artisan 2618-1B Instruction Manual

2618.2-1B
Cylinder Bed Compound Needle Feed
Lockstitch Sewing Machine
Instruction Manual
and Parts Catalog
Artisan Sewing Supplies, LLC, San Francisco, California
artisan

CONTENTS
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Ⅰ.PRECAUTIONS BEFORE STARTING OPERATION................................................ 1
Ⅱ.SPECIFICATIONS....................................................................... 1
Ⅲ.CAUTIONS ON USE ..................................................................... 2
1. Lubrication ......................................................................... 2
2. Winding of bobbin thread ............................................................ 2
3. Attaching the needle ................................................................ 3
4. Threading of needle threads ......................................................... 3
5. Setting of bobbin ................................................................... 4
6. Threading of bobbin threads......................................................... 4
7. Thread tension ...................................................................... 4
8. Thread take-upspring ................................................................ 5
9. Adjusting the stitch length ........................................................ 5
10. Adjusting the pressure of the presser foot ......................................... 6
11. Adjusting the presser foot and the walking foot .................................... 6
12. Timing between rotating hook motion and needle motion .............................. 6
13. Relationship between hook motion and opener motion ................................. 7
14. Relationship between needle motion and feed dog motion ............................. 7
15. Adjusting the height of the feed dog ............................................... 7
16. Safety mechanism ................................................................... 8
CATALOG
A. ARM BED AND ITS ACCESSORIES.......................................................... 9
B. THREAD TENSION REGULATOR MECHINISM.................................................. 12
C. ARM SHAFT MECHANISM................................................................. 15
D. NEEDLE BAR ＆THREAD TAKE-UP LEVER MECHANISM........................................ 17
E. PREAAER FOOT MECHANISM ............................................................ 19
F. STITCH REGULATOR MECHANISM.......................................................... 22
G. FEEDING AND FEED LIFTING ＆ROTATING HOOK SHAFT MECHANISM........................... 25
H. HOOK SADDLE MECHANISM............................................................... 27
I. ACCESSORIES ....................................................................... 29

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Ⅰ、PRECAUTIONS BEFORE STARTING OPERATION
1. Safety precautions
1）When turning the power on, keep your hands and fingers away from the area around/under the needle
and the area around the pulley.
2）Power must be turned off when the machine is not in use, or when the operator leaves the seat.
3）Power must be turned off when tilting the machine head, installing or removing the “V” belt,
adjusting the machine, or when replacing.
4）Avoid placing fingers, hairs, bars etc., near the pulley, “V” belt, bobbin winder pulley, or motor when
the machine is in operation.
5）Do not insert fingers into the thread take-up cover, under/around the needle, or pulley when the
machine is in operation.
2. Precautions before starting operation
1）Do not operate the machine before lubricating it.
2）When a new sewing machine is first turned on, verify the rotational direction of the pulley with the
power on（the pulley should rotate counterclockwise when viewed from pulley）.
3）Verify the voltage and (single or three) phase with those given on the machine nameplate.
3. Precautions for operating conditions
1）Avoid using the machine at abnormally high temperatures（35℃or higher）or low temperatures（5℃
or lower）.
2）Avoid using the machine in dusty conditions.
Ⅱ、SPECIFICATIONS
GC2268-1B
Max. sewing speed 2200 rpm
Needle DP×17 18-23#
Needle bar stroke 36 mm
Thread take-up lever stroke 74.5 mm
Stitch length 9 mm
Presser foot stroke By Hand 8 mm / By Knee 14 mm
Alternating movement 2-5 mm
Bed size In dia / Length 71 mm / 222 mm
Lubrication Manual

—2 —
Ⅲ、CAUTIONS ON USE
1. Lubrication
·When a new sewing machine is first operated, or when a sewing machine is operated which is out of
use for long period of time, it will be necessary to oil through the oil holes after removing the
rubber plugs shown below.
·See dripping of oil through the oil sight hole to check oiling condition during operation.
For oil, Use white spindle oil
2. Winding of bobbin thread
Note: When bobbin thread is wound, keep the presser foot lifted.
Adjustment:
·Tension of wound thread
Slack winding is recommended for polyester thread and nylon thread.
·Conically wound thread
Move the thread guide toward smaller diameter of wound thread layer.
·Length of wound thread
Loosen the thread length adjusting screw to increase length of thread and tighten the screw to
decrease length of thread.

—3 —
3.Attaching the needle
Note: Before installing the needles, be sure to turn off the power.
4.Threading of needle threads
1）Pass each needle thread through thread guide“A”.
Note: When thin slippery thread (polyester
thread or filament thread, for example)
is used pass the thread through thread
guides“B” as wall.
2）With the take-up lever located at the upper
most position, pass each needle thread in
the order shown in the following figure.
Note: Pressing the upper thread loosening button shown in the figure below opens the saucer of
the upper thread tension adjuster, and the upper thread can easily pulled out

—4 —
5.Setting of bobbin
1）Pulling out 5cm thread tail from the bobbin.
2）Hold the bobbin so that the bobbin thread is would in
right direction and put it into the hook.
6.Threading of bobbin threads
1）Put the hook into the bobbin case and press
down the latch ①.
2）While holding the needle threads by left hand, rotate the
hand-wheel one turn by right hand.
By pulling up the needle threads, as shown in the figure, the bobbin threads will be lifted.
Each combination of bobbin thread and needle thread should be aligned and led backward.

—5 —
7.Thread tension
1）Adjusting the bobbin thread tension
Turn tension screw, clockwise to increase the bobbin thread tension, or counter clockwise to
decrease it.
2）Adjusting the needle thread tension
·Needle thread tension should be adjusted in reference to bobbin thread tension.
·Turn tension nut clockwise to increase the needle thread tension, or counter clocking to decrease it.
·Needle thread tension can be also adjusted for special fabric and thread by changing intensity and
movable range of slack thread adjusting spring.
8.Thread take-upspring
1）To change the stroke of thread take-up spring
·Loosen screw“4”in the stopper, and
move stopper“3”to the right or left.
·Move the stopper to the right to
increase the stroke of the thread
take-up spring, or to the left to
decrease it.
2）To change the tension of the thread take-up spring
Loosen nut“2”and screw“5”.Turn spring shaft“1”counter clockwise to increase the tension
of the spring, or clockwise to decrease it. Fit a screwdriver in the spring shaft and turn it until the
desired tension is provided.
9.Adjusting the stitch length
Turn stitch length dial counter-clockwise
to bring the desired value to the top of the dial so
that the value is aligned with the pin.
Reverse feed stitching
1）The machine performs reverse feed stitching as
long as the lever is held depressed.
2）The moment you release the lever, the machine
resumed the normal stitching mode.

—6 —
10.Adjusting the pressure of the presser foot
Pressure to fabric can be adjusted by turning the pressure
adjusting screw.
11.Adjusting the presser foot and the walking foot
1）Loosen not 1, and change the position of the cam rod
boss accordingly.
Highest position---The stroke is maximized. “A”
Lowest position--- The stroke is minimized. “B”。
2）Alternate vertical motions of the walking foot and presser foot
The alternate vertical strokes of the walking foot and presser foot
·Loosen screw ②of the top feed crank.
·Bring the thread take-up lever to its highest position, and lower the presser bar lifting lever. Move
top feed crank ③to left“A”to increase the stroke of the presser foot, or to the right“B”to
increase it.
12.Timing between rotating hook motion and needle motion
1）Set feed length (stitch length) to “6” on the
feed setting dial.
2）When needle is lifted 2.4mm from the lower
dead point, as shown in Figure, the
following positional relationship should
be maintained.
·The upper edge of needle eye should be
2.3 mm below the hook point.
·The hook point should be located at the
center of needle axis.
·Gap between the hook point and the side
face of needle should be 0.05mm.

—7 —
13.Relationship between hook motion and opener
motion
1）Turn the balance wheel by hand and stop when the
opener holder is located most remotely from the
throat plate.
2）Make sure gap between the bobbin case holder A
and the opener is approximately 0.2 mm.
3）If the gap is too large or small , loosen the opener
holder set screw B and adjust position of the opener.
14.Relationship between needle motion and
feed dog motion
1）Set feed length to “0” on the feed setting dial
2）Set the needle at the lowest position.
3）Lean the machine head backward, remove the back cover, loosen screw B and C.
4）Adjust the distance between presser rod and vibration prevention rod to 9 mm.
5）After the completion of adjustment, fully tighten the screws B and C.
Note:
At this time make
certain that needle can
enter the feed dog needle
hole at the center of the
hole.
15.Adjusting the height of the feed dog
The max. Height of the feed dog from the surface to the needle plate is normally 1mm.
To adjust this height:
1）Set the stitch length at minimum.
2）Turn the pulley so as to raise the feed dog to it highest position.
3）Loosen the screw“A”, adjust the height of the feed dog .
4）Tighten the screw“A”after adjustment.

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16.Safety mechanism
If the thread is caught in the hook while the sewing machine is in operation, the safety
mechanism actuates to idle the lower sprocket only if the thread is caught in the hook while the
sewing machine is in operation, the safety mechanism actuates to idle the lower sprocket only.
1）How to reset
·Remove the thread caught6 in the hook
·Pressing push button ①, strongly turn the
pulley in the direction opposite to its
normal rotational direction.
2）Safety load
Turn adjustment screw ② in direction“A”
(clockwise) to increase the safety load, or in
direction “B”(counter-clockwise) to decrease it.