Help a guy out with his new skiving machine!

[jimi]

 

8 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Thank you soooo much for the info and pictures there @jimi .I note that your wiper looks to be metal, Is that so? and does it actually make contact as the feed roll revolves or is there an adjustment screw to set it just clear?

Oh no problem, sorry i could not get them up earlier. Yes it is metal Brian, and very worn down. It does touch the wheel, it scrapes the surface and the spring is just lightly pushing. I do not know what the original is like as it was missing but it is loose enough to move it out a little to the centre no problems if it is off. the holder is aluminium but the blade steel. I will have to get the grinder out and look for another piece of steel as this one has worn down that much that the holder is almost touching the wheel where the bottom of the curve is. Also i have noticed that if a small piece of split manages to pass the scraper depending on the thickness it can get stuck as the holder is so near the wheel. No adjuster screws on this Brian, i would imagine if you wanted more pressure just give the spring another wind?? Yes the Campbell Randall blade looks like it can be adjusted outwards with the slits?? I did notice those little kinks before 

[RockyAussie]

6 minutes ago, jimi said:

 

Oh no problem, sorry i could not get them up earlier. Yes it is metal Brian, and very worn down. It does touch the wheel, it scrapes the surface and the spring is just lightly pushing. I do not know what the original is like as it was missing but it is loose enough to move it out a little to the centre no problems if it is off. the holder is aluminium but the blade steel. I will have to get the grinder out and look for another piece of steel as this one has worn down that much that the holder is almost touching the wheel where the bottom of the curve is. Also i have noticed that if a small piece of split manages to pass the scraper depending on the thickness it can get stuck as the holder is so near the wheel. No adjuster screws on this Brian, i would imagine if you wanted more pressure just give the spring another wind?? Yes the Campbell Randall blade looks like it can be adjusted outwards with the slits?? I did notice those little kinks before 

Thanks for that @jimi. Would it be worth considering to use a piece of teflon or nylon instead of the steel wiper? I dont know the noise and wear factor on the feed wheel with the steel one but I would have thought the others may be better. I don't notice much metal embedded in your feed wheel so I assume that the spring pressure is quite light and just well positioned. The slop on the shaft probably helps as well with keeping it centred over the stone curve I think. I would very much like to see some comparable pics of how YinTx's Cobra wiper is orientated as against yours which I think is a Fortuna if I am correct. Can anybody with a Cowboy or Cobra skiver post any other pictures to assist in any further comparison discussions?

[jimi]

1 minute ago, RockyAussie said:

Would it be worth considering to use a piece of teflon or nylon instead of the steel wiper?

Well it would be a lot easier to work a new one up, that´s for sure. i do not think it makes a lot of difference on the stone really as it scrapes very lightly and like you said there are no traces of metal on the stone. I have just emailed Fortuna to see if i can get some info from them, as in their parts manual they have 2 types of springs, 2 types of holders and 2 types of blades, so i will see what they have to say. Yes it is a Fortuna Brian, ...but it didn´t cost a Fortuna gladly..Lol..

[RockyAussie]

5 minutes ago, jimi said:

Well it would be a lot easier to work a new one up, that´s for sure. i do not think it makes a lot of difference on the stone really as it scrapes very lightly and like you said there are no traces of metal on the stone. I have just emailed Fortuna to see if i can get some info from them, as in their parts manual they have 2 types of springs, 2 types of holders and 2 types of blades, so i will see what they have to say. Yes it is a Fortuna Brian, ...but it didn´t cost a Fortuna gladly..Lol..

It is great that you have a good contact there jimi. I will look forward to see what they can come back with on this.

[Mark842]

On 8/4/2019 at 9:23 PM, RockyAussie said:

Could you post a picture of it if so?

Here you go. The list of parts does not label any of the vague scribbles as a spring.

On 8/4/2019 at 9:23 PM, RockyAussie said:

Where you say pressure foot pressure, do you mean the feed stone pressure?

For what it's worth, the owners manual calls it a presser bar. One the other end of the presser bar adjustment screw. What I'm calling the presser foot is the foot you pass the leather under when skiving. I have no idea what the proper name of it is.

Edited August 6, 2019 by Mark842

[RockyAussie]

Thanks @Mark842 I found some pics in a manual that help. I wish I could say that I have found some video's worth watching on this subject but have found nothing that I could really recommend. I absolutely hate making videos due to lack of confidence in my speaking/voice but I am starting to think I might just have to. For instance the sharpening guidelines mentioned in a video earlier in this post and his later video showing how to skive leather are not very good at all. They sort off remind me how it was when I first started using a skiver and being almost scared off it. I don't agree with his dropping back the bell and putting a second bevel on the edge and then bringing it back forward. The grabbing/bunching up at the start and hesitation as he starts a skive  would be avoided by just angling the start and taking a little piece off the corner first and then going full in. This overcomes the stall so to speak as well as the occasional hole cut. If the blade is sharp and the feed correct there should be no difficulty holding the leather in place as it slides through. I am in no way meaning to rubbish these videos as anyone going to trouble to share their knowledge should be commended but unfortunately if no one says something then many may assume what they see to be correct. 

[Mark842]

1 hour ago, RockyAussie said:

Thanks @Mark842 I found some pics in a manual that help. I wish I could say that I have found some video's worth watching on this subject but have found nothing that I could really recommend. I absolutely hate making videos due to lack of confidence in my speaking/voice but I am starting to think I might just have to. For instance the sharpening guidelines mentioned in a video earlier in this post and his later video showing how to skive leather are not very good at all. They sort off remind me how it was when I first started using a skiver and being almost scared off it. I don't agree with his dropping back the bell and putting a second bevel on the edge and then bringing it back forward. The grabbing/bunching up at the start and hesitation as he starts a skive  would be avoided by just angling the start and taking a little piece off the corner first and then going full in. This overcomes the stall so to speak as well as the occasional hole cut. If the blade is sharp and the feed correct there should be no difficulty holding the leather in place as it slides through. I am in no way meaning to rubbish these videos as anyone going to trouble to share their knowledge should be commended but unfortunately if no one says something then many may assume what they see to be correct. 

I would love to see some videos from you on these skivers. I had actually never watched Cechaflo's videos on the skiver. I knew Al Bane had video's out there before I purchased mine and I knew it was the exact same model skiver. That being said, I watched all the Cechaflo videos on this post now and I did enjoy them. I do see what you are referring to with him putting the second bevel edge and I can think of no reason why you would want to do that. So while there may be some stuff in there that isn't optimal I can at least say that now I know how to disassemble my skiver when the time comes to change my feed wheel or sharpening stone. I kind of feel that all the videos have some good stuff in them but like I said I had nothing to start with.

 There are things that drive me nuts. Biggest being the leather clumping up in the bell and jamming stuff up. Mine had the little rubber gizmo the other guys has that he said as soon as he cleaned it out the next piece of leather promptly got stuck there. That was my experience also and that little piece of rubber is long gone on mine. It works better without it in there and with the silly little drawer that is supposed to be a scrap catcher. I guess if you skive 2 inches of leather a month that might be a viable option. I just took some plastic sheeting and some hanger wire and built me a 45 degree angle ramp for the leather to slide down into a box I can sit on the floor  next to the stand. Seems like If I'm skiving something longer than about 7-8 inches the knife will safe clean, its only the short runs that stay in the knife. I've just gotten used to it and stop every few cuts, reach under with my wood poker and knock the leather out. Luckily most of what I skive is for piping so I'm doing long pieces.

 And as for confidence in your speaking voice...maybe right a script and have someone else narrate while you operate. I'm sure I still have a lot to learn using this skiver....like everything else in life I'm still learning how to use things I've been using for 40+ years...

[jimi]

23 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

I will look forward to see what they can come back with on this.

Nothing new really... did not have me thinking cap on when i asked them. OF COURSE.. one is for the 34 mm feed wheel and the other for the 50 mm feed wheel 

[YinTx]

12 hours ago, Mark842 said:

That was my experience also and that little piece of rubber is long gone on mine. It works better without it in there and with the silly little drawer that is supposed to be a scrap catcher.

I'm beginning to think this is the best option.  And that drawer is just there to cause jambs.  And to make the mfr's feel like they did something to catch the leather for you.

14 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

I wish I could say that I have found some video's worth watching on this subject but have found nothing that I could really recommend. I absolutely hate making videos due to lack of confidence in my speaking/voice but I am starting to think I might just have to

There just simply doesn't seem to be much out there, so anything that helps clear the mud or adds another way to do things can only help.  I've seen one or two of your videos and had no problem understanding what you say, so just be fearless, yah?

I haven't had time to mess with the thing this week, but have been trying to keep up with the info posted here, so thanks much to everyone participating, great info showing up so far!

YinTx

[RockyAussie]

20 hours ago, YinTx said:

I'm beginning to think this is the best option.  And that drawer is just there to cause jambs.  And to make the mfr's feel like they did something to catch the leather for you.

There just simply doesn't seem to be much out there, so anything that helps clear the mud or adds another way to do things can only help.  I've seen one or two of your videos and had no problem understanding what you say, so just be fearless, yah?

I haven't had time to mess with the thing this week, but have been trying to keep up with the info posted here, so thanks much to everyone participating, great info showing up so far!

YinTx

I been thinkin......................yeah it happens occasionally, that I could print up a vacuum scoop to retrofit on to these bell skivers. I would need to know a couple of measurements on the Cobra /Cowboy and any others that are similar. The first is what thickness is the table that the machine is on. The second is the distance from the bell to the machine base as in this picture below

Mine as you can see in this close up is about 23mm

The next one I need is the distance from the bell edge to the inner machine frame edge. Mine is 65mm. Note on my Fortuna that there is a relief cut out for the suction tube which may not be there on the other models. See picture below

These below are the vacuum scoop shape that I am talking about printing a version of. This would come up through the hole in the table and bolt in place from underneath and the attach to a 65mm nominal size pvc elbow. After that  it can go into a printed funnel shaped reducer to a typical 35mm vacuum cleaner pipe if you want to go with that or a collection box can be adapted in between if desired. I intend to do some vacuum checks first to compare what difference there is on my Fortuna  against a shop Vac vacuum cleaner. The only disadvantage I can think is that the vacuum may need to be off when sharpening the bell blade in case any sparks could be picked up.

As for the videos ..I will see if I can come up with a few short instructional ones in a sort of a series. It takes me forever to do editing on these and if I try to do too much together in one it may never happen. While I am on the video subject I would like you to note the video of the nippy that a couple of people said they would like theirs to go like. Watch only the feed stone and take note of how many times you see leather going around and around and even a large strip fly out. I am happy to say that is something I almost never see on mine. FACT is every time one of those little pieces is coming around you end up with a thinner piece where that bit comes through. Sometimes that don't matter but it looks pretty awful on a smooth bit of leather when it gets glued down.

Brian