WolfteverGunleather Report post Posted April 20, 2019 I’m considering the purchase of a bell skiver, and have a couple of questions. My primary usage would be to skive a sloping or bevel edge so that the skived area goes from full thickness to feather thin, using exotics that have irregular thickness due to the nature of the grain. (Genuine ostrich with the quills, alligator, crocodile, elephant, etc.) Do you think a bell skiver would be suitable for this type of application? Bottom feed only or top and bottom feed? Feed wheel preference? Any special cautions or limitations I need to keep in mind? Anything else from your experience? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidMillsSaddlery Report post Posted April 23, 2019 Following Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northmount Report post Posted April 24, 2019 21 hours ago, turbotexas said: Following To all users, if you are interested in following an item (without clogging up the thread), go to the top right just below the menu bar and click on follow. Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidMillsSaddlery Report post Posted April 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Northmount said: To all users, if you are interested in following an item (without clogging up the thread), go to the top right just below the menu bar and click on follow. Tom I don’t see that on my iPhone? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northmount Report post Posted April 24, 2019 7 minutes ago, turbotexas said: I don’t see that on my iPhone? You might have to search for it. I don't access this site from my phone. It may be below banner ads. It may be somewhere under the menu items. It could be on your page view. All guesses! Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SolarLeatherMachines Report post Posted April 24, 2019 On 4/20/2019 at 10:44 AM, WolfteverGunleather said: I’m considering the purchase of a bell skiver, and have a couple of questions. My primary usage would be to skive a sloping or bevel edge so that the skived area goes from full thickness to feather thin, using exotics that have irregular thickness due to the nature of the grain. (Genuine ostrich with the quills, alligator, crocodile, elephant, etc.) Do you think a bell skiver would be suitable for this type of application? Bottom feed only or top and bottom feed? Feed wheel preference? Any special cautions or limitations I need to keep in mind? Anything else from your experience? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks. Yes, it will. Exotics skive well on our CB-801, including alligator and crocodile. Overly rough reptiles have a little trouble, but regular side and belly leathers are no problem. I don't know about elephant, it depends on how thick and flexible it is. I have several customers who make custom boots that use our CB-801 to skive their exotic vamps. http://www.solar-leather.com/cb801-bottom-feed-bell-knife-skiver Important: do you know how to tell the difference between Alligator and Crocodile? One will see you later, the other will see you after awhile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikesc Report post Posted April 24, 2019 You might have to search for it. I don't access this site from my phone. It may be below banner ads. It may be somewhere under the menu items. It could be on your page view. All guesses! On any phone I think "follow" is moved right down at the end /bottom of the thread, below the reply box, and below "submit reply".. At least that is where the CSS "re-flows" it to when you use "responsive view" and reduce the page width down to phone sizes.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RockyAussie Report post Posted April 24, 2019 On 4/21/2019 at 1:44 AM, WolfteverGunleather said: I’m considering the purchase of a bell skiver, and have a couple of questions. My primary usage would be to skive a sloping or bevel edge so that the skived area goes from full thickness to feather thin, using exotics that have irregular thickness due to the nature of the grain. (Genuine ostrich with the quills, alligator, crocodile, elephant, etc.) Do you think a bell skiver would be suitable for this type of application? Bottom feed only or top and bottom feed? Feed wheel preference? Any special cautions or limitations I need to keep in mind? Anything else from your experience? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks. A bell knife skiver is about the only way I know of and use daily. I do warn you though that a roller on the top is almost a must with croc and ostrich. As the skin gets compressed under the adjustable thickness guide the quill mussel lump gets pushed back and creates a larger lump and then makes a hole as it progresses to the blade. Same thing with crocodile where the higher part of the scale gets pushed back and a roller helps to reduce any scratch marks on the glaze skin as well. Going for a feather edge will drive you broke and I suggest to try and use a wide but not too deep skive instead. The edges last longer as well. Feed wheel use a fine stone one. You will get better results by doing several passes when running these skins through as the skin gets more evened out and less of the bump and hole problem. If the croc aligator skin is glazed it can help to give them a light sand on the back first to sort of break the tension in it first. This allows the skin to flex more easily as it goes through. In your patterning allow some extra skin to be trimmed off after the skive is done as it will often end up more wobbly shaped. That's all I got. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WolfteverGunleather Report post Posted April 29, 2019 RockyAussie and SolarLeatherMachines Thanks so much for your helpful replies. I appreciate it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
