Tim Schroeder

50th Anniversary Crafttool swivel knife. It has a Leathewrangler 1/4" blade that was ground down by Leatherwrangler to .043. Swivel Knife and blade only. I don't have the bag or case that come with these swivel knives. Located near Dallas Tx. $150 and I will put it in a small flat rate box to ship.

That's the reason for the post. People are buying these machines all the time and don't know about @Patrick1. It's the people like us that need one machine to do a lot. (Evrerything) Just the #25 needle plate and feed dog totally change the capability of these machines. I'm sewing 135 thru 2 layers of 3/4 oz. chrome tan. Put that blanket foot set on and see what happens. At least the presser foot won't be pushing what you are sewing down in the throat plate.

Pastor bought just bought a Cobra Class 4 (with premium pkg.) and doesn't want to spend another dime. Don't blame him a bit. If he had spent that $450 at @Patrick1's website, he would be 10x 100x 1000x better off. You decide. Guys over on Cobra Tips and Tricks say these aftermarket accessories are a waste of time. Just imagine the difference it would make in what your machine would do spending that $350 at @Patrick1's website instead of The Premium Package. Then you could buy any of the different tabletop attachments, even a Cobra table attach. and you would actually have ONE BADASS MACHINE. Then buy what you need as you need it. Of course, they are just a waste of time according to Cobra Tips and Tricks. He also tells you to thread the machine in a way that creates more tension on both tension disc. If you own a Cobra and thread their way you ought to try it Cowboy's way. Cobra is the ONLY seller of these machines who thread it this way. Wouldn't believe ANYTHING they say. Those clowns owe EVERYBODY who ever bought a Class 4 Premium Pkg an apology. I bought one, still have it. The only thing I use is the tabletop. Maybe joining Cobra Tips and Tricks is a waste of time. Certainly, Hope Pastor Bob didn't base his decision to spend the EXTRA $450 on the Premium Pkg. based on Cobra Tips and Tricks on fakebook. #25 Flat Plate and feed dog $140 #25 Round Plate $75 Narrow Foot Set or 111 size set. $120 He doesn't currently offer a 111 size set although I'm doing everything I can to get him to.

Take that blanket foot to a machinist and have him mill the neck out so you can move it over. Took .094 out of mine and use Pat's #25 needle plate and feed dog. You could probably get by even with the stock throat plate. Better yet start a petition to get Pat to build the 111 size presser feet. With the #25 needle plate you can sew up to 277. Works just as well with 92 or 135. Instead of grinding the teeth off, just use some tape to make a form around the bottom of the presser foot then fill it with 5 minute epoxy and sand back down to the teeth. I ground the teeth down and now it is shorter than the standard feet. Do you have the narrow center foot?

No edit button again. I have a Mitzi compound feed machine for sale on this forum. I also have a Class 26 for sale. You can look at the sewing samples I posted and see exactly what I'm talking about. Unfinished veg tan doesn't show it near as much. As soon as you dye it and clear coat it looks like my belt in the pictures above.

Just curious as to why there's no talk about 111 size presser feet for these machines. Don't know who came up with idea of little tiny feet on one the biggest machines you can buy. I'm sure there is a place for them, but we have taken a bigger machine and put these little, tiny feet on them. If you are sewing 277 thru 5/8" of veg tan do you not get presser foot marks with the tiny feet. If you had the blanket foot set on it would just leave different marks. Unless you had ground the teeth of the bottom of the blanket foot. The first thing I did when I got this machine was to take the blanket foot and make my own outside left foot. It is in the standard 111 position. Just a little more than .110 from the needle. A standard 111 center foot is about .220". These little tiny feet offered as the only alternative to the blanket set are .190. I think @Patrick1 makes one smaller. It's the narrow set. That garbage in the third picture is the stock little, tiny feet with the biggest throat plate you can buy thru some 6 oz. veg tan. Cobra's stock set up. Shame on Cobra Steve for letting somebody on facebook tell everyone who bought one of his Class 3 or 4 machines that these narrow needle plates and aftermarket presser feet are a waste of time when they are actually the ONLY reason why people like me and a lot of others on this forum are even able to use these machines. If Cobra just substituted the #25 round plate and feed dog instead of the worthless plates in the premium package he would really help his customers. Then offer the flat plate as an extra or give them @Patrick1's contact info because he has a lot of aftermarket parts that are VERY VERY USEFUL, just the opposite of what Cobra Tips and Tricks would have you believe. How about the people on facebook who aren't on LW.net where there's somebody to dispute the misinformation being spread on facebook by Cobra Tips and Tricks. You would have a better chance of sewing 92 thru 6 oz. with the GIANT blanket feet made to sew 415 thru horse blankets or 7/8" of nylon webbing. Not sure when anybody would ever choose the set up in the third picture. For any reason. That is exactly how my Cobra 4 came. Just don't see how that would EVER be the right set up to sew anything. Anybody have any suggestion. Should the outside foot ever be over the feed dog? I don't think it should be able to push what you are sewing down in the feed dog slot. The fourth picture is sewn with my Class 26 with the little, tiny cobra center foot but I put a standard 111 outside foot. I knew from my Class 4 these little, tiny outside feet make marks in veg tan. You can see every step made by the little, tiny center foot that came stock on my 26. Imagine trying to convince a customer that's how it supposed to look. If you had the little outside foot on, it would have marks from it as well. And that really looks like HAMMERED cat feces. You can see in the 6th picture the pressure adj. on top is ALL the way up. One more turn it comes out. All my machines have as little pressure as you can get on the feet. The fifth picture is sewn with my Class 26 with standard 111 center and outside. There's not a mark in that wallet. I would tell anybody that bought my 26 to make sure you buy a standard 111 set of presser feet. You don't have to throw those little, tiny Cobra feet away, just through them in back of your acc. drawer. You might find a use for them some day. We have a member right here on LW.net who can and will make these if there is enough demand. I would think almost everybody who owns one of these machines would buy a set. Why wouldn't you want a set between the smallest and the biggest.

They aren't though. The distance between the last silver thread guide on the face plate and the needle bar guide is a third less in picture 3. When the take up lever goes all the way up, the length of thread created between the top of the take up lever and the end of the needle is a lot shorter. I had a Cobra 4 at one time. It sewed like a dream. I have sewed at least 2 full bobbins working on this machine. I kept watching @Patrick1's video's and you could see his Cobra was sewing perfect. This machine just didn't feel like the Cobra. It moves the thread guide a full 1/2" closer to needle bar thread guide. When I was just sewing down a straight line, I would notice a loop or really just slack to the left of the needle every 5,10 to 15 stitches. It was still sewing good. After I moved the thread guide to the inside of the face plate using the same hole and bolt, I never saw the slack again. So, I started trying to see the difference in the Cowboy and Cobra machine and I found it was the position of the thread guide on the face plate. In the picture, below the blue line the guide is mounted in the stock position, outside the faceplate, the 5 rows above the line were after I moved the guide to the inside of the faceplate. Then the last 2 after I moved the guide to the Cobra location. Feels and sounds and looks much better. Looks to me like the shuttle race should be able to rotate at least 90 degrees, mine will rotate 360 degrees with no play at all. I had to sand on it for 2 hours. It has to be able to FLOAT on the spring-loaded shoulder bolts holding it in. I guess it determines the pressure on the shuttle. You should be able to pull the race out 1/8" with your FINGERNAILS with the bolts all the way in just snug. Not really sure why some people want to back the bolts off a half a turn. This one you had to pry out with a screwdriver like @Uwe had to do in his video using a Cowboy machine. Then you had to knock it back in with palm of your hand. How is it supposed to FLOAT on the bolts if it won't rotate in the hole. In Al Banes video he shows you and tells you clearly the race should rotate back and forth. Maybe one of the sewing machine experts will weigh on the subject. @CowboyBob It takes 5 minutes to move the guide to inside of the face plate. You have to enlarge the hole barely to get it in the Cobra position.

I finally got my thread guide in the Cobra position. Now this machine straight off the boat sews just like my Cobra did. It sews like a dream. I don't know if the thread guide location matters but my machine sews smoother and quieter in the Cobra position. I was hoping one the many sewing machine experts would weigh in on the subject. All pictures taken with needle all the way up. 1st picture is Cowboy position. 2nd picture is where I moved it to. 3rd picture is the Cobra location. With thread guide in the Cowboy position, (stock position on my machine) I was getting slack on the left side of the needle as was coming down about to make contact. I would see a big loop every 10 to15 stitches or so just sewing a straight line. When I had to make a smaller stitch when I came to a corner, when I would reposition to hit the corner, the thread would sometimes come around in front of the needle. NEVER happens in the Cobra position. It stays tight. I also found that if you thread the machine like @CowboyBob, I didn't have to loosen the tension disc until they almost fell off. If you go back thru the thread guides like Cobra threads their machine it puts more tension without even turning the knob. If you own a Cowboy machine and want to see how the Cobra sews, move the thread guide. If you own a Cobra machine and want to see how the Cowboy sews move the thread guide. Easy to move it from Cobra position to Cowboy position but moving it from Cowboy to Cobra requires making the mounting hole a little bigger. I just clamped it in a vise and ran a drill bit thru it.

This machine is still available. This is the same machine as a Cobra Class 18 for $2100 plus shipping. That would be at least $2400 to your door. With a new Table and top for $250 plus a New $150 motor and New $150 speed reducer all off Ebay, you could be set up for $1450 and ready to sew all delivered to your door. This machine is in Like New condition fresh from a tune up at Sunny Sewing in Dallas, Tx. I tried the reverse for backstitching in max stitch length forwards backwards then forward for 9 stitches (without thread) and it hit the same holes every time. Machine comes with a factory knee lifter that came with the machine that has never been used. I use a foot pedal.

Here's a little better proof of what the narrow plates do for these machines. The first 2" in the very bottom row is some 138 in 1 layer of no more than some 3/4 oz. chrome tan 1/8" from the edge. Maybe somebody will post a picture of that with a stock set up on facebook. I wouldn't get to see it though.

No edit button. Looks to me like the narrow plates and feed dogs and a big left foot as well as the other specialized presser feet would make the 441 clones as close to one machine does it all as you are gonna get.

I heard somebody on facebook was saying all these aftermarket plates and feed dogs and presser feet are a waste of time. I wouldn't know who because I deleted my facebook a long time ago. Probably back in the 1900's. The first 2 pictures are why I got rid of my Cobra 4 in the first place. I wasn't smart enough then to make my own outside presser foot out of the blanket foot in the premium package. I did have the slotted plate and the feed dog out of the blanket set from the premium package in my hand headed to the machinist to make my own narrow plate and feed dog way before the narrow plates came out. Didn't think it would work because of the size of the hole in the feed dog. But instead traded the Class 4 for a Class 26. Still kicking myself in the ass for that one. First 2 pictures are stock Cobra and Cowboy style presser feet and the stock plate and feed dog that come on these machines. That's some 5/6 oz. veg tan. 2nd picture is a picture of the stock set up on the Cobra and Cowboy machines and the results I was getting when I had a Class 4. The third picture. The left side is presser feet like the ones that come stock on Cobra and Cowboy machines but with @Patrick1's #25 needle plate and feed dog. The right side is the stock set up. The fourth picture is @Patrick1's #25 plate and feed dog with my presser foot made from the blanket foot that came stock on my machine just like the blanket feet in the Cobra premium package. I did take it to my machinist and had him mill out the mounting slot to move it over closer to the narrow center foot I had to buy. I can't believe somebody would say these plates and feed dogs and presser feet are a waste of time. Maybe they just haven't used them.

I think I'm thru adjusting anyway. Max stitch length forward backwards and forward again,10 stitches No skip stitches No knots. 138 in 5 to 7 oz of chrome tan. With the guide there the thread doesn't rub on anything, even in max stitch length position.

Just curious if anybody else thinks moving that thread guide would make any difference.

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