So, You Want To Buy A Skiving Machine!

[Ferg]

I fiddled with my moms old treadle Singer sewing machine when a kid, have been fascinated and aggravated by them ever since.

Have wanted a Skiving Machine ever since I bought the last sewing machine. A very useful and fascinating machine as well.

Bob Kovar had a new Cowboy 802, top and bottom feed, which is a clone of a Fortuna. We picked it up the 22nd of January. Being 165 miles from Bob's shop makes the trip a necessary one.

No manual available for the machine as far as I know. About 8 pages of necessary information but nothing on lubrication or much about what different knobs and screws affect functions. Operation of the machine is a lot easier if you visit every web site you can find that has anything about the machines, all makes and types. There are a number of videos on You Tube that are helpful, some not so much.

The machine came with a clutch motor, a very fast clutch motor. Being old and more than a little slow I like to sew and skive slooooow. I should have had Bob exchange the motor while I was there but I wasn't thinking much about anything except, I finally had my skiver.

Two weeks later I returned to Toledo with the entire machine, table, legs and motor. There was a problem with the adjustment of the bell knife mechanism, I wanted Bobby, Bob's son to look at it. Thought he might be able to fix it while I waited. Swapped the clutch motor for a digital brushless servo which they installed on my table. Bobby determined the machine would need to be torn down to fix it so we left with everything but the head. When we got home I called them about something else, they had fixed the machine about 15 minutes after we left but didn't have our Cell number. Bobby brought the machine to us the following evening and carried it up the stairs for me. That is service with a smile!!!!

I spent about six or eight hours over several days playing with this machine. Adjusting different knobs, grinding the edge on the bell knife, and slicing about 5 pounds of leather scrap.

Unit is available with three different shapes of top feed rollers. Straight, tapered, and a concave roller that is equal to the radius of the knife. That one is being ordered for me. I can skive to paper thin on the edge with gradual skive back to bout 1/2" from edge with the tapered roller. This makes a skive you can fold over itself, "rolled edge", that equals the thickness of the body of the leather. This feature makes it possible to accurately skive a small amount of thickness of the edge of purse parts so a seam is not so thick where more than one comes together. Wallet backs skived to make rolled edges. Wallet interiors thinned at edges. I even took a piece of 1 1/2 - 2 oz leather and shaved the "fuzz" off the back side.

I have read these machines scrape the leather. This is not so with this one or any others with a bell knife, it cuts the layer. Was informed you needed the speed of the clutch motor to properly skive. That is not true. I can slow the servo to where the knife is turning very slow and the feed roller (steel) is turning even slower. Viewed professionals getting the beginning edge of leather caught under knife or other part of machine as it exited the knife. Slow feed eliminates this entirely plus I can change direction of feed if I wish without mutilating half the piece.

Keep the knife sharp. You only need to barely touch the grinding wheel to the knife to sharpen it. A sharp knife cuts any of the leather like soft butter with the remnants falling through a whole under the head, down a chute and into a waste receptacle. Some have vacuum attachments.

I viewed a number of these machines. Many are exactly the same with different names on them. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if most are made in the same factory in China or Formosa. Construction of this model appears to be well done. No noisy bearings or vibrating parts. The head weighs 100 pounds so decide where you wish to place it in your shop area. I need bright light and lots of it to see what I am doing. My leather shop is what was my youngest daughter's bedroom. Big windows to the south and east. Lamps and fluorescents a must.

Am enclosing a few photos of my leather shop, the wood shop is considerably larger but not as cozy. Don't laugh at the wall paper. Remember it was my daughter's bedroom and I cannot make myself change it.

I am very much a novice with this equipment as well as my sewing machines but if I can help with answers to some questions about any of them just let me know.

ferg

I have a double door closet with shelves where I store my leather. No sunlight exposure.

Cylinder arm is a Seiko, flatbed a Consew.

gear reduction motor on the Seiko, a Consew servo on the flatbed with a speed reducer.

Workbench has a large granite slab in the center level with top. Stamping tools in their own holes in a block of pine timber left when building the house. Most edge tools behind leather straps on board behind the bench. Have more to put up there when the spirit moves me.

Cutting table is an unused computer table with a second top that also has a slab of Corian laying on it for cutting.

In case any of you are wondering about the weight on the floor that is the ceiling of our Master Bedroom. The floor joist are 4 x 10 timber 2' on center with 2 x 6 tongue and groove for a subfloor, 1/4" underlayment and the carpet. Wife can't even hear the machines running downstairs.

Edited February 3, 2013 by 50 years leather

[billymac814]

Very nice looking machine. Bob and bobby are both great to deal with, I bought two machines and a table/motor combo from them, I too make the trip. They are further away from me but right off of I80 so I plan my trips there around trips to my inlaws in Chicago. I just ordered a pull through skiver from them as well. I didn't even know they sold them until I asked.

About how much was that machine? I would someday like to get one. I almost picked up a used one at an auction but I didn't know enough about them and I figured it may end up being a headache because I had no idea of the condition or type, a lot of times its just easier to buy new, especially when you don't know much about them.

[Ferg]

Fortuna machines are over $4000 new. New and better clones can be had for about $1800 to $2300.

There are a few that sell for around $1300. From what I have gathered they aren't much plus they are normally only bottom feed.

ferg

[Massive]

OK, tell me about feeds. That is where I went wrong with my first heavy sewing machine.

[mikesmith648]

Very nice setup Ferg............now I want one too!!! Getting ready to move into our new house in the next few weeks and can't wait to set up the shop similar to the way you have yours.

Mike