if you need to reduce the pressure, and along its course to increase it. Usually 2-3 turns are enough.

All PMZ machines can sew in the opposite direction or against the course. In order to activate the mode, you need to move the lever of the regulator that determines the stitch length on the front panel on the right up to the stop. To return to normal sewing, simply move it down.

The standard length of 1 stitch for a mechanical sewing machine is 1.5-2 mm. This will be sufficient for medium density materials. If the fabric is thinner, the sewing frequency should be reduced. For thick fabrics, it is recommended to increase this indicator to the maximum values.

Adjustment of the stitch length on the PMZ sewing machines is carried out in the range from 1 to 4 mm. The knob is located on the front panel and looks like a lever that moves up and down on a scale. The scale with numbers equal to the desired width parameters has a graduation of 0.5 mm, ensuring accurate control over the needle pitch.

The middle line separating the lower half of the regulator from the upper half delimits the reverse and forward switching. The fixing of the desired step width is carried out using a special head screw. It is loosened to move the adjuster and tightened when the desired position is reached.

The correct combination of thread and needle thickness with the type of fabric greatly affects the quality of the stitch being formed. Typically, for work on PMZ machines, needles are used No. 70, 80, 90, 100, 110... The higher the number, the thicker the tip. For threads, the numbering goes in the opposite direction - the thickest have No. 10, the thinnest - No. 90-100. In the instructions for the technique there is a summary table that determines the correspondence of the parameters of the needles and suture material.

In the case of the upper thread, it is adjusted with a screw on the spring device. For work it is imperative to lower the foot to the surface of the working platform... After that, you can use a screwdriver to increase the tension by turning the nut to the right, or loosen it by acting in the opposite direction.

You can adjust the bobbin thread freedom by removing the bobbin case from the holder. There is a special screw on the shuttle that can be turned to the right to increase the tension, and to the left to loosen it. In most cases it is not necessary to change the adjustment of the lower hook.

The instruction attached to the PMZ sewing machines tells in sufficient detail how to use this technique correctly. Among the main recommendations are the following points.

1. The rotation of the handwheel while sewing should be carried out only towards the master.... When changing direction, the threads in the hook can become tangled, creating a lot of additional problems.
2. When the machine stops sewing, be sure to raise the foot and leave it in this position. Do not leave the hold-down device in contact with the work platform.
3. Do not allow the machine to start without fabric under the presser foot.... This will simply cause the engine teeth to become dull. In addition, there is a risk of damage to the lower part of the foot.
4. When sewing, it is necessary to ensure that the natural advancement of the fabric is maintained. You cannot pull it, pull it - the needle will be broken.
5. The bias plate covering the shuttle compartment must be monitored during operation... In order to avoid damage to the mechanism, it is better to check the abutment of the cover.
6. When preparing to start sewing, match the upper and lower threads and then pull them away from the seamstress. The material is placed under the foot on the working platform, then the foot is lowered and when the handwheel shaft rotates, the needle pierces the fabric.

The mechanical structure of PMZ sewing machines allows you to do their own repairs. It is enough to understand the design features, operating principles of the equipment and disassemble, and then assemble the equipment will be quite easy. It helps to understand what basic malfunctions have to be dealt with most often. study of the main complaints of the owners of sewing machines.

Especially often, PMZ sewing machines with a zigzag stitch plate jam thin or elastic materials. The fabric is pulled into the stitch plate, damaged.

Among sewing defects, one of the most serious problems is skipped stitches. This type of seam violation provides for the presence of different types of breakdowns. The master is able to solve most of them on his own, without outside help.

The machine skips stitches if the engagement setting between the hook and the needle is violated. For example, if the gap between these elements increases more than 0.3 mm, the needle tip will move without touching the loop. The stitch will be skipped. Adjustment will help to fix the problem, during which you can use a magnifying glass. The procedure will be as follows:

• make sure the switch is on a straight line;
• remove the throat plate;
• dismantle the foot;
• turn the handwheel so that the needle moves to the lower position;
• adjust the gap to 0.15-0.25 mm.

If the upper thread is constantly breaking in the PMZ sewing machine, there can be many ways to solve the problem, as well as its sources. First and foremost, over-tightening the tension adjuster... If the spring is compressed too much, the thread will simply not be able to move freely. Incorrect assembly may also be the cause of the malfunction, especially if the tensioner with spring has been disassembled. It is enough just to carry out the dismantling again and check that all the elements are installed correctly.

A common cause of thread breakage is the use of low-quality threads. If they have obvious differences in thickness, problems will definitely arise during work. In addition, the needle and thread may simply not match the thickness and weight of the fabric.

For long-term operation, any sewing machine accumulates thread scraps, fabric fleeces inside. To remove them, you need to remove all parts that do not require complex dismantling. You can remove the foot, needle, throat plate, bezel and hook. A toothbrush is suitable for cleaning the mechanism inside. A clogged hook will prevent the machine from sewing normally and the needle will jam.

If the design of the manual drive has a backlash, dangles, the handle moves freely, you need to correctly adjust the mechanism. The sleeve screws are tightened first. They do it, carefully lubricating the elements through special holes.

On most sewing equipment like the Singer, the needle is installed so that so that the long thread groove points to the right... But you should not rely on this rule alone - in the earlier versions, the opposite position was also practiced. You can check which option is available by opening the shuttle compartment: when the handwheel is turned, the bobbin point is always on the side of the needle blade.

The following video will tell you about setting up an old sewing machine "Podolsk".