CB3200 "Click"

[Brooks125]

I have a CB3200.  When the needle is cycling around the top, and only at slower speeds, I get a distinct "click".  I keep it oiled (I sometimes get oil on the leather) but it still clacks on slow speeds.  Am I missing something or is this normal?  It's done this since I've had it.

[Constabulary]

Can you post a video? Have you checked with a Cowboy dealer?

[brmax]

By chance is it noticable in the upper or lower section.  Just a thought, also uncovering the bobbin area may help distinguish this area.

good day

Floyd

 

[garypl]

I sometimes hear a slight clicking in my CB4500 - might be coming from the small takeup spring located right after the lower tensioner - it seems to quickly pop up while sewing.  Everything seems to be sewing nicely, so I havent paid it any attention.  If anyone knows differently I will be interested in learning more!

Gary

[SolarLeatherMachines]

First, Call a Dealer.  No one knows these machines like the guys who put them together.  I build 500 a year.  Second, Ensure that there is no gap between the hand wheel and the bushing on the mainshaft.  Any slight gap can cause a shift of the mainshaft in the lateral direction, which can sound like a click or thump.   

Further, the hook assembly is free floating.  Sometimes when it's oscillating back and forth, you'll hear it click when it change direction.  This is normal, there is supposed to be a free play in the hook assembly to allow the thread to pass.  

See if that helps, 

I am a Cowboy Dealer.  817-422-9151

[Yetibelle]

1 hour ago, SolarLeatherMachines said:

First, Call a Dealer.  No one knows these machines like the guys who put them together.  I build 500 a year.  Second, Ensure that there is no gap between the hand wheel and the bushing on the mainshaft.  Any slight gap can cause a shift of the mainshaft in the lateral direction, which can sound like a click or thump.   

Further, the hook assembly is free floating.  Sometimes when it's oscillating back and forth, you'll hear it click when it change direction.  This is normal, there is supposed to be a free play in the hook assembly to allow the thread to pass.  

See if that helps, 

I am a Cowboy Dealer.  817-422-9151

Yes I hear that "click' when I go in reverse , glad that is normal.  Also depending on the leather and layers I sometimes hear it "squeak", but realized that was the leather and not the machine. 

 

[Wizcrafts]

6 hours ago, Yetibelle said:

Yes I hear that "click' when I go in reverse , glad that is normal.  Also depending on the leather and layers I sometimes hear it "squeak", but realized that was the leather and not the machine. 

 

I tried swapping out my Cowboy OEM shuttle on my CB4500 for a high end Japanese shuttle (couple hundred bucks). It worked beautifully in forward but had a distinct snap in reverse and the reverse stitches were not well laid (too loose). I put back the Cowboy shuttle and the clicking/snapping stopped, as did the poor reverse stitches. Go figure!

In hind sight, the clearances created by the Japanese shuttle were too close for my machine.

[Brooks125]

So I ran the machine with no thread, perfect with no click at all at any speed.  I ran it empty with an empty bobbin, no click.  I threaded i and it was much quieter, with only an occasional click when the pick up arm was in the top position, but it's hard to tell where the exact click is, but still much better.  Maybe I just needed to post the question and that seemed to fix it ... kinda like feeling better once you get in the Dr's waiting room.  Maybe I'm getting old and hearing things.

[Northmount]

6 hours ago, Brooks125 said:

So I ran the machine with no thread, perfect with no click at all at any speed.  I ran it empty with an empty bobbin, no click.  I threaded i and it was much quieter, with only an occasional click when the pick up arm was in the top position, but it's hard to tell where the exact click is, but still much better.  Maybe I just needed to post the question and that seemed to fix it ... kinda like feeling better once you get in the Dr's waiting room.  Maybe I'm getting old and hearing things.

Older you get, the less you hear.  One day you may not hear any snap!  Machine fixed!

Tom

[SolarLeatherMachines]

On 2/7/2018 at 11:07 AM, Brooks125 said:

So I ran the machine with no thread, perfect with no click at all at any speed.  I ran it empty with an empty bobbin, no click.  I threaded i and it was much quieter, with only an occasional click when the pick up arm was in the top position, but it's hard to tell where the exact click is, but still much better.  Maybe I just needed to post the question and that seemed to fix it ... kinda like feeling better once you get in the Dr's waiting room.  Maybe I'm getting old and hearing things.

This too, is normal.  When you first get a sewing machine, especially if it's your first EVER, it becomes your whole world.  That 2 square inches around the needle become everything, and you notice little noises and marks that you've never noticed before.  BUT, once you've sewn a bit,  THEN go and look at some of the leather products that you thought were flawless.  Your newly trained eye will find blemishes in the stitching and flaws in the marking that you would have never seen otherwise.  

Having excellent tools sometimes makes it harder to enjoy the finished product: You can now tell the difference between good craft and poor craft.  

[Darren Brosowski]

Alexander is spot on there but he forgot to mention the other factor

Between posting the question and going back to the machine you may have had a visit from the sewing machine fairies. I cannot tell you the number of times I have been frustrated with a machine, walked away and when I get back there is nothing wrong with it

 

 

[OLDNSLOW]

I have had the same issue with the Cobra 4 and the guys over in Cali seemed to think it was the shuttle hook,  I removed the hook and checked for burrs.  There was a slight if at all depending on who would be checking the slightest of burrs, so I polished it and put it back, the problem seemed to go away for a little while and came back.  Now on mine it seemed to change depending on the size and type of thread that was being run.  So if there is a little sewing fairy floating around I wish the little Plick would show up and fix them all, another course of action would be to form a committee that I can head up and Wizz could be apart of and everybody else pitch in for the tickets for the committee members to fly to china, heck we probably realistically only need to go to one MFG and voice all the problems to them we could get the machines fixed lickety split!  What Y'all think about that!!!

[Singermania]

Hi its Steve Bonnett from Cowboy Leather Machines in Australia, you are correct the 3200 does often make a clicking sounds, especially under pressure and in reverse.    Some oil helps but I think it is all of the things mentioned above.    We took over Cowboy down here about 3 years ago and haven't had a single CB3200 back in for repair, so it does not seem to be a problem.   Sometimes its just a little bit of character with a machine.

[yippi]

I have a Cowboy 3200. My machine was making a clicking /knocking noise and I pulled the bobbin shuttle out. The small screw at the base of the bobbin case had worked out some and was hitting on the race with each revolution. I tightened this screw and the clicking went away. Just another thing for you to check. Hard to believe such a small screw was making so much noise.

[garypl]

6 hours ago, yippi said:

I have a Cowboy 3200. My machine was making a clicking /knocking noise and I pulled the bobbin shuttle out. The small screw at the base of the bobbin case had worked out some and was hitting on the race with each revolution. I tightened this screw and the clicking went away. Just another thing for you to check. Hard to believe such a small screw was making so much noise.

Yippi - are you referring to the locking set screw on the bobbin case that keeps the bobbin tension screw from moving?

Gary