CdK

@TomE I feel you. I will be welding up the stand for my bell skiver tomorrow and my mig has not been used for a few years. Propbably take longer to clean and set up my welder than the project that needs to be done. @Southerngunner Nice sewing table you got put together there. The satisfaction of creating something from an idea to fulfill a need is priceless. I am spending way more time fabricating bits and pieces to support my leather craft than spend doing the craft in the first place!

@TomE Yes, the drive roller is removed. The drive shaft universal joint was seriously over packed with grease, so much so that about a teaspoon sized piece ended up on the sharpening stone. I needed to get in there and clean it out and doing so would mean that my hands would get too close to comfort to the bell blade. I will also at some point fit a metal drive roller that I have on hand and then this safety cover will get used again as at that point the blade would have been run through at least one sharpening cycle. I noticed in some older manuals that I found online that there is a rubber boot covering the universal joint that will retain any grease there. I'm looking to find such a part, or maybe need to design and print one using TPU or repurpose a boot from somewhere else... This journey in getting to know this machine is interesting to say the least. My mantra is that to get the most out of a machine is to understand it fully. YMMV

Good afternoon y'all My loving wife along with my conniving friend got together and ordered me a bell skiver head from an online resource. It arrived yesterday and, as usual, I got to know it better by examining and tinkering with it. I noticed that there was a glob of grease on top of the sharpening stone and started to take parts off to get to it. The sharp edge of the bell knife is obvious and it struck me that some kind of safety cover would be a smart thing to have in place. So, some measurements and off to my desk to do some CAD, then onto the trusty 3D printer and voila! In this machines instance the insert in the bell has a threaded area so the bolt from the ejector fitted and keeps it in place. The weird thread used on this machine precludes the use of off the shelf screws but the cover can be held in place by adhesive tape if needed. The included .STL file is what I used to feed the printer. Feel free to make your own. Below are some photos of the piece in place and screen captures of the CAD and sliced part. For those that may be interested I will be setting up the head with 2 Enduro motors and drive the knife and the feed independently of each other. I will take some photos as I go and will share if there is any interest. Regards Carl SkiverProtector.stl

Thank you to all that responded to this thread. I called the 3 major suppliers and lets just say that my sewing machine purchase will be brown. Shipping to anywhere in Texas is just under $400, which considering where I am located, not bad at all.

According to their website machines are not stock items and are drop-shipped with freight charges. I'll call them and confirm though. If you don't mind, how much was the home delivery?

Good evening, Choosing the machine class/type was tough enough, now who to purchase from? I'm looking at the combos the suppliers put together and would like the needle position system, aluminum flatbed attachment, drop-down sewing guide. I'm rambling.... The websites are not clear about availability, shipping costs, etc. I guess I need to work my phone tomorrow and get more information. I hate surprises that can significantly add to the sticker price and/or lead time... Any feedback, experiences, opinions, etc are most welcome. BTW, I am open to a road trip to pick up the machine if there would be some product training available. Carl

Very, very nice! I found their website, for some reason my google-fu has been weak lately.

Good afternoon, Could you please tell me more about the HE&P extreme plates? I am about to purchase a 4500 machine but don't know about the parts you mentioned. Regards Carl Edinburg, TX

I have a 10W laser and I not only use it for engraving but for cutting 8oz veg tan. Using the Lightburn software along with a mounted camera it is easy to duplicate or capture existing artwork/patterns.