Newly received Cowboy CB4500 blanket foot adjustment

[ke6cvh]

Hello group,  I finally got the Cowboy CB-4500 and setting it up over the last couple days.  Went to change the harness feet to the blanket feet.  Realized there may be a serrated feed dog and sure enough called one on order.  Realized there is a drop down guide and even though I got a guide I'd like to be able to install the drop down guide for work with canvas so working on that.  My big problem with the machine right now (actually no problem with the machine but problem with the operator...me) is that the outer toes on the blanket feet go nowhere near making contact with the material.  Saw a video by solar leather where I can take a 5mm allen wrench and adjust the balance of lift between outer toe and inner vibrating presser foot.  However, I don't want to loosen anything unless it is the right one.  Which piece/part will I need to loosen to allow me to drop down the outer toes on the blanket feet?  This is a really nice machine.  I'd like to first try sewing some canvas packs so want to get that blanket presser feet working.  Advanced thanks and best regards, Mike

[Wizcrafts]

You are going to have to lower the presser foot bar. First, check the chain that lifts the foot to ensure that there is a little slack with the foot down. If not, move the chain down one link.

If the chain isn't holding the foot up, you must remove the faceplate by loosening the top right and bottom left bolts holding it onto the head. Unthread the top thread first. With the faceplate off, locate two screws that secure  the presser bar to the block that moves it up and down. Loosen the screw and pull the foot all the way down to the throat plate, then line it up and tighten the two screws. Reinstall the faceplate, making sure you place the slotted bracket over the pin under the top tension assembly, which lifts the blade that separates the tension disks.

Someone may have a video of this. I am at work in my shop right now.

[ke6cvh]

Thanks Wiz,  That is an easy one to adjust the presser foot bar but I did not want to do it without QA'ing with someone else first.  Is that UWE the only liftable roller guide available for the cb4500?  It looks like a Chinese industrial lifter with an adapter that has been made for it but that is just a guess....or maybe they are making one right out of the box?  I have a lifter roller foot I bought for a different machine and not installed but might give it a try.  The one supplied is really good for leather but not working with canvas necessarily.  Now I need to source leather here over seas.  Best regards, Mike

[ke6cvh]

Hi Wiz,  OK got it adjusted but there is something strange going on.  Sometimes when the outer presser feet toes are adjusted downwards then tightened up then they do not move and then other times they did.  So I just fiddled with it until it works ok then adjusted the 5mm allen to balance the toes and inner vibrating foot.  Not sure what was going on but problem solved.  Now, I'm going to wait for the under feed dog with teeth.  The canvas will be my main material (besides denim) until I source a local supply of leather overseas here.  Trying not to waste material so testing on available scrap and can sew down to a single layer of denim with size 207 and well formed stitches after adjustment.  Pretty amazing for such a heavy duty machine.  After that I adjusted the spi from 4 up to around 7 or 8 stitches per inch.  I might try some braided poly later but will need to rig up a sideways feed as the braided can't come off the top of the cone like twisted can.  More use and testing on the machine.  Thanks for the help.  Best regards, Mike

[DonInReno]

I also sew canvas with a similar machine and you’ll definitely want to become familiar with adjusting feet, tension and whatnot.  Trying to avoid changing anything that should be changed to save time just doesn’t work so well with these larger machines.