HOW TO USE A BELL SKIVER VIDEO 1

[RockyAussie]

Many leather workers will go on to own their own bell skiver at some time. For most at the start these machines are very difficult to learn how to use and the instructions that come with them are generally not very good. Most video's I have seen to date are full of bad information often made by very inexperienced machine operators or dealers who don't have a clue how to use them. Some of these are well done video's and by charismatic people that look good if you don't know what you're seeing is so wrong. My video's are very rough as my life is making leather goods not making video's. If you can stand to watch your way through them you will see that the results I achieve with the bell skiver are way in front off the other 99% you will find out there. Skip to 15 minutes in if you want to be sure of that. ( A properly set up skiver does NOT need you to pull it through at all) This video shows you the first most important step in using a bell skiver and that is how to sharpen the bell. Remember to follow my channel if you want to see more. I hope that this series will go on to help some of the very talented people out there that are struggling to learn how to operate them. This video series is being made to go along with a manual I am making for the bell skiver and it will have references to these videos within it. Do me a favour.......hit the like button on the youtube and share it around.

 

[RockyAussie]

Here is another link that shows some skiving I do with a bell skiver when making crocodile belts. Not part of the series but shows what can be done with one in a production setting.

 

[MtlBiker]

@RockyAussie - What perfect timing!!!  Your videos came just when I need them most.  Thank you!  Last night I ruined 5 nice pieces of leather for my bags, by the skiver chewing them up.  SIGH  I finally stopped, decided to have a drink and relax and to try again tonight (perhaps).  I had been doing good with my skiver but last night I wanted to sharpen the bell knife for the first time and I also changed the leather I was using.  I think the sharpening went fine but I must have misadjusted something for the new leather.

I'm going to watch your videos today and hopefully will be able to get back to successful skiving tonight.  Again, thanks so much for your always helpful advice and outstanding videos.

Cheers!
 

[Wild Bill46]

Very instructional, and detailed.  Hand held video not bad at all,

Thank you for the video.

[suzelle]

10 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Here is another link that shows some skiving I do with a bell skiver when making crocodile belts. Not part of the series but shows what can be done with one in a production setting

 

Awesome!!!! You get the thumbs up from me!

[YinTx]

Absolutely fantastic, thank you kindly for putting this type of information out there for us, it will really help reduce some anxiety and stress when trying to dial in these machines!

 

YinTx

[RockyAussie]

2 hours ago, YinTx said:

Absolutely fantastic, thank you kindly for putting this type of information out there for us, it will really help reduce some anxiety and stress when trying to dial in these machines!

 

YinTx

Ha Ha I was hoping that you might get to see it. There is a LOT more info I will need to add as I can find the time and hopefully I can make them better without all the background noise involved.

This video is only a starting point and many other settings need to be explained yet

13 hours ago, suzelle said:

Awesome!!!! You get the thumbs up from me!

. Thankyou @suzelle

14 hours ago, Wild Bill46 said:

Very instructional, and detailed.  Hand held video not bad at all,

Thank you for the video.

Thanks Wild Bill, very kind words. I hope following vids get better. Doing the editing and adding words and such in Corel video studio is taking a lot to learn for me

16 hours ago, MtlBiker said:

@RockyAussie - What perfect timing!!!  Your videos came just when I need them most.  Thank you!  Last night I ruined 5 nice pieces of leather for my bags, by the skiver chewing them up.  SIGH  I finally stopped, decided to have a drink and relax and to try again tonight (perhaps).  I had been doing good with my skiver but last night I wanted to sharpen the bell knife for the first time and I also changed the leather I was using.  I think the sharpening went fine but I must have misadjusted something for the new leather.

I'm going to watch your videos today and hopefully will be able to get back to successful skiving tonight.  Again, thanks so much for your always helpful advice and outstanding videos.

Cheers!
 

Keep in mind I have been using these machines for nearly 30 years. Each machine type has its own peculiarities and some settings like spring pressures will vary somewhat. Many people when things start going wrong make the mistake of tightening these spring pressures up and find that the machine just keeps getting worse. Be careful not to bevel the inside of your bell when sharpening as this will encourage the leather being split to bite in and skive out too deeply. Thick and stiff leathers need a little tightening adjustment (second or third notch normally) and sometimes even a little bit of back angle on the feed stone if after a heavy bevel skive. Softer leathers you will get the best results by having minimal spring pressure (first notch on the outside normally), a very sharp blade and the feed stone at a minimal distance from the bell. If you want VERY thin leather then set the bell (.2mm) from the presser foot like as I show in the video . For very thick leather take the bell back so that you have a .5mm gap. With leathers thicker than 3 mm and you want to do a heavy skive try doing the skive in 2 stages instead.

[RockyAussie]

I have decided to add this bit of info in now due to a few occasions that I have had to post it in other locations.

 You do not have to move your bell back and forth to sharpen you need to adjust the sharpening stone location.

With a 12mm spanner you can loosen the bolt that allows the sharpening stone shaft to be moved in or out as in this picture below. Note the red arrow shows where you can see the shaft.

Move it in or out as above until you get more of a full across the edge sharpen on your bell edge.

I recommend for medium to soft leather a gap of .3mm from the bell edge to the presser foot. This cardboard note book cover is .3mm thick

For hard or thicker leathers it is best to move the bell back to around .5mm and for very thin skiving on soft leathers move it in to about .2mm.

For most skiving you should end up with around a 4mm bevel as shown below.