Webicons Report post Posted April 21, 2018 Hello All - I’ve been looking for a good quality bell skiver for a while now and one actually popped up a few minutes from me. It is described as a Fortschritt Skiving machine and seems like a Fortuna V50 clone. Can anyone tell me if the parts are typically interchangeable with Fortuna (bell, feet, feeder, etc)? Additionally, if anyone knows how much it would be if I were to purchase all the consumable parts for this unit. Thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RockyAussie Report post Posted April 22, 2018 I don't know this machine but would think the parts are likely interchangeable but I have to say it looks quite similar in condition to my first Fortuna and I felt sorry for giving it to the person who took it. They are difficult machines to learn how to use even when new and when the shaft that turns the bell is worn and no longer runs true you have next to no hope and its generally too expensive to fix. If you can see it operating and it can do the job you want then OK but having had ones without a suction device as well I would not go back that way again if I could avoid it. Without suction a common problem with soft leathers is that the skived leather piece sticks to the feed roller and comes back up and then cuts through the leather on top. Too much risk and cost for me. Saddlery and greasy type leathers are not so much of a problem with this as the do not stick so much. If its free then give it a go unless you want it for business. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Webicons Report post Posted April 22, 2018 Thank you for your insight @RockyAussie. I never really thought about the question of the shaft running true on these older models. Definitely going to rethink purchasing one of them and will not purchase one without running it first. I have heard of the issues with bell skiver without ejectors and I was hoping that I could live without it. Is it possible to just hook it up somehow into a dust collector system? Could you tell me what make and model you are running? Thanks again! You probably saved me a few bucks and a bunch of frustration. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RockyAussie Report post Posted April 22, 2018 35 minutes ago, Webicons said: Thank you for your insight @RockyAussie. I never really thought about the question of the shaft running true on these older models. Definitely going to rethink purchasing one of them and will not purchase one without running it first. I have heard of the issues with bell skiver without ejectors and I was hoping that I could live without it. Is it possible to just hook it up somehow into a dust collector system? Could you tell me what make and model you are running? Thanks again! You probably saved me a few bucks and a bunch of frustration. I believe if your reasonably mechanically minded, that it would be possible to hook up an extraction system and if you get one without an extraction system let me know and we could look at it further. I did touch on this in another post which I will try and find again if I can. I just found one post that covers it a bit.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Bruce Report post Posted July 6, 2018 On 4/21/2018 at 10:48 PM, RockyAussie said: I believe if your reasonably mechanically minded, that it would be possible to hook up an extraction system and if you get one without an extraction system let me know and we could look at it further. I did touch on this in another post which I will try and find again if I can. I just found one post that covers it a bit.. I just picked up this exact machine today from a retired leatherworker in Milwaukee. I'm amazed at how smooth it skives even if it is a bit loud. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimi Report post Posted July 6, 2018 Just turn the radio up louder Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Bruce Report post Posted July 6, 2018 5 hours ago, jimi said: Just turn the radio up louder Ha! Yes, I will be doing that! Now to clean it up and make space in my tiny shop! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Constabulary Report post Posted July 15, 2018 FORTSCHRITT, to my best knowledge, is an early clone of the Fortuna but made in the former GDR (east Germany) while FORTUNA was a West German Company. I guess yours is approx early to mid 1950´s made. FORTSCHRITT brand was also known for their agriculture machines. They made excellent sewing machines (CLAES f.i.), Motors and other equipment in the former GDR. AFAIK later on all the leather and sewing machine Co´s turned over into the TEXTIMA Combitaion - but thats just history. I´m sure most of the wear parts are Fortuna compatible but of course I cannot guarantee that. Sieck in germany has a FORTSCHRITT skiver - maybe they know more: http://www.sieck.de/en/machines/skiving/leather-goods-and-automotive-interieur/details/9342/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
