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Thanks for your replies fellas. I really don't know much about motors so appreciate the advice. It just seemed way too simple to be a legitimate fix but it seems to be running fine. Detailed explanation here if anyone else is interested-http://woodgears.ca/motors/reversing.html

Yesterday I hooked up a 2nd motor for my skiving machine: 1/2hp single phase 240v clutch motor. Unfortunately, I hadn't realised that it turns the wrong way duhh I've managed the reverse the direction by taking the back off and simply swapping the red capacitor cable from the neutral (blue to white) side of the terminal block, to the live (brown to black). Is this OK to do or will it mean the motor is under strain or likely to burn out? (It's an AC induction motor.) Cheers!

Did Sieck tell you the feed roller was compatible with your Fortuna machine? 801 is the name of the main Chinese clone, which is sold under various different brand names. I also need a replacement feed roll on my Fortuna. The price I just had back from a UK distributor was £185 + 20% tax, which is insane, given that a feed roll for the Chinese machines cost a few dollars!

Haha I know, I choked when they told me!

Well I've been on to the supplier and they said they'd pick it up and exchange it for another machine they've just had in . They assured me this one is in 'perfect condition'. I spoke to the UK Fortuna distributor who said that the machines that became available due to factory closures in the nineties and noughties have all found new homes (mainly overseas). A lot of the 'rebuilt' machines doing the rounds are in need of replacement parts and serious repair, that's why they were gotten rid of in the first place. I was quoted £1100 for a new knife shaft. Worth bearing in mind for anyone tempted by a freshly painted 'refurbished' skiver!

I'm going to find out how much it'd be to replace the main shaft. So much for buying a 'rebuilt' machine. Still glad I didn't buy a cheaper Chinese copy though

Thanks Andrew. Its the shaft that's moving. There's also a tiny bit of movement up & down. Any idea if its possible to adjust it or would the shaft need replacing? I'll have to contact the supplier to remonstrate

I've bought an old Willcox & Gibbs 1/2HP 1425RPM motor for the knife. It weighs a ton. Not sure if i should have gone for a higher RPM? I've had some success after using the paper trick to adjust settings, changing the grinding stone and using the deburring rod to get the knife sharpened up. Managed to get some nice clean skives. Different story today though. The leather is struggling to feed properly so think I may need to change the feed wheel as it's not gripping the leather and feels a bit clogged up with dust. Its basically just burnishing the underside. The other concerning issue is there's some play in the knife from front to back. I can move it about a mm back and forth (see photo). I don't know if this movement occurs when the motor is engaged and the knife is spinning. Should i be worried about it? Advice to anyone in the UK thinking of buying a refurbished machine, I'd recommend going through Ernie at PMF-Fortuna. Even if it costs a little more, you'll know everything's been properly tuned up and you won't have to replace lots of parts . He was good enough to spend a bit of time giving me advice over the phone. Edd

Yep...if it works, it works Fitted a new knife but will have to wait for a deburring rod to arrive before i can get a decent honed edge on it. Obviously no point really trying to skive anything until the blade is razor sharp This manual someone posted a link to on the forums a while back has been a lot of help getting things adjusted http://aoi.ou.edu/images/Leather%20Skiver%20Model%2010A.pdf

Thanks Andrew... That's confirmed what I was planning to do. Looking inside, it actually all looks very straightforward. Any idea what spec the motor should be? Something like this: 1500rpm/4pole, 0.75HP/550w ? Cheers!

Hi Ferg, I read through some of your previous posts about skiving machines. They really helped me get a better understanding of some of the variations and things to look out for so thanks for sharing all your research! Good to know you use yours comfortably with the knife and feed roller synced. I'm still tweaking the various adjustments and trying different types of leather but it is certainly still very usable in it's current configuration. I just figured it'd be best to have the knife turning at a constant speed for optimum cutting and then to use the clutch to have more control when feeding through lightweight leather. Looks like it is possible on this machine as there are two separate pulleys. I'm just not sure yet about the most suitable single phase motor to use for the bell knife. Need to do some more homework!

Hi All, Today I received a reconditioned Fortuna skiving machine having waited impatiently for a month for it to arrive. I'd asked for a V50 S or equivalent machine, but I'm not exactly sure what it is that I've received. I was expecting a bottom feed machine, with continuous drive motor for the bell knife and a separate clutch motor for the feed wheel, as I thought this was standard with the V50 S. On the machine that I've received, the bell knife and feed are both driven together, which really limits it's effectiveness. Is it possible to simply install a separate motor to isolate the knife from the feed stone? My knowledge of machines and motors is pretty pathetic so I'm trying to consume as much info as possible from the internet at the moment, I'd really appreciate any advice! Photos attached. Cheers Edd

Thank you fellas. If you just want a few you can buy them from here : www.vintasso.com

Thanks a lot. It's not like the Horween colour 8, it's a very dark, matte brown but I suspect it'll lighten up a bit and produce more tones as it ages.

The glue is relied on temporarily to bond all the components together, before they are sewn. Charlie - any updates on the natural veg tan prototype? Looks great

...

I love this leather...it cuts like butter. Clayton cordovan in dark brown with zulu hardware

That's awesome. I'd love to see it shown off with some clearer photos. Good work!

One more. This time, light brown with cream stitching

Loving those curved pockets. Clean cut and robust. Nicely done. I've got a calendar on the wall at home called 'Goats In Trees'

Black & green

Skiving and paring leather is about 20% technique and 80% having a VERY sharp knife. Search for 'Jeff Peachey'. He's a bookbinder with a lot of very helpful information on paring leather and sharpening tools. I use a strop with blue Dialux cutting compound to keep a really nice edge on my knife.

Thanks, for the kind words .Watchmaking looks like a truly skilled craft. I'd love to learn a bit one day. There are quite a few people making nice watch straps on the forum. Check out the work by a member on here called 'cjmt' Cheers Ramrod. I tried padding all the way to the end too, but found it looked neater to finish it halfway and definitely slides into the keepers better.

That one's just a cheap generic buckle, you can find them on ebay. I'd like to make my own at some point. Just holding off on more tool purchases!

Thanks for the comments. It's hand-stitched with Gutermann Mara thread. The padding is soft calf-skin about 1.5mm thick.