Since early 2012, I’ve been using the Cobra Class 4 from Leather Machine Company for all my sewing needs. Prior to that, I was using the Tippmann Boss hand powered stitcher from Tippmann Industrial. According to the Leather Machine Company website (as of late 2012), the Cobra Class 4 specifications are as follows:
Specifications:
16 ½ ” Cylinder Arm
Sews from 6 oz. to 7/8″
Thread sizes from 69 to 415
Triple Feed mechanism
Built in bobbin winder
Reverse stitches in same holes
Stitch Length from 3-22 stitches an inch
Sews pads, blankets,webbing, canvas, bio-plastics, upholstery, etc…
28 LED Super Beam Lamp
Heavy Duty Speed Reducer
Variable Speed Digital DC Servo Motor
Heavy Duty pedestal stand with locking casters
Thread Stand
This article isn’t really intended to be a review of the Cobra Class 4, but instead is a source of Cobra Class 4 Photos that (at the time I’m writing this) are currently lacking on the internet. These aren’t professional photos by any means – I simply took photos of my machine sitting in the middle of my garage. The accessories that are shown were all included with my machine, which I purchased just prior to the “Premium” and “Standard” packages being offered on their website. Note that I modified my stirrup plate (flattened the top) to work better with one of my holster designs.
Here is a video I shot with my iPhone immediately after installing the servo motor switch modification provided by Leather Machine Company to fix the (early 2012) servo motor’s extreme sensitivity, which resulted in very little control of the speed via the foot pedal.
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h5U32SDZ38&feature=share&list=UUhaIJk-tkle_lNHBEsLPVKw’]
Once the servo motor problem was brought to Steve’s attention (“Cobra Steve” @ Leather Machine Company), they took it on themselves to develop an easy fix to increase the control of the servo motor. There was already fixes being discussed on the internet, and all seemed to drastically improve the motor’s control-ability. After trying a few myself, I was extremely excited to see the fix Steve and his team had created worked better than any of my own attempts, providing an even greater range of speed control. Way to go Leather Machine Company!
