Cobra 4 Accesories ** Help **

[Fd3615]

Ok I am sitting looking at a pile of pressor feet, plates, and walking dogs. I am a tad lost, the instructions say which to use, however they arent labeled.

Also if i remove the feed dog to use the stirrup plate ( which one is that again ) how will the material be moved through the machine? and which pressor feet do I use? Also whats the right pressor foot? which one is that? and is it used alone?

i am so confused... is there a better reference then the book that came with the machine, the video didnt seem to adress all my questions either.

PS I LOVE THIS MACHINE. I SHOULDN'T HAVE WAITED SO LONG TO GET IT..

[Bigpaws]

FD,

When you remove the feed dog, you still have the needle and the presser foot feeding the machine. The right presser foot is the one that goes on the right side of the presser foot bar. I may be wrong (being a new Cobra 4 user as well), but I think that all of the presser feet are used alone. The stirrup plate is the one with the shorter (looking front to back) shoulder. The other is a holster plate. If you go to Cobra's web site under accessories, you can see the difference between all of the plates and feet.

Rick

[Fd3615]

Thank you rick, i did go to the website, and i have found the names for everything. But still dont neccesarily know in what circumstances to use them.

I also tried putting the slotted plate on after removing the feed dog, when i did this the material didnt feed and the stitch length was a mess

[J Hayes]

I typically only use the smooth dog and double toe foot. I sew holsters mainly. I did mess with some of the other plates but felt it wasn't worth my time as I liked the way it sewed with the dog and double toe. Someday maybe I'll find use for those extras.

[Cascabel]

Thank you rick, i did go to the website, and i have found the names for everything. But still dont neccesarily know in what circumstances to use them.

I would also like to know under exactly what circumstances the accessory items are used. Some accurate info would be most helpful, and prevent wasting of time and expensive leather. Perhaps Wiz can enlighten us with examples or some sort of tutorial with pictures ?? So far I have only done simple projects, but I would love to be able to make use of the accessory items, if I knew how to use them.

[Wizcrafts]

I use the raised rounded top stirrup plate to sew circular items and corners on saddle bags.

I use the raised flat top holster plate to get past holster clips and belt loops and snaps on the back of holsters and sheaths.

Other than that, I use the flat slotted throat plate for 90% of my sewing on my CB4500.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Wizcrafts

[neelsaddlery]

Hello:

We get a lot of calls from folks that wonder exactly what the attachments for the 441 clones are used for, and while each attachment can be used for a variety of uses, the general uses are outlined below:

1. Flat slotted needle plate -- used where sewing against a flat surface (rather than the convex surface of standard needle plate)is needed most, and where the feed dog is not needed. The flat slotted plate is used most often when sewing belts, strap goods, horse tack and so forth. The flat slotted plate requires the removal of the feed dog in order to be used. With the feed dog removed, the machine will still feed, but there will be additional drag created by the removal of the feed dog. This will require the stitch length adjuster to be set to a larger stitch then if the user were using the feed dog. The left, the right, or the double toe harness foot can be used with this plate

2. Holster plate -- this is of course used mostly on knife sheaths and gun holsters, but also is used anytime you need to sew an item in which the item needs to be raised above the plane of the cylinder arm of the sewing machine. Uses of the holster plate include knife sheaths, gun holsters, radio cases, and other applications in which the work needs to be raised above the level of the cylinder arm. It should be noted also that the effective sewable thickness of the machine will be reduced when sewing with this plate because of the raised area. The machine will sew around 1/2 inch thick items with this plate. I find that one can use the left, the right, or the double toe harness foot with this plate. The feed dog is also eliminated when using this foot, and one will need to set the machine to have a bigger stitch length when using this plate because of the removal of the feed dog.

3. Stirrup plate - the stirrup plate is used mostly for sewing leather covered stirrups. However, the stirrup plate can also be used like the holster plate as well. I find that generally the left toe foot is the best to use with the stirrup plate. The effective sewable thickness of the machine is also reduced when using this plate, and so the machine will sew to around 1/2" thick, or a little more. The plate also requires removal of the feed dog, and so the stitch length will need to be widened when using this plate.

There are also left, right, and double toe presser feet with the machine as well as a large padded material foot. Please see the uses for these below:

1. Double toe harness makers foot -- this foot is an excellent choice for all around leather sewing. Having two toes on either side it will work well in applications where space is not limited, or one is not trying to sew very close to the edge of the work. It is an excellent foot for horse tack, saddles, harness, some belts, and general leather sewing.

2. Left toe foot -- this works well when one is trying to sew close to the edge of the work and needs to have a toe removed in order to get close to the edge. It should be noted that that the left toe foot works best when the body of the work is going to be to the RIGHT of the needle. This is because the right toe is removed, and the right toe is the toe to the right hand side of the needle. This foot can be used for belts, holsters, knife sheaths and the like.

3. Right toe foot -- the right toe foot works in much the same manner as the left toe foot, but works best when sewing the material to the left hand side of the needle. General applications are the same, but again when the bulk of the work will appear to the left hand side of the needle.

4. Fabric foot -- this foot works best when sewing padded material, canvas, and fabrics. It is a very large and wide foot, suited best for holding large and bulky works.

Hope this is of some help when it comes to the uses of the feet and also the needle plates for the 441 clone type machines.

Edited January 16, 2014 by neelsaddlery

[Fd3615]

Wow thank you for the responses. Very informative, and much appreciated. Pictures would make this thread more informative for the next newbie lost like me..

[Cascabel]

Finally some useful info on these accessory items !!! This probably needs to be pinned for easy reference.

[Wizcrafts]

Wow thank you for the responses. Very informative, and much appreciated. Pictures would make this thread more informative for the next newbie lost like me..

The following link is normally used to open a pop-up information window, from the pages of the Cowboy 441 clones. But, here it is on its own, just because you asked! It details the various feet and cover plates and edge guides for the 441 clones, including Cobra, Cowboy and Techsew.

[Santo]

The following link is normally used to open a pop-up information window, from the pages of the Cowboy 441 clones. But, here it is on its own, just because you asked! It details the various feet and cover plates and edge guides for the 441 clones, including Cobra, Cowboy and Techsew

Hate to barge in, but quick question for Wiz. Are the accessories interchangeable between all the clones? I really like the paddle feet, thread lube box, and swing away roller arm Cowboy offers.

[Andrew Chee]

Just a clarification on the stirrup plate. I have used mine on an Artisan Toro 3000 and I have found that the plate needs to be used with a right toe foot instead of a left because there is not enough material on the left of the plate for the foot to press down on. Also, I found that with the stirrup plate on, my sewing thickness goes down to about 1/4". At least that's what I've observed on my machine.

Andrew

[Wizcrafts]

Hate to barge in, but quick question for Wiz. Are the accessories interchangeable between all the clones? I really like the paddle feet, thread lube box, and swing away roller arm Cowboy offers.

As far as I have seen, yes. I sometimes us a Cobra standard plate on my Cowboy, because it is totally smooth on top. The stirrup, holster and flat slotted plates also interchange. The swing-away edge guide requires a special adapter that has a long slot cut out from the right end. It is T shaped. If you don't have one, order it from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines (Cowboy) or Leather Machinery Company (Cobra). I suppose Techsew also sells this combination.

Anybody using raised throat plates should bear in mind that you will lose the height of the plate above4 the base level in sewing capacity. So, if your machine allowed you to sew 3/4 inch with the standard plate, you might end up with just 7/16 inch with the stirrup plate and 1/2 inch with the holster plate. For machines able to sew 7/8 inch, the numbers are 1/8" taller.

I actually ground down my holster plate a little, then buffed it to a polish.

[Wizcrafts]

The lube pot may or may not require a new or larger diameter hole to be bored in the head.

The Cowboy paddle feet are a special set of three pieces. Due to a difference in height, after installing the inside foot and one outside paddle foot, you may have to reposition the big crank arm protruding out the rear of the faceplate, with the large hex-head screw, to take up any difference in height between these parts and the originals.

[oclack]

If the teeth on the standard throat plat are marking my leather, is this a top pressure issue, or should I be looking for a smooth through plate?

[Wizcrafts]

If the teeth on the standard throat plat are marking my leather, is this a top pressure issue, or should I be looking for a smooth through plate?

I used Emory cloth on my throat plates that had grooves on top and then buffed them to a high polish. I can't imagine why those grooves are there, other than the Chinese copied a standard Juki TSC 441 and simply know nothing about sewing veg-tan leather. Someone needs to tell them to produce smooth throat plates for leather sewing machines.

[Cobra Steve]

Hello. Regarding the stitch length, when you remove the feed dog, you are essentially taking half of the feeding away, so, you must increase your stitch length by at least 1 or 2 numbers. In the instruction book, it goes over all of the accessories that come with the COBRA Class 4. If you need more info, you can call me and I will go over them all with you. Thanks, Steve

[tomt]

it would be nice if the people that sell these machine would make a video that would show how to use these the different plates would take a lot of question from these proablem

[Chef niloc]

I would love it if cobra would do a video on changing out and using these plates and accessories. I got mine about a year and a half ago and have never used any of the plate attachments mainly because I couldn't figure out how they fit or work. Example I didn't know that the fee dog needed to be removed in order to use the holster plate.

[Chef niloc]

Hello. Regarding the stitch length, when you remove the feed dog, you are essentially taking half of the feeding away, so, you must increase your stitch length by at least 1 or 2 numbers. In the instruction book, it goes over all of the accessories that come with the COBRA Class 4. If you need more info, you can call me and I will go over them all with you. Thanks, Steve

Mine didn't, come with a instruction book, at least I don't think so? all I got was a quick setup sheet of paper and a part list with part numbers on it, no instructions? I ordered and bought the instruction manual for the Juki TSN- 421 / TSC-441 ( one book) directly from Juki (not as easy to do {order, get your hands on} as one might think ). It has been very helpful and insightful on how to operate and set up the machine but it of course doesn't offer any information on the custom parts you guys make for your machines. After reading this post I don't believe I got the fabric for with my machine either, don't know if it was supposed to come with it, but I think it was?

There's a YouTube video out there somewhere I'll look for the link that some guy made that's pretty good as well on how to set up and troubleshoot some possible issues

[JLSleather]

Imagine that .. out of curiosity, I'm searching - and found this slightly older thread about.. well ... thread

STILL no info about using these swap-able "plates"? Holster plate, stirrup plate, ... and I still have yet to have someone SHOW me the Cobra 4 "stitching back in the same holes". Yeah, that's in quotes because everyone SAYS it - not so many DOING it. I've seen THREE of these machines that defiinitely do NOT stitch back in the same holes, and have had one man admit that his doesn't either.

Anybody? Hmm?

[Greystone]

so far to date @ 20 months mine has hit the back stitch every time,

except when I do something to screw it up.

I'm satisfied with mine and and would not hesitate getting a second if the need was there.

I think when if/ it misses its been MY ERROR as the cause,

and or I'm stitching slow enough at these points I automatically/ instinctively adjust to hit the end where I WANT IT.

Still learning, something new every use, and confident, that its a solid machine and if it screws up its operator input/error first

still using the standard plate and not tried any of the others

but feel no issue changing plates, with LMC's help and or info here if I have an issue

just my over priced $0.02

David

Edited December 9, 2014 by Greystone

[Squilchuck]

Does the height of the center pressed foot or the tension on the outside foot need to be adjusted? I have just experimented with plates that require feed dog to removed and have hard time keeping stitch length even because leather feeds poorly. Any tips?

[awharness]

I've got a 441 and a short arm clone and used bunch of feet, and plates from where ever. Where is it that you adjust the presses for height? I've got a "tufting" foot I use with a raised throat plate, but never knew how to adjust the height for the paddle foot! Pictures would be great!

-Andrew

[Squilchuck]

Instructions came w my Cobra 4. Maybe that doc is online at their Leather Machine website?