The quality of sewing products depends on the proper operation of sewing equipment. Ideal overlock and machine stitches can only be when the threads are correctly threaded and their tension is adjusted in the sewing unit system.
Overlock is an overcasting machine that makes the edges of products attractive and prevents threads from falling off. In skilled hands, this equipment will become a real helper and will allow you to sew high-quality clothes at home, no worse than those presented on the market and in fashion stores today. However, to get started, you should carefully study the basic rules so as not to make mistakes and not spoil either the fabric or the unit.
Documents to help the user
As a rule, in the manual for any equipment there is a manual describing the basic operating rules that help not only to use the device correctly, but also to carry out maintenance measures. But what to do if this document is lost, how to fill a three-thread Chinese overlock without a user manual? The signs directly on the body of the sewing equipment will help here. But if they are absent, you just need to understand the principle of operation of the unit, and then difficulties with refueling will not arise even with a sufficiently long downtime.
Why are there three and four threads in the overlock?
To understand how to refill the Chinese (three-thread) overlock, the instructions for which are lost, and the marks on the case are erased, you need to understand why exactly three threads are needed for work and how it differs from the four-thread unit. So, the difference in the number of needles. The threads of the simplest overlock are used for the upper and lower looper, as well as for the needle. In more expensive equipment (four-thread), two needles are installed, therefore, the number of coils increases.
The principle of operation of this sewing machine is the coordinated interaction of the fabric feed regulator under the knife, where the fabric is cut and immediately processed by loopers, the threads of which are intertwined with a straight line sewn with a needle. Three-thread overlock is intended only for overcasting, while with two needles you can safely sew knitted fabrics without the participation of a sewing machine.
It should be noted that threading both cheap and expensive models is almost identical, because they work on the same principle of weaving loopers with a needle. And this means that this description is suitable not only for threading a three-thread overcasting machine, but also for a more advanced four-thread model.
Way for needle thread
So, how to fill the Chinese three-thread overlock? The installation instructions for the coil designed for the robot needle assembly are as follows:
- the skein is mounted on the holder and the edge of the thread is raised to pass through the hole of a special tripod;
- sinking down to the overlock, the thread should go through the hole for fixing in front of the tension regulator;
- further along the special grooves it passes to the feed lever or a special hook;
- without fail, along the way to the needle, the thread should be fixed in all hooks so that it does not get confused during work;
- at the very least, the edge of the thread is threaded into the needle.
What are loopers?
Overlock 3-thread is a very convenient device for processing product sections. At the same time, this unit cuts off all irregularities, making the edge perfect, and gently sweeps it. It loopers play the role of sweeping elements. So that the stitch is even and the seam does not seem to be overtightened or twisted, close attention should be paid to laying the thread in the grooves of the unit.
Upper looper path
While the thread to ensure that the seam is laid with a needle passes through the grooves on the surface of the body, the thread of the upper looper is hidden behind a special overlock cover. This allows you to work on sewing equipment and not be afraid that the processed fabric will tangle the thread or break. So, what manipulations should be done for the upper looper and how to fill the Chinese three-thread overlock? The instructions for securing the top trim element are as follows:
- the thread is mounted on the holder, raised to a tripod and lowered to the tension regulator;
- thread the thread into the groove on the case and bring it to the panel with hooks under the overlock cover;
- then fix the thread on all the upper hooks and thread through the looper hole.
Path for the lower looper thread
In order for the entire system of weaving threads along the edge of the product to work, it is necessary that all three threads are threaded correctly. Otherwise, the line will not work. The description of how to thread the three-thread overlock for the lower looper is almost identical to the upper. Here it is also necessary to install the thread on the holder, draw it on a tripod and voltage regulator, fix it in hooks so that the threads do not intertwine and are not tangled, and bring them into a special hole.
If you understood the principle of work, then there will be no problems with the question of how to properly fill a three-thread overlock. It is enough to understand that for proper weaving along the cut it is necessary that the threads are sufficiently stretched. It is tension that plays a decisive role here.
How to replace thread color in overlock?
The tension of the threads in the overlock system plays an important role. If it is insufficient in the needle, then ugly loops will form on the seamy side of the seam. If the thread is not tight enough in the loopers, then the edge will not be perfectly flat, and the seam will be sloppy.
Given such subtleties, it’s immediately clear why changing the color of the thread is so scary for many beginners working with overlock. However, everything is somewhat simpler than you might imagine. So, how to fill a three-thread overlock with a new color? Near the holder, cut the thread and gently knit the edge with a new spool, then press the pedal and make a few stitches until the knot reaches the tension regulator. Here you will need to raise the foot and help the nodule overcome this section. Then again you can lower the foot and continue to work. In the case of a knot at the needle, he will also need to be helped to carefully pass through its hole.
Knowing how to fill the Chinese overlock (three-thread), the instruction manual for which has been lost, will help to avoid not only ugly seams, but also breakdowns of sewing equipment. Indeed, in a business such as sewing, precision is the key to success, and accuracy is the best prerequisite for high-quality products.