Video: Bell Knife Skiving Machine Setup, Adjustment, And Sharpening

[25b]

If you're having trouble with your bell knife skiving machine (Fortuna, Fratelli / FAV, Ellegi, Consew, Cowboy, etc.), you should probably watch this video. It's probably the best explanation of how to properly prepare and use these machines that I've seen...pay close attention to the sharpening part...it is critical to getting the machine to skive/split properly.

https://youtu.be/ysGu3LEitYc

[BigMatt]

Coincidentally, I just saw this video yesterday. It is a good one - especially since the Consew instructions are so poor.

Edited September 30, 2015 by BigMatt

[Matt T]

Nice video. Is there a secret to operating the knife feed knob (the one that moves the knife horizontally)? I can turn mine left and right a few rotations before it gets stuck and won't turn anymore. It also isn't moving the knife.

[25b]

Nice video. Is there a secret to operating the knife feed knob (the one that moves the knife horizontally)? I can turn mine left and right a few rotations before it gets stuck and won't turn anymore. It also isn't moving the knife.

I'm not sure which knob you're talking about...are you talking about the one that adjusts the space between the knife and the edge of the opening? Where is the knob located that you're asking about?

[Art]

A new bell knife pretty much takes up all the space there is in the machine. There should be little or no adjustment with a new knife. As you sharpen the knife and wear it down, you will have to move the knife over to the proper position.

Art

[Matt T]

I'm not sure which knob you're talking about...are you talking about the one that adjusts the space between the knife and the edge of the opening? Where is the knob located that you're asking about?

Yes, it moves the knife further or closer to the presser foot. Art, I think you may be right; because my blade not worn down much at all. There is a gap of about 1.5 mm between the knife and the presser foot. I was trying to move it a little closer to test the knob out, but it won't budge. I don't know what is stopping it from moving further, but hopefully it will move when my knife wears down more.

[Gregspitz]

I have a techsew skiver and the instructions say to sharpen the blade for a few seconds at a time only..this video that you posted the link to says up to five minutes..

I am not having any problems once I got it tuned in to what I need to do...but how long should you run the sharpener on most machines??

thanks

[25b]

Well, a new blade or a very dull blade will need to be sharpened much longer than a few seconds. The way I was shown was to put the stone to the blade such that you can see a good, glowing line on the stone.

Then leave it there. It should grind there for a while and as it sharpens the blade, the glowing line will get thinner and thinner to the point where it's not sharpening anymore because it's already sharpened it to the profile.

Once it does that, advance the stone some more until you get that nice, thick, glowing line again...and leave it there again, etc. until you've got the entire edge profiled and sharpened correctly.

Then, remove the sharpening stone back where it sits with the knob...then use your deburring stick to remove the burr on the inside of the blade.

Hope that makes sense...but yes, on a new or badly-profiled blade this whole process can take around 5-10 minutes or longer (up to 20 minutes or longer if you're not very aggressive with how much "bite" you get with the sharpening stone), again depending on how badly the knife is knicked or badly profiled before.

[Gregspitz]

PS.to move my knife blade I have to lift the whole machine up and loosen a screw underneath move the blade and then tighten the screw again and put the machine down..

different machines are set up to move the blade in different ways

[25b]

Ok, well then it sounds like your particular process might take a lot longer than that. Glad my machine isn't built like that...looks like I made the right call on the one to get because I'd be angry if I had to do that every time I needed to move the blade.

[Christiana]

Unable to use my new skiver since purchased because grinding stone will not move away from the bell knife when I turn the knob.  It seems stone is stuck to the knife. Sparks everywhere when I turn machine on. Please, please advise. Thank you.