Problem with leather splitter/skiving machines

[Coloradoguy]

I had major problems with two different skiver/splitter machines.  The first one I purchased from Tandy (their High Tech Leather Splitter) as a discontinued closeout.  I ruined several leather belts with it while trying to skive the buckle end.  I practiced on scrap leather so I thought I had the technique down, but on some belts when I pulled the leather through it skived all the way through the to the face of the belt and ruined the belt.  This happened several times.  So I sold it on eEbay and purchased a different one on Amazon that looked the same machine as the TandyPro Deluxe Leather Splitter but is being sold for much less.  I had the same problem with that unit and returned it.  With both units I had to pull very hard to get the leather through. 

Has anyone else had this happen, or is my problem all user error?  I'm thinking about trying either the unit from BuckleGuy or the TandyPro Deluxe Leather Splitter.  The BuckleGuy sells what looks like the same unit as what Tandy and Amazon are selling, but in a demo video it appears the leather pulls through his machine very easily.  His website says the blade is really sharp.  

[Dwight]

I use my Tandy splitter almost exclusively for belts . . . generally I leave a little extra on each end . . . I grab it with a pair of vise grips . . .  and pull it thru.  

I actually start about 10 or 12 inches in from one end . . . then turn it around and do that section  last so the whole blank is the same thickness.

You are probably having two problems . . . 

The first is your blade is not sharp.  Coming from the factory . . . none of those blades are SHARP . . . they are kind of a dull sharp . . . but not sharp type sharp.

Your blade should be able to be held in one hand and shave 1/2 inch slices of a piece of copy paper . . . just like you might do with a straight razor or a pocket knife.

If it is not that sharp . . . you need to work on it.  I sharpen mine with several stones . . . ending up with a 3000 grit . . . and then I strop it . . . and I strop each side.  When I get done . . . you do not want to touch that blade for any reason except to cut leather.

Your second problem is in the picture . . . my hand it on the bail.  Your leather needs to be under that bail . . . and as you pull the leather thru with your right hand . . . hold the bail down with the left hand . . . or lay a 2 x 4 edge on it to keep it down.  If you don't . . . your leather will ride up and you will cut completely thru your blank.

If you take a good look at the picture . . . my blade will appear to be rusty . . . it is not . . . believe me.  It is greasy . . . that is just plain old axle grease on it . . .  and it is on both sides . . . it keeps the sharpness from going away between uses.  I wipe the grease off the blade . . . then run a piece of scrap thru it to check for sharpness . . . before I use it.

When I get done for the day . . . unless I know for certain I will use it the next day . . . I grease it up and set it off my work bench.

Hope this helps . . . may God bless,

Dwight

 

[Coloradoguy]

Thanks for the tips Dwight.  I don't recall reading anything in the instructions about holding the bail down.

It's been over a year since I tried those machines and there are two more things I could have been doing wrong.  What am I supposed to do regarding locking the knob on the side, and whether I should put pressure on the lever, or not?

Edited Sunday at 08:15 PM by Coloradoguy

[Dwight]

Well . . . to start from the beginning . . . first determine how thick you want this piece of leather to be.

Then loosen the large allen screws on each side of the blade . . . then by turning the black plactic knobs . . . you can raise or lower the blade . . . and when you have it where you want it . . . tighten the large allen screws.

Now you are ready to go.

Loosen the knob on the right side of the skiver . . . and you can then use the lever to lift or drop the roller . . . drop it and insert the leather piece you want to skive.  Pull thru about an inch or two while holding the lever down.  You will notice it drop as you begin your cut . . . as it pulls the roller up to the proper position.

Once you have that inch or two skived . . . tighten the knob on the right hand side of the machine . . . while holding the lever down . . . that will keep the thickness even.

You can then lay a board or something on the bail . . . to keep it from allowing the leather to jump up . . . jumping up gives you the bad skiving experience.

Pull the whole piece thru . . . loosen the knob . . . insert the stub end . . . about an inch or two from where you need to start . . . again under the bail . . . and tighten the knob . . . pull the stub end thru and you are done.

May God bless,

Dwight

 

 

Edited Sunday at 11:34 PM by Dwight

[Coloradoguy]

Thank you Dwight, I appreciate the detailed explanation

[Hildebrand]

Great explanation Dwight, your picture made me take a second look, I thought I was looking at my bench. Minus the grease I have that same splitter and that same plastic mat on my bench.  Like they say great minds think alike.

Todd

[Dwight]

8 hours ago, Hildebrand said:

Great explanation Dwight, your picture made me take a second look, I thought I was looking at my bench. Minus the grease I have that same splitter and that same plastic mat on my bench.  Like they say great minds think alike.

Todd

That is my second mat like that . . . and I've already turned it around.

I love the thing . . . 

Wish the splitter was as easy to use as the mat is . . .  lol

May God bless,

Dwight

[bruce johnson]

Back from the Sheridan leather show this afternoon and catching up. I had a guy bring one of these splitters to my booth to sell me or trade. He was not getting along with it and it was doing what the complaint was here. Once we looked at things and for his needs the one he has is fine. he just needed help. 

#1 - of course the blade needed sharpening. He took it to a guy sharpening at the show. Now he knows what sharp is.  

#2 - the blade adjustment was like this in the picture. Serious question - are there directions that show to adjust the leading edge of the blade that FAR back from the top center of the roller? I find it really odd that I saw this on his and now in this picture. That blade edge should be centered over the top center of the roller. This picture and his were too far back and naturally will cut a strap in two easily.  I showed him Osborne #84 and #86 I had for sale at the show. I told him how to center it and the light came on. 

#3 - pulling leather through any pull-through splitter other than a Chase pattern splitter. The leather in front needs to be lower and direction of pull in back needs to be lower than the edge of the blade. The leather almost needs to wrap around the roller slightly to feed correctly. The Osborne #84 has a hold down rod that locks in place, Looks like this Tandy doesn't latch down. Some of the knock-offs do, some don't have a hold down at all.

#4 Dwight, I am not understanding  your recommendation to loosen the large Allen's that hold the blade to adjust the up and down on the blade. They should be used to set the position of the blade edge in relation to the top center of the roller. Once that is set, they don't need to be touched for anything other than removing the blade for stropping or sharpening. As the blade wears then they go further back in the slots to maintain that blade edge/top center roller position. The thickness is adjusted with the limiting screws and black knobs only, the knurled is a jam nut to help hold that setting. Set them to the stop height, and that's it. For a lap skive they can be all the way up to taper out to a feather edge. Otherwise set to thickness and like you said, pull the leather as you push the handle to start the level skive. Once the the roller tops out against the height adjusters  then you can tighten that side knob to hold position and use two hands to pull. Some can just hold that handle forward and pull with the other hand for the whole split or level skive length too. 

[Dwight]

4 hours ago, bruce johnson said:

#4 Dwight, I am not understanding  your recommendation to loosen the large Allen's that hold the blade to adjust the up and down on the blade. They should be used to set the position of the blade edge in relation to the top center of the roller. Once that is set, they don't need to be touched for anything other than removing the blade for stropping or sharpening. As the blade wears then they go further back in the slots to maintain that blade edge/top center roller position. The thickness is adjusted with the limiting screws and black knobs only, the knurled is a jam nut to help hold that setting. Set them to the stop height, and that's it. For a lap skive they can be all the way up to taper out to a feather edge. Otherwise set to thickness and like you said, pull the leather as you push the handle to start the level skive. Once the the roller tops out against the height adjusters  then you can tighten that side knob to hold position and use two hands to pull. Some can just hold that handle forward and pull with the other hand for the whole split or level skive length too. 

Uhh . . . yeah . . . reading it myself again . . . I don't know . . . brain out in left field . . . 

I guess I was just going as I usually do . . . as I always take the blade off . . . clean the grease off it . . . put it back on . . . then adjust the depth . . . as most of the time, what I did last time isn't what I need this time.  

And that is why the blade is not over the center . . . I just stuck it back on from the last use . . . after I greased it up.

I actually used to use it a lot more than I have lately . . . as I've been taking a micrometer with me to see truly what thickness leather I'm buying . . . and it has cut down on my time on the splitter.

Thanks for both points . . . especially the blade position as I know better . . . just didn't do it last time I put it back on.

Glad someone is watching over me . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited 8 hours ago by Dwight