How to setup a Cobra Class 4 for holster sewing?

[schwebel]

So I finally got my first sewing machine. A cobra class 4 premium package. I do mainly holsters and belts and was wondering about setting up the machine and if anyone had any tips. Do you use the holster plate at all or the roller guide? If so what advantages are there to it and is there any tricks to setting it up? What size stitches work best? Also what needles and thread weight? Do you play with any of the tensions depending on leather weight? Sorry for the noob questions but this is the first sewing machine I have ever used and want to get started off right, thanks.

[dakotawolf]

I'm seriously looking at buying the same machine.  I've been searching this forum and the internet for info.  Your question asks the same things I'd like to know.  Just wanted to let you know you're not the only person wondering, and I think there are more people wondering.  Thanks for asking it.  

[OLDNSLOW]

I have had mine for about a month now, there is a learning curve to working the machine and depending on your own experience and confidence in your abilities will determine the curve.  Depending on where you bought your machine there should have been a CD that came with it, mine did and it is very helpful, I have gone back to it a few times.  Each time I have gone back to the CD it helps to understand the operation a little better.  One of the things that I did, but again your abilities may be different was to slow the speed way down to its slowest speed so that I can sew and watch all the things that are going on without tearing something up both material and machine.  If you already have it set up and have sewed with it without problems then that is the 1st step, there were 2 of us here that were delivered machines and the motor had reverted to reverse running.

There are in the event you did not get the CD some videos up on the website and utube as well, you'll find the videos informative and helpful, you really cant break it but you can mess it up, but again there are videos that can help getting it back to running again.  Good luck with it you'll enjoy the machine, and as a note that are a bunch of other guys here with far more experience than I have on how the machine runs, but I digress, one of your questions about stitch size, well play with it, I have mine set at about 5stp and it works well for me on the holsters and belts I have been making.

 

O n S

Ron 

[Russ]

I'll jump in here.

First, I own an Artisan so my experience with a Cobra is limited.  But, I've taken three multi-day holster classes at the Prescott leather show the last three years and Cowboy provide all of the machines we used. They were brand new and set up to sew, but required fine tuning to get started.  The way we did that was to just sew scraps of leather in the thickness that we were going to use for the holsters.  We needed to adjust the top and bottom tensions to get the knots in the middle of the leather.  Nice thing about using scraps is you can take the scraps apart to see exactly where the knots are located.  I'd say 90% of the tension adjustments were made up top, 10% on the bottom.  But both were needed to accomplish the goal.  I don't know how the Cowboy arrives in regards to tensions, the Artisan was set up to my specs when shipped and all I had to do was tweak it just a tiny bit.  The Cowboys needed more tweaking, but then this was at a trade show and those guys were very busy.  They provided a lot of machines for classes.

Most of us didn't use the roller guide.  A few folks did when making long straight runs on the belts.  I've had a roller guide but stopped using it a long time ago.  I can just look at the foot and judge where the thread needs to go most of the time.  We did not use the holster plate, although it was available to us.

I use 207 and 277 thread for my holsters at home, depending on the look I want and style of holster/rig (western vs. modern).  We used these two sizes in class.  We even used 346 which I thought was too big.  We had to play with the tensions with the 346 to get it to work, and using 277 in the bobbin didn't work for us.  Using 277 top and 207 in the bottom worked ok, with tweaking.  Using 277 or 207 in both places worked the best in our machines (we had two).

As always, using the proper sized needle for the thread size is of utmost importance.

http://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html

I find the back and forth about which machine is best to be tiresome.  I love my machine, and my experience with the Cowboys is they are also fine machines.  Both have some learning curves, and most of your success will depend on your own patience and how good the customer service is from the place you bought the machine.  If you buy from a dealer that is recommended here on leatherworker.net, you won't go wrong. Just make tiny, tiny tweaks to the tension as you adjust.  Try your best to only tweak one or the other at the same time.  It's easy to get completely out of whack and have to start over.  Once you get the hang of it, I guarantee it will be easy in the future.  Patience.

Russ

Edited April 30, 2016 by Russ

[JLSleather]

I like 6 stitches / inch most of the time.  

On tooled belts, I may aim for more like 5/inch but it matters if it's part of a set.  If I'm making the holster 6/in, then the belt would be also.

I've used a holster plate, but only occasionally. Certainly can help in spots where the project isn't flat, or if you are sewing down a piece with a metal clip, etc.  Using the holster plate WILL require you to reset the stitch length and MAY require a change in tension.

Thread is most often 277.  Smaller projects might get 207 (pocket holsters, small bags / large wallets, etc.)

277 thread I use a #24 needle (some others prefer a #25) and 207 uses a #23 needle.  I like the LR point needles.

Scraps are good for setting the machine.  Set teh machine with leather from the SAME hide as the project you're working on whenever possible.  Different pieces of leather act differently, and I don't want to put hours in a project only to "hope" the stitch looks good.  

I have used the little goofy edge roller guide, but a drop-down guide would be far better.

Since everyone here is considerably smarter 'n' me, I'm sure I'm the only one made these mistakes, but I have

• forgotten that I changed the stitch length for a project and started sewing without putting it back where it should have been for the current project.
• moved the reverse lever without looking, and not put it all the way up or all the way down (not good);
• changed the stitch length cuz I wanted a longer stitch, and by not paying attention i shortened the stitch.

Again, I'm sure I'm the only one

That should get you started.  For more technical info, I  think it's reasonable that a new machine dealer can handle that themselves (you paid for it).

 

 

[Red Cent]

So I finally got my first sewing machine. A cobra class 4 premium package. I do mainly holsters and belts and was wondering about setting up the machine and if anyone had any tips. Do you use the holster plate at all or the roller guide? If so what advantages are there to it and is there any tricks to setting it up? What size stitches work best? Also what needles and thread weight? Do you play with any of the tensions depending on leather weight? Sorry for the noob questions but this is the first sewing machine I have ever used and want to get started off right, thanks.

 

I do not use the holster plate nor the table when sewing a holster. Because of the 8-9 and a liner of 6-7 and no skiving, it will not lay flat.

I started not using the roller guide on belts but you it faithfully now. Rarely use it otherwise.

Schmetz #25, 277 polyester top and 207 polyester bottom.

The tension adjustment discussions on here are varied and many. Your machine should be good to go as is. Un fortunately, there are many Type A personalities here and we cannot leave well enough alone.

 

[OLDNSLOW]

Red, why do you use polly instead of nylon,

And don't forget that reverse lever, stitch adjuster, I've only heard mind you, that if start of thinking your going forward and it goes backwards it's a bummer, so I have heard.

[jfdavis58]

Had my C4 a couple years; all the bells and whistles package.  Most of those tools/toys sit in the accessory drawer and rattle as the machine runs.  Mostly cases, holsters, belts ; stuff in two layers of 8-9 oz leather.  Holsters seem best done with lots of free space around the needle, similar with all the more intricate corners and details of most cases.  Belts need lots of free run space in front and back of the needle-I just use my hands to do the guiding work-spread the fingers out as wide as possible and keep the hand tight against the table or lower arm.  All free scrap is repurposed to insure correct settings before I put the project into the machine--a chunk is left attached by the threads so I know here it was when I turned the power off.  The manual is close at hand as is the oil.  A spare needle and the thread nips are attached to the upper arm with a rare-earth magnet.

[Red Cent]

Reading some of this and it occurs to me who is making what kind of holster. I cut leather, glue, finish the edges, and then sew the peripheral leather edges leaving the main seam unsewn. When I finish the main seam, the stitch line goes all the way around. Laying flat, I use the table. Main seam, the holster has teardrop shape so I remove the table to get 90 degree stitches. And the main seam consists of two layers of 8-9 and two layers of 6-7. I don't use welts. Don't like them.

 

Back when I knew -0- about the C4, I was having problems. Skipped stitched, crows nest, and the like. DirtClod said go polyester. Ain't looked back.

 

[OLDNSLOW]

That be the only reason?  And how is it working out for you?  No issues with anything at all from customers on prior builds?