A.

parts identification

1. Needle -rod rocker-arm 2. Needle bar connecting link

3. Walking foot rocker-arm. 4. Pressure-foot walking rocker-arm
5. Needle (15X1) standard Style 6. Needle tightening collar
7. Walking foot mount screws 8. Stitch length adjustment screw
9. Walking foot 10.Thread tension disc for heavy threads
11. Bobbin shuttle bed 12. Walking foot lifter
13 Thread take-up arm 14. Take-up arm mounting plate
15 Thread spool pin 16. Bobbin winder assembly
17 Hand crank plate 18. Hand crank plate nut (note) ball
bearing assembly and shaft located behind plate
19. Rocker-arm mounting shaft 20. Walking foot pressure adjustment
21. Tension disk for light threads screw
22. Bobbin shuttle drive bar 23. Sewing head
24. Thread guide on sewing head 25. Walking foot steering tabs on sewing
the head
26. Stitch length bar & disc 27. Needle bar

All turning, rocking, or moving part of the shoe patcher sewing machine
should be oiled everyday prior to use to guarantee the machine is working
smoothly and without noise. In this way the working efficiency can be
raised and the life of the machine can be increased. Note that many users
lubricate the rear cams, Shuttle drive rod gears, and rollers behind drive
plate with high grade lithium instrument grease.

Caution: Do not turn Hand Crank Handle to the left or counter Clock
wise, it will jam up your sewing machine quickly.

Always turn the turn crank handle to the right or clockwise.

Things you should know about the China Leather Shoe Patcher

I find that a small magnets work real well for pulling out the bobbins and
carrier from the shuttle driver area. Some folks use tweezers or needle nose
pliers to remove the bobbins and carrier. Be careful as you can throw the
China patcher out of alignment if you pull out the carrier driver plate.

Please use a proper thread stand when using big thread cones. These big
cones must have the thread pulled from the top, not the side.

Placing the big spools on the factory supplied spool pin is the largest reason
these machines break thread, break needles or will not sew at all.

We will cover alignments later on in a separate alignment and

adjustment document.

Use the proper thread:

I find most of my issues were corrected by the proper thread. I find that the
lightest thread I can use is like #46 / T45. Many people normally use #69 /
T70 thread for most projects, but you may want to go to a heavier thread for
leather projects. Cheap thread will just shred and jam the machine. Get
good quality thread at Bantamsaddletack.com , sailrite.com. Some people
prefer thread that is supplied by Mandala Crafts out of Austin TX bought
through Amazon.com

The Needles:

Factory stock China patchers use standard home domestic sewing machine
needles with a flat side shank. Look for standard Singer 15X1 standard
style needles at any fabric store. These standard needles do not come in the
larger sizes above #22 normally used in heavy fabrics or leathers. Also the
eye of the Domestic needles can not support the larger threads well.

There are Modifications you can do to the needle bar so you can use
134X5,135X5, 135X16, or 135X17 Industrial needles, but will not be
covered here.
Standard Domestic 15X1 sewing machine needles and thread sizes

Minimum Thread
Needle US Size: V
/Metric
12/80 33 (T30)
14/90 46 (T45)
16/100/ or 69 (T70)
18/110
19/120 92 (T90)
22/140 138
(T135)

The following are industrial or leather needles 135X5 and 135X17 and
thread sizes only. Industrial needles also come Size #12 thru #21
22/140 138
(T135)
23/160 207
(T210)
25/200 277
(T270)
26/220 346
(T350)
27/250 415
(T400)
30/330 554
(T600)

1. Preparations for operation

1.1 Lift up pressure foot with lifting lever to avoid friction between foot and
needle plate.
1.2 Examine the tightness all screws, nuts, and bolts.
1.3 Oil or lubricate all locations where friction can occur such as axle rods.
1.4 If there are no odd noises when turning the crank plate the machine
should be ready to use.
2. Threading this sewing machine
2,1 Take out the shuttle hook and bobbin, try to leave the shuttle drive in
machine arm.
2.1.1 Turn the crank plate in the clockwise direction until the needle is at
the highest position and then lift up the pressure foot.
2.1.2 Push up under backside of needle plate or cover and rotate it out of
the way.
2.1.3 Pull out the bobbin and shuttle hook / bobbin carrier ( a magnet or
small needle nose pliers works for this. The hand crank handle should be at
12:00 position during removal and replacement of Bobbin.

If Shuttle Drive plate comes out during the above operation, try to put it
back in the correct orientation. The half moon shape Shuttle drive should
be at 3:00 when hand crank handle is at 12:00. You can confirm Shuttle
Drive plate is properly in place by rotating crank handle to 9:00, the left
edge of half moon shaped drive plate should be next to the Needle Groove.
See picture below in troubleshooting section.

2.2 How to wind a bobbin with original bobbin winder

2.2.1 Pull thread through upper thread path go only half way around the
large tension starting from the left side. You may need to add thread tension
with fingers.
2.2.2 Flip bobbin winder against the crank plate and press bobbin on to
tapered pin.
2.2.3 Wrap several turns of thread around bobbin until it stays in place with
out slipping.
2.2.4 Turn the crank plate clockwise until the bobbin seems full then
remove bobbin.

2.2 How to wind bobbin using a upgrade kit bobbin winder with an
upper thread guide.
2.2.1 Run the thread through large ring near top of sewing head #1 from
back to front then down behind the needle driver bar.
2.2.2 Pass the thread through right side of the tension assembly thread
guide #2 see picture.
2.2.3 Run thread up and over the left thread guide of tension disk #3 and
around the tension disk then up and over the right thread guide.
2.2.4 Now run thread over to the new bobbin thread guide and down hole
#4.
2.2.5 Lastly run thread to the bobbin to be wound #5 in the bobbin winding
area.
2.2.6 Now slide bobbin with the thread securing hole facing you.
2.2.7 Then screw on the wing nut . You do not need to over tighten this
wing nut it will self tighten during the bobbin winding process.
2.2.8 Trim any excess thread ends.
2.2.9 Press the bobbin winder against the hand crank wheel and start
turning the wheel clockwise.

Note; Just as on several other bobbin winders on domestic sewing machines

you may have to add a slight finger pressure to the winder bracket to get it
to spin properly.

Once the bobbin is near full then stop winding remove wing nut and hold
bobbin so it will not unwind. Snip the thread and trim off most of the thread
end sticking out the center hole.
Place the bobbin into the Bobbin carrier / Shuttle hook assembly with the
notch in the center hole facing down. You will note your bobbin thread now
unwinds in the correct direction as it should.

2.3 How to install the bobbin into carrier and place in sewing arm
2.3.1 Note there are two thread holes in the Shuttle hook / bobbin carrier.
The hole on the left is for light thread and the right for heavy thread.
2.3.2 Feed the thread from the inside of the carrier into one of the two
bottom holes.
2.3.3 As you pull on the thread from the outside of bottom hole ease the
bobbin into the carrier so it will turn counter clockwise
2.3.4 Now feed the end of the thread sticking out the side of the carrier into
the corresponding upper hole from bottom to top from the outside of the
carrier.
2.3.5 Work the thread under the tension spring as it passes from the bottom
hole to the top hole in the bobbin Shuttle hook / carrier

2.4 How to load bobbin carrier / shuttle hook into sewing machine.
2.4.1 Pull 2-3 three inches of thread from upper hole in Bobbin carrier
2.4.2 Set Bobbin carrier / shuttle hook into half moon shaped Shuttle drive
or shuttle bed. Note when needle is rising the hook on the bobbin carrier
must be pointing towards the needle trough.
2.4.3 Place end of the thread into small notch in the top side of sewing arm
or table.
2.4.4 Rotate closed the needle plate cover making sure not to cut off your
bobbin thread.
Some folks find that the bobbin carrier shuttle hook comes out easier with
less friction when the hand crank handle is in the 9:00 position.

To use this option you must first crank handle to the 12:00 to be able to
open the access cover because the needle is down in needle hole. You then
crank handle to the 9:00 position to remove the bobbin. If a refrigerator
magnet is used both ways seem to work OK. If you use tweezers or needle
nose pliers this may not be the case.
2.5 How to thread the upper thread
2.5.1 Turn crank plate clockwise until the needle is in the highest position
and lower pressure foot to needle plate.
2.5.2 Pull some thread off of your spool or thread stand and feed it down
through the front top hole in the needle rocker arm near the axle shaft.
2.5.3 Run the thread down through the right loop of the light or the heavy
thread tension disk and go clockwise down under tension disk and up
through the loop on the left side of disk. Make sure thread goes up between
the tension disks.
Note some people use both tension discs or thread their sewing machines
differently. If your machine works well doing it a different way then do it
that way.

2.5.4 Run thread up through the thread loop / spring mounted on the side
of sewing head (#24) from bottom to top, give yourself plenty of slack
thread for later in this process.
2.5.5 run thread straight up behind the needle rocker arm and through the
eye in the thread take-up arm.
2.5.6 Feed thread down the needle push rod center. Note a small wire hook
seems to help for this process.
2.5.7 Feed thread through needle from left to right or from the from the
needle plate towards the crank plate.
2.5.8 Make sure you have least 3 inches of thread beside the needle
2.5.9 Lower the walking foot to down position
2.5.10 While holding thread tail, turn the crank plate slowly and the needle
should go down into the needle plate. As the needle comes up out of the
needle plate it should pick up the lower bobbin thread. Now make sure
both the threads are up out on the table, needle plate, or sewing arm.

3. How to make sure the upper and lower (bobbin) thread tension are
equal to give you a good quality stitch.
3.1 I find this is best done with two difference colored threads for top
thread and bobbin thread.
3.2 Sew a short line of threads on a folded over contrasting color material
and examine to see if you can see the bottom thread showing on the top
side of material or vis versa.
3.3 If bottom thread shows on top of material then decrease tension on your
upper tension disk. If your top thread show on the bottom of the material
then increase tension on the upper thread tension disk. To adjust the
tension on the upper thread tension disks tighten (rotate clockwise) the nut
or nuts to squeeze the thread. Loosen (rotate counter clockwise) the nut or
nuts to decrease tension or squeezing on the thread.
If this does not work then the tension on the Bobbin carrier may need
adjusted. . . we do not want to go there if we don’t have to. It is no fun. It is
done by adjusting the screw on that tiny spring on the bobbin carrier.

4. How to adjust the number of stitches per inch or stitch length

4.1 Different materials may require a different number of stitches per inch.
Fine material normally has a tighter stitch pattern but in course material
the stitches are spread out.
4.2 Loosen or slightly unscrew the thread length screw (#8 on picture) to
decrease the number of stitches per inch (nice long Stitches). To get more
stitches per inch ( tiny short stitches), tighten or screw in the stitch length
screw.
Note the screw should not compress the spring very much, you do not need
to screw in the screw all the way. In fact unscrewing the screw most all the
way and you should get stitches 5/16“ long, then start screw in the screw
until you get the desired length.
Also note #26 on above picture this bar can sometimes get jammed in the
up or down position affecting the stitch length.

5. How to adjust the Pressure foot downward pressure

5.1 Tighten the nut on the pressure regulator screw (#20 on picture) to
increase the two springs tension on the pressure foot rocker arm.

6 How to install or remove sewing machine needle for the type of

material you are working with.
6.1 Rotate hand crank to raise needle to high position
6.2 Loosen screw on the needle tightening collar (#6 on picture above)
6.3 Slide needle downward
6.4 Side new needle upward into position noticing that the flat shank of the
needle is to the right and the long groove on the needle is to the left
6.4a If you are using industrial needles (135X17) they have no flat shank so
just make sure the long groove is to the left.
6.5 Tighten the needle collar

7. Adjusting the needle travel distance The needle must travel below the
needle plate the correct distance to pickup bottom thread and form a stitch.
Make sure your walking foot is in the down position when trying to pick up
the lower bobbin thread.
7.1 This should only be adjusted if it gets knocked out of adjustment.
7.2 It has been determined that the needle must pass through the needle
plate and just barely stick out the bottom of the sewing arm. Adjust needle
bar so that is the case. Note there is advanced instructions in separate
document titled timing and adjustment.
7.3 You can move the needle plate cover out of the way then rotate the
crank plate clockwise slowly and watch your threads. Does the Shuttle
hook catch the needle thread just as the needle starts heading back
upward? Then that is good, no more adjustment needed. Does the
shuttle hook point come even with the needle just as the needle
starts heading upward? If not your needle bar may be fine, it may be the
Shuttle drive may not be timed right or out of adjustment. This is explained
in detail in the timing and adjustment document.

Check everything before you start adjusting things. Does your sewing
machine sew Just fine and does not skip stitches? Then you do not need any
alignments or adjustments at this time.

Sewing machine is skipping stitches? First try changing your needle as

it may be slightly bent. Check thread tensions or look for thread issues.
When all else fails then do alignments or adjustments. Note Skipping
stitches is one sign that the needle scarf to shuttle hook gap is incorrect, a
bent needle can cause that.
How to unjam your machine:

Now if your sewing project gets stuck due to a thread jam in the bobbin
area, DO NOT force it with the hand crank. Lift up the pressure foot, get
some slack in the upper thread path. and pull the sewing project out as
much as possible and cut the thread from under side. Then open the bobbin
compartment and try to remove any extra threads.

I find some times I have to gently rock the crank back and forth to pull out
any threads.

There is the possibility that the needle is stuck down in the fabric. If this
happens you must first loosen the needle retaining screw and try to remove
the needle.

Above all things you DO NOT want to damage your shuttle drive
assembly by trying to force the hand crank. ( The Shuttle drive is the
half moon part that has the little gear welded on the bottom ).