Cobra Class 4 Skiver Help Needed

[venator]

Does anyone have a link to how to set-up, operate one of these? I bought one second hand and cannot seem to get it to skive, it either cuts right through the leather or does nothing at all and I'm getting frustrated. I've emailed cobra asking for instructions, or a manual, or a video, and received no response so if anyone could help I'd really appreciate it.

[Art]

No. Not much in the way of support for that machine. Here is Campbell demoing a Fortuna, best I could find. Call the Cobra folks, maybe they can help.

Art

[Cobra Steve]

Hello. Please call us, we can help you.

[venator]

Hello. Please call us, we can help you.

As I said I've tried emailing since I doubt my issue could be solved via telephone.

The machine is fine, it's just a learning issue and I'd do that best by watching instructional videos or reading instructions.

[venator]

Well I called and cobra is mailing me a manual, not sure why they don't respond to emails but that's very nice of them. It is a little disappointing that I won't be able to use the machine for another week or so until that arrives as I had some projects I wanted to get done this week that it would have been very handy for. Not their fault however that there's no manual with my used machine.

I don't suppose anyone has experience with these and could maybe talk me through using it as they weren't able to do that over the phone since the lovely lady didn't know how it worked. lol

[venator]

Also I suppose I should be more specific with my issue. When I attempt to skive only one of two things happens either the machine sucks the whole piece of leather through cutting the edge right off or the leather just slides across the top of the blade not skiving anything. There doesn't seem to be much of an in-between.

I'm using fairly soft leather (upholstery hide) and I've tried moving the presser foot up and down, I've tried moving the feeding wheel up and down, angling it etc etc and just can't seem to get it to do anything other than one of the two above things. Very frustrating and I'm sure it's user error as the guy I bought it from skived some very thin leather on it when I bought it to demo that it worked.

[Cobra Steve]

If you call and ask for Vince, he can help you. He is very good with Skivers and helping over the phone. Give him a try.

[venator]

I was told today that there was no-one there who could help. I'll just wait for the manual and see if I can figure it out myself. The good news is with my issue it doesn't really waste any leather as the damn knife doesn't ever cut it, the leather always just slides across the top.

Also yes, I've made sure the knife is sharp, ask my fingertips.

[machinehead]

Steve,

Thank You for providing an excellent example of your customer service. I commend you sir.

[dirtclod]

I just did a search putting in youtube skiving machine and the first movie was about setting a skiver up.

[venator]

I just found this video and damn, it explains everything. And sure enough, the bell knife was way too far away, oddly one thing I hadn't adjusted but now she works just fine.

[BigMatt]

I just found this thread today and that sis what I would have recommended. Once you sharpen the knife a few times, the edge gets too far away from the presser foot and thin leather just slides over the blade.

I also think that its unfair to complain about service from a salesman you didn't even buy the machine from - but maybe that is me.

[venator]

I just found this thread today and that sis what I would have recommended. Once you sharpen the knife a few times, the edge gets too far away from the presser foot and thin leather just slides over the blade.

I also think that its unfair to complain about service from a salesman you didn't even buy the machine from - but maybe that is me.

it was a lot more than a bit too far away, turned out it was backed off almost completely.

With regards to Cobra, I'm thrilled they're mailing me a manual at no cost, very nice of them and exactly the sort of thing that we cause me to purchase other equipment from them in the future, that's fantastic. Not answering emails, and being told if I call someone can help then being told when I call that nobody can help are just a little frustrating. You're right, it's second hand and I didn't even expect the manual so I'm quite happy, just frustrated by the little things.

I also find it amusing that they'll mail me a manual for free but don't have a digital version they can email? odd.

[BigMatt]

They have a great service record here. If you think about it, a lot of the problems with sewing machines ect... are probably faster to solve over the phone instead of corresponding via email back and forth and back and forth.

Also, have you noticed that even on the websites for the manufacturers, most times there are just crappy scans of the original PDF? It seems like no one has PDFs of these manuals.

I'm glad you are happy with the service you are getting.

[Art]

This machine is a cheap Chinese clone. There is no problem with that, I wouldn't have one in a factory that I expected to be there for any period of time, but that might work for some. You are always pitting price against quality etc. I have one of these machines in the top and bottom configuration, and it works great; I would buy another. The model in China is an export model, copy some ancient design (out of patent), make it as cheap as possible (especially cheaper than competitors), and sell as many as you can. That works, and it is our responsibility to buy something that is cheap enough and still works. There are things made over there that are very cheap and don't work for long. So understand, they are all using a Fortuna or Consew design which they clone to save on design costs, and they cheap it down some. Now try to find someone in one of these factories who speaks (much less writes) English. Rotsa Ruck. If one of these factories made a really good manual for one of the products it produces, it would cost them serious money. The problem here is that all the other factories would get it for free (or the cost of copying or downloading). All their competitors would let their customers know where they could obtain this manual (remember the machines are clones) gratis. Kind of a funny mix over there of Wild West and Jungle.

Art

[TinkerTailor]

This machine is a cheap Chinese clone. There is no problem with that, I wouldn't have one in a factory that I expected to be there for any period of time, but that might work for some. You are always pitting price against quality etc. I have one of these machines in the top and bottom configuration, and it works great; I would buy another. The model in China is an export model, copy some ancient design (out of patent), make it as cheap as possible (especially cheaper than competitors), and sell as many as you can. That works, and it is our responsibility to buy something that is cheap enough and still works. There are things made over there that are very cheap and don't work for long. So understand, they are all using a Fortuna or Consew design which they clone to save on design costs, and they cheap it down some. Now try to find someone in one of these factories who speaks (much less writes) English. Rotsa Ruck. If one of these factories made a really good manual for one of the products it produces, it would cost them serious money. The problem here is that all the other factories would get it for free (or the cost of copying or downloading). All their competitors would let their customers know where they could obtain this manual (remember the machines are clones) gratis. Kind of a funny mix over there of Wild West and Jungle.

Art

I have several different 441 manuals from different clone makers. Most are scans of photocopys of a chinese one with the text replaced, and then photocopied again. All use the same diagrams, some are still legible.

Interestingly, I have found one that still contains the pages on setting the backstitch so it is the same as the forward. This is the elusive setting no-one can find.....Not an easy adjustment, Interesting that the pages have been removed from the manuals of most of the clones. This is a feature some advertise their machines do while others don't.....And is part of why you should pay more for their clones.