Cobra Steve

Hi. The bumps that everyone is referring to are common. When a leather point needle cuts through dense leather, all of the leather particles are pushed through to the other side. These paticles are being pushed not by the point of the needle, but by the shank. These particles have no where else to go but out the other side. This will happen on most thick leathers. On softer leather this will happen less because softer leathers absorb the paticles since they are so much smaller. If you take a heavy leather point needle and poke a hole in a piece of paper, you will see the same "bump" even though the paticles are still attached to the piece of paper. Steve

Hello everyone. Regarding the motor issue. We are limited to 3 major motor factories. We have tested motors from all 3 of these factories. We chose this style because after testing them, they performed better than the other 2. Not only myself, but Bob from Toledo, Ronnie from Tech-sew, and most everyone else uses the same motor. Perhaps the circuit board is defective. If so, we will replace at no charge. This was a very interesting thread and I learned a couple of things so thank you all for participating. Please call me with questions if you have any. Thanks, Steve

Thanks, Terry, and also Bob for the pics. The show was great for us. We came back with an empty trailor! We saw new faces and some old friends too. Congratulations to Kay Orton for the Stohlman award and all of the winners and participants in the World Leather Debut . Great stuff! We had dinner with our good friend Bob Kovar as well. Steve

Hi all. On my way to Sheridan. Hope to see you all there. If you are going, please stop by the Cobra booth and say hi. Thanks, Steve

Hi jcuk. We have been shipping Internationally for 3 years now. We ship worldwide and have very reasonable rates. Please contact me regarding shipping a 220V COBRA Class 4 to you. Thanks, Steve P.S. Sorry for the error on the above post.Steve

Hi kristinj. May I suggest that you contact all of the dealers that have banner ads at the top of the page. We are all reputable companies. After talking to us all, I'm sure that you will have a better idea of what you need. Thanks, Steve

I agree with Bob. We have not had to replace 1 part due to a manufacturing defect. We also have a lifetime warranty on them as well. Thanks, Steve

Hi WmWalker. You might want to add a speed reducer. This will allow you to sew very slow without losing torque when sewing 20-24 oz. leather. Steve

Hello all. I have a Toro 3000 that just came in. It is in great shape, not a scratch on it. $1450.00 on a new drive unit. $200.00 shipping. $1650.00 delivered. 3 year parts and labor warranty. Please call me at 1-866-962-9880, thanks, Steve

Hello rdoggsilva. Welcome to LW. We appreciate you joining. Steve

Hello Menolly. In picture #2, you should bring the thread up and over the pin that keeps the 2 tension discs from turning. This will keep the thread from jumping out of the tension discs. Add this to the other advice from Wiz and Bob. Thanks, Steve

Hi Andrew. The rule of thumb as I learned it, is, whenever using a 346 thread on top, you must use a 277 in the bobbin. This is because of the reverse stitch. In each hole that the needle punches, there are 4 strands of thread and 1 knot, but when you sew in reverse in the same holes, then you are doubling the amount of thread and knots, now there are 8 strands of thread and 2 knots in that hole. There is not enough room in those holes for all that thread and 2 knots so the thread tends to lay at the bottom and doesn't pull up into the leather. The end result is not a clean back tack. This rule only applies when using a 346 thread on top. If you are using any other thread size, you can use the same size in the bobbin. Many people use a lighter thread in the bobbin because (as Ronnie said), you will get more yield on the bobbin. I only mentioned 346 thread because 415 thread is rarely used any more. Thanks, Steve

Hi ratman. Thank you for joining LW. You will find good help and good people here. Thanks, Steve

Hi everyone. I want to take this time to thank all LW members for you support. Today marks our 3 year anniversary and we couldn't have done it without you. We appreciate everything you do for us. Steve and staff.

Hi Black2. The feed mechanism might be "gummed up", or is not moving to it's maximum/minimum capabilities due to lack of oil or lubricants over the years. Try some WD 40 on every component of the machine while running it at a higher speed. This will start to loosen up the moving parts, linkage's and eccentrics. After running the machine for 10-15 minutes, oil it everywhere. Be liberal with the Wd 40, and the oil. Of course you will have to clean the machine after doing this. This may help. Good luck. Steve

Hi Doug. If your stitch length will not adjust, the machine may need some lubricant to help free the mechanism. Try some WD 40, then oil. Thanks, Steve

Thanks Rick. I would be glad to send anyone who wants a DVD at no charge. Some of the timing settings may vary per machine, but everything else is standard procedure. Please call me at 1-866-962-9880 if you are interested. Thanks, Steve

Hi all. With every COBRA Class 4 comes a DVD that shows tips, techniques, maintenance, and timing. As a bonus, you will see my beautiful mug all the way through it! Steve

Hey all. We will be in Wickenburg as well. Please stop by and see us. It is a very good show, and a great town. See you there, Knipper! Thanks, Steve

Hi Leather Guru. Is there a reason that you want to use the 328 system rather than the 794 system? You might try lowering the needle instead of lowering the needle bar, you will get the same result but less adjusting. Thanks, Steve

Thanks, Bob.

Hi KND. First of all your hand wheel is on backwards, please turn it around so the bolts are on the outside.This could cause the belt to be on a severe angle causing a drag on the machine. If you are using a #25 needle to sew 10-11 ounce leather, the needle will make too big of a hole for that thickness. When you say you are using the appropriate thread, does that mean for the #25 needle, or the thickness of the leather? You should be using a #23, or at the most, a #24. The thread size should be 207 top and bottom. You may have to re-calibrate the top tensions and/or the bobbin tension as well. You will have to start from scratch, but it should solve your problem. This is definetly a tension problem either caused by the wrong needle/thread combination, or calibration, but either way, it will be a simple fix. I know that we discussed this a while back, but when I didn't hear back from you, I thought that the problem was solved. Please contact me for more instruction on how to calibrate your tensions. If anyone else is experiencing a similiar problem, with any machine, please call me at 1-866-962-9880 and I will walk you through the calibration procedure. Thanks, Steve

Hi Bob, yes, tighten the belt. After 2-3 years, the belt might stretch a little by lowering the speed reducer. Thanks, Steve

Hello. If there is a problem with your machine please do not hesitate to call me. We may not get it right the first time, but we will succeed, one way or another. If we tell someone to do a certain thing to the machine, and we don't hear back from that person, we naturally think that the problem was solved. If not, please call back and we will try something else. We are always willing to help with your machine, and other machines as well. I have never been upset with anyone that I have talked to regarding service, it's not my style. Please call me at 1-866-962-9880, thanks, Steve