Tim Schroeder

I was watching videos of the Cowboy and Cobra machines. I had a Class 4 at one time. It sewed absolutely awesome, and I loved it. I noticed watching Pat Hennigan's videos you never saw any slack in the thread as the needle was about to make contact, I would have a little slack sometimes. Sometimes see a big loop while just sewing. I noticed in a couple of videos I saw people running these machines skipping that last thread guide. I noticed on the Cobra's the thread guide is mounted in a completely different place. I tried to mount mine there, but it wouldn't fit so I mounted it to the inside of the faceplate instead of the outside and it made a noticeable difference in the way it sewed. Just curious if anybody has tried this.

I did loosen the screw but I didn’t push that part over. One of those I D 10t errors. Thanks @CowboyBob

So when I moved the needle to left, using this method, it left play in the walking foot bar.

I think I finally got it all right.

I never would have believed you could put a #28 in it and then change to a #21 and sew with no problem. I proved it to my self without a doubt it will do it.

Thanks @TomE pretty good learning experience. I had a Class 4 before the narrow plates. It just wouldn’t do what I needed to. I trade it for that 26 I have. Do use the narrow plates?

Thanks @RockyAussie I have watched that video before just forgot about it.

Thanks for the help @CowboyBob. I knew I was on my own to get it going when I bought it. It was almost half what ANY dealer would sell me one for. @DocReaper there's no different size back plates or shims. Although the manual says there's 6 different sizes. CowboyBob said if he could get a shim, it was $350. Not sure why you would ever need the shim although this machine is made in china. If the housing was machined out to far you might need one to push the back plate back over towards the needle. I thought this was the same machine Cowboy and Cobra are selling. I saw Uwe pull the back plate out of a Cowboy machine on YouTube. That's how I learned how to get it out. The Cobra manual tells you to take it out when cleaning the shuttle area. The new method of shuttle to hook clearance is really cool. You could change the clearance every time you change the needle if you wanted to. It takes less than minute to make that adjustment. I understand @TomE that you don't have to even going from a 28 to 21. But you could in a matter of a minute or less. I set my machine up to just clear a #25 needle and I know it will sew just fine with a #21 just like your machine @TomE. That adjustment should be in the manual you get from the dealer. Even if it will sew going from a 28 needle to a 21 needle you should make that adjustment. I think you could just lower the needle until it comes back up the 3/16" and make that adjustment just by pushing on the needle.

Yes, You are CORRECT. I zeroed the needle on the needle (250) that came with the machine and then put a 21 needle in it, and it didn't skip a stitch for 20". Sorry, I had to prove that to my hardheaded self. Hard to believe it would sew with the hook that far from the needle.

Ok after figuring out the diameter of the needles, going from a #25 to a #21 there would be a .35mm difference and manual calls for a .25 to .35mm clearance. That would be within the tolerances. I had read you could go 3 needle sizes, but it looks like 4 is still within the manual's specs so you should be able to go from a #21 to a #25. You can visually see the needle in the picture move as the hook passes it. The needle is at 0 on a #23 needle so there is a .2mm deflection. It's a #25 in a #25 Hennigan narrow plate. If I move the needle to the left to clear the hook do I have to start shimming the feed dog. Is the plate still gonna fit.

There no shim behind the back plate. Shims would move the hook closer to the needle. If I move the needle over will the needle specific plates and feed dogs still work. Right now the needle is middle of the feed dog. I was trying to find the diameter of needles. I understand it will sew 3 or 4 needle numbers down. If the hook is 0 on a #28 needle is it still gonna sew with a #20 needle without any adjustment. Machine can use #19 up to at least #28

Ok Thanks Bob. I have that back plate seated properly now.

Yes sir

This section talks about the travel of the needle bar.

No edit button

I don't think the shuttle was pushed all the way as far back as it will go. I was trying to show the hook was up against the shuttle race back plate and the only way to move the hook to the right to clear a bigger needle would be to change the back plate as the instructions say. I don't believe you can buy them anywhere. The manual also had a way to move the needle to left buy an adjustment in the needle bar guide. But wouldn't that move the needle out of the center of the needle plate and feed dog. Adjusting it for what I need probably wouldn't matter but trying to make a #28 needle clear might be a different story. Another question, there is an adjustment for needle bar travel, but I don't understand it. I don't know how to tell if it's too far or not far enough. My machine is pulling the knots to the top but then they go back down where you can't see them.

Bob also sent me this.

To adjust the shuttle to needle clearance you do have to replace the shuttle race back. I was calling it the inner race. Manual says they come in 6 different sizes. Makes sense if you want proper needle to shuttle clearance on a machine that will sew from 92 to 456.

Better picture

I read that too but if the inner race is tight against the housing and the hook is tight against the race how could it move without the thinner inner race?

Sorry I was repeating something I have read in here. I read somewhere in here you could sew 3 numbers down in needle sizes. Once you had it set for a #25 you could down to a #22 before having to shim the inner race. I'm still working on mine. Maybe I need to just work on mine. The hook is/was hitting a #21 needle. I will have to get a thinner inner race to be able to sew anything over a #21.

I use mostly 138 and 207. Some wallets I am only sewing thru 3/4 oz. plus the lining with 138. I use some 92 on the inside of wallets. Then want to be able to sew 277 in a holster if I want to. I have a Cobra Class 26 in Brand New condition boxed up and ready to ship sitting right here. The narrow needle plates and feed dogs are the game changer. The real reasons for the 441 is the 16" cylinder arm, the high presser foot lift and the ability to sew with the biggest thread made if you need/want to. Boy it looks cool sitting in my wife's formal dining room. It comes in handy on boots and some other stuff. I found a 16" cylinder arm the same size as the class 26 with the adjustable walking foot knob on top, but it was $3300 for just the head. As for one machine to do it all this machine can be made to sew #92 thread up to #456 as advertised by everyone. The only adjustment for needle to hook spacing is the inner race. You are not gonna sew with a #25 needle and then change to a #21 or #20 needle without changing the inner race or at least shimming it. I don't think you are gonna sew 346 thru thick nylon webbing with a Hennigan #23 needle plate and feed dog. Looks like the perfect solution is a different inner race for every other size needle. Then you just pick the correct inner race without having to mess with a bunch of shims. Not sure why they don't come with at least two different size races and/or a bunch of shims. Then the people who buy these 441 clones to actually use these machines for every size thread would be able to make it sew on their own without tracking down another race and/or a bunch of shims.

Just got this machine set up and ready to sew. I bought this one new from my sewing machine guy, but we just took it out of the box set it on a table, threaded it and hand wheeled a few stitches, and he said I was good to go. Thanks to UWE's YouTube video and a couple of others I was able to make a few adjustments and it sews great. I had a Cobra 4 until about 3 months before all the narrow needle plates started coming out. These narrow needle plates totally change what you can do with this machine. I bought #25 flat and round plates from Hennigan and a lifter handle extension. I plan on buying the #20 but not sure if it is necessary since the #25 fixed the original problem. I had to cut the table down so I could get the sewing height at 29". I have a cabinet on wheels with a cut out for the machine to sit down in even with top of the table designed but will be a while before I get to build it. I have a Corion countertop for the top and extension that I've had for 10 yrs. The extension table will make the table with extension the size of a normal flatbed table. I have had issues with the little outside presser feet leaving marks, so I made a bigger one out of the blanket foot that came with this machine and bought a small center foot which I cut down and made an open toe to be able to see the needle. I had to have the slot in the outside presser foot milled out so it would push it over next to the center foot. The table is from the Class 4 Premium Package I had that I filled the middle and covered with the Formica scraps left from building the cabinet originally. It was all scraps from a job. There's a seam in the middle but it should last a while until I can build the new table. I ordered some star handle bolts that will screw into the bottom of the mounting blocks from underneath and with just two in it is really solid. It doesn't have it yet, but I will put a metal bracket under the bottom that will sit on a bolt in the last bolt whole in the arm for support. I put a service light under neath so you can see to change the bobbin or make tension adjustments. It has a 12" pulley to a 2" pulley speed reducer for a 6:1speed reduction., so it has plenty of torque at super slow speed.

This is how it will be shipped. I'm putting an extra inch of foam under the bottom, so I had to take the bobbin winder apart to get it to fit in the top.

No wish I did though