Cowboy Cb-4500 A Dud?

[SethJ]

Thanks for all the replies! Ok this morning I'm back trying again. I have re threaded the machine and changed the needle to a #26.

Oh The flywheel issue- Bob had sent a new bobbin race and since installing it,..I dont seem to have that issue anymore(YES THE FLYWHEEL WAS TIGHT) that was the first thing I thought too. But the shaft would turn,..just nothing would move.

Ok I rethreaded with #346 on top with a 26 needle,..and 277 on the bobbin. I also threaded like someone said going thru the eyelet over the tensioner twice(in and out)......

I HAVE NO DOUBT ITS USER ERROR LOL....the machine runs too well when it does run,...so its something going on ...

does anybody know about WET leather? It seems to affect the sewing.

Ok I just put two perfectly flat pieces of 10 ounce in the machine. It sewed it perfectly for about 20 stitches then I stopped,..no issue,..stitches look good,..tension looks good,..knot is hidden,..no pucker.

The issue comes when I have a good prepared piece of work!!!AAARRGGGHHH!!! Like the edge of a holster.....I THINK I AM DEFINATELY GETTING SOME NEEDLE DEFLECTION AS SOMEONE MENTIONED.....AND YES IT SHREDS ON A MISSED STITCH only,..NO OTHER TIME......

getting closer!! I think the WET leather is a big issue,.....something happening there....

Edited January 14, 2014 by SethJ

[SethJ]

Hello again:

Watched the second video you posted.. I think it was the one entitle "Cowboy 4500......". Couple of observations:

1. When you first start sewing-- make sure the thread is through the hole in the inside presser foot before you start sewing. Again not likely to be cause of the problem but by eliminating potentially bad sewing habits you eliminate those from the list of potential problems.( OK I DID NOT KNOW TO DO THIS,..THANKS!)

2. It looked to me like perhaps the machine may have been threaded incorrectly. The way I personally set up my machines when they leave the Cowboy Distribution Warehouse is to put the thread through the eyelet above the primary thread tension, wrap the thread 1 1/2 times around the disks, then come out the same eyelet and go down through the thread take up spring and then up to the thread take up lever. In other words thread goes in eyelet above primary tension twice.....once on way in and once on way out. In doing it this way it is a lot less likely to get jammed in between the disks.( OK DID THIS,..GOOD IDEA,..I WAS ONLY GOING THRU ONCE AND IT WAS AN OCCASSIONAL ISSUE GETTING OUT OF DISCS)

3. Make sure that the needle is shoved all way into hole in needle bar. Scarf should face to right and long groove should face to left(YEP,..ALL OK).

4. Remember to reinstall flywheel according to my previous post. I can see for certain that flywheel is loose. It should never spin freely on shaft with machine doing nothing. Such a condition always indicates that flywheel is not tight on shaft.( SHAFT WAS SPINNING,..LIKE INTERNALS SLIPPING BUT PROBLEM WENT AWAY WITH BOBBIN RACE CHANGE)

5. Remember to try a bigger needle. That will help with needle deflection.( uSING A 25 WITH 277 AND 26 WITH 346,..SEEMS THATS NOT A BIG ISSUE)

6. One last thing to try. Go get some fine grit emery cloth and cut off a very thin sliver. Remove the inside presser foot (the foot that has hole in it that needle goes up and down through) and floss the inside of the hole with the emery cloth. On rare occasions there is a small burr in the hole caused by the manufacturing process that slips by our QC staff. This can cause the thread to fray as well.( DONT SEE ANY BURRS/ ROUGHNESS,..IT ONLY SHREDS ON A SKIP-STITCH)

Thread fraying on these machines can be a double edged sword. If the machine skips a stitch, that can cause the thread to fray, but if the thread is frayed that can cause the machine to skip!!! By installing a fresh size 26 needle and running emery cloth in inside foot you will remove two possible causes of thread fraying.

Hope this helps.

GREAT INPUT THANK YOU!

[CowboyBob]

Seth,I'll send a pack of #26 (next size larger) and that should cure your needle deflection.

[SethJ]

ILooking back my comments seem harsh about it being a dud,.....let me catch my breath,....I'm SO FRUSTRATED.

The machine runs well under ideal conditions,....it's just destroyed a LOT of my work,...and its really bugging me.

When it does work,..it works beautifully......I just have to get past these issues and I'm concerned.

[neelsaddlery]

Seth:

In theory wet leather should sew more easily than dried leather. It should be a lot easier to sew the wet leather. I would check the flywheel to make certain that it is lined up with the v-groove and tighten all bolts again. If the flywheel turned as it did in the video then the only other thing that could cause it other than a loose flywheel is if all the gears were racked out of the back of the machine and this would be impossible as the machine would not sew at all.

Polish inside presser foot and black collar holes just to be sure thread will not fray.

If you cannot get ahold of Bob, you can call me and I can help you with any issues you may be experiencing.

[SethJ]

Seth,I'll send a pack of #26 (next size larger) and that should cure your needle deflection.

No No! I have some 26! I'm running 26 with 346 on top this morning,.....and 277 on bobbin,....doing some experiments...just hang tight,..I do however need the holster plate which I didnt recieve?

QUESTION?: Does the holster plate use the walker foot? Or is it removed like the stirrup plate?

Edited January 14, 2014 by SethJ

[neelsaddlery]

Seth:

Try using the 26 needle with the 277 thread. The big needle will not deflect as much as the smaller 25 needle. Yes it will punch bigger holes but the added thickness of the 26 needle will mean that it will not deflect as badly.

Check that flywheel!!!!! I know I just mentioned it a billion times in my previous posts but trust me when I say the wheel could only do what it did in the video if one of the set screws slipped out of the v-groove.

Hope this helps.

[SethJ]

Seth:

Try using the 26 needle with the 277 thread. The big needle will not deflect as much as the smaller 25 needle. Yes it will punch bigger holes but the added thickness of the 26 needle will mean that it will not deflect as badly.

Check that flywheel!!!!! I know I just mentioned it a billion times in my previous posts but trust me when I say the wheel could only do what it did in the video if one of the set screws slipped out of the v-groove.

Hope this helps.

Ok the flywheel issue has been resolved! The 346 thread was snagging in the bobbin race and locking everything up,...Flywheel is TIGHT! the shft was even turning. But this issue seems to have been resolved on changing the bobbin race!

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Seth, between Bob and Neels' posts you should have all you need to get it running the way it was supposed to. I have one and it performs flawlessly, and has ever since I bought it over a year ago. I sew everything wit it, wet, dry, 2 to 3 oz up to and including doubled and tripled 12-13 oz. The only thing I see that was not mentioned in the posts by the other guys is, and I am not sure about this, but; it looks like you have the thread looping through the arm thread guide bottom assembly, it should only go straight through once. Again, not sure, but; it looks like that in the second video. Don't give up, you have a really good machine, and once it is set up correctly and you are used to using it, you will find yourself using it for everything. Bob

[SethJ]

This might sound stupid,..but I have a roll of Black 346 that runs ok on the bobbin and the top......white runs like crap,..the black runs good! lol

I think I'm losing my mind. The black even feels different,..like softer,..not as brittle,.....