United Shoe Machinery Corp Splitter Help?

[Mark Garrity]

So, I picked up this beast cheap from a seller who knew nothing about it. Does anyone here have any information on it? Does an owner's manual exist?

It works - if I want it to slice to about 1 1/2 to 2 oz. No matter what thickness of leather I feed it, and no matter what setting I have it adjusted too, that's the thickness it cuts. The close-up photo shows the thickness guage. The small wheel to adjust it is to the top right. When I turn it, the guage does move and there is movement in the cylinder below it, but it does not change the thickness cut like it should. The brass plate on the machine reads: Manufactured by the United Shoe Machinery Corp., Boston, Mass., U.S.A., General Department, Summit Splitting Machine - Model M, No. 3960. Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Mark

[Luke Hatley]

So, I picked up this beast cheap from a seller who knew nothing about it. Does anyone here have any information on it? Does an owner's manual exist?

It works - if I want it to slice to about 1 1/2 to 2 oz. No matter what thickness of leather I feed it, and no matter what setting I have it adjusted too, that's the thickness it cuts. The close-up photo shows the thickness guage. The small wheel to adjust it is to the top right. When I turn it, the guage does move and there is movement in the cylinder below it, but it does not change the thickness cut like it should. The brass plate on the machine reads: Manufactured by the United Shoe Machinery Corp., Boston, Mass., U.S.A., General Department, Summit Splitting Machine - Model M, No. 3960. Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Mark

Prilgrim Shoe Company...Mr Harris should be able to help you.

[KAYAK45]

HAHAHA! Sorry Mark for your pain. It just reminded me of when I bought a similar machine a couple years ago, an American instead of a USM. I had to chuckle.

Same thing, no matter what I did. Just keep cleaning, oiling and I hate to say..WD-40. I personally don't like to use it much, but the s8=5576&*^%$t sometimes works. I have read since a good bath in diesel fuel will speed the process. But with the price of fuel..maybe a new machine is cheaper???? LOL

You can ..eventually loosen it up and yours will adjust better than mine. It's much newer and better, but I'm still chuckling. Sorry

Kevin

[bruce johnson]

I have taken down several Landis, Americans, and Champions and cleaned and got them back together. This USMC looks like it has some different mechanisms though. Luke's right, call Pilgrim. The only manual for a crank splitter I know is for the Landis 30. Some things are sort of universal, but this has a little different design for the adjustment than the others. Are there any set screws on top that might adjust the height position on the slider bar? Still if that top roller is moving, it ought to be splitting at different thicknesses.

Another question, are you running it through grain side up? Had to ask. I had a customer buy a Chase and have problems with only splitting one thickness very easily. He had used a Tandy #84 knock off pull-through splitter before and was pulling the leather through the Chase grain side down too. He said it would only split about 2 oz or a little better. The light came on for me then that he was pulling his leather through like he would on the #84 style. The Chases are opposite and pulled through flesh side down. When we figured out the problem, it hit me that I set the gaps between the lower roller and the blade for about 3 oz.

Kayak45, so you're the one! I have got two crank splitters that had the diesel dunk. One was pretty well packed in bubble wrap and I was the only casualty. The other appeared to have been put in the shipping box and then the box was filled with enough fuel and newspaper to burn a wet mule. It made it here from MN only held together by the power of 3M strapping tape. The post office folks were not happy. They gave it to me in an official use only plastic tray and told me to keep the tray, they didn't want it back. It had warning stickers all over it from probably everyone in the USPS that handled it. I am kind of surprised I even got it. I figured it would got diverted as a hazardous shipment somewhere along the way.

[Mark Garrity]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Bruce, there are set screws and adjustment screws all over this damn thing. I should have posted a pic of the back of it. I thought the 1st pic would show the crank and adjustment wheel I referenced but it doesn't, and thats as far from it as I can get to take a pic the way I have it set up in the shop on a worktable near a wall (and I ain't moving it again!). I haven't really had a chance to devote too much time to it, and figured it best to ask around before I started playing with adjustments too much and made things worse. I've actually tried running grain and flesh side up. Didn't seem to make much difference. I guess a call to Pilgram is in order.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Mark Garrity

[KAYAK45]

Nae! Not me! I still have the splitter and I only dunk sewing machines now, and keep im all.

Bet that shipping was a problem!!! If I ever ship you something, I promise it'll be clean. and DRY!

Thanks BTW for some great tools. I just got my American Knife and it is perfect. Just like the other great tools. Quit selling me stuff, my wife says!

Kevin

[MamaD]

I have a United Shoe splitter that is the Model A. I really need to find a manual for it. It needs adjusting and I just don't know what everything is for. It starts to pull the leather in then stops about 1/8 inch in. Anyone know how to work on these things? When it runs right it is a wonderful old machine.