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Schärf-Fix Skiver Set-Up


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I have a Schärf-Fix 2000 that I'm learning to use for bellows making.

I'm trying to skive the edges of leather pieces to wafer-thin.

I've tried different rollers and different angles for the blade - from parallel to the roller through to angled - to try and get the very thin skived edge.

I've also found that the blades appear to blunt very quickly, so frequent change of blades appears essential.

 

What I'm finding is that the edge tears - I can't seem to get a nice uniform thin edge on my skiver.

 

I notived that on old Wheatstone bellows, the thin edge is 0.1mm thick or less.

 

What I did try is making the edge slightly thicker (around 0.2-0.25mm) without tears to the edge, and then using a sanding block, I was able to reduce the thickness to around 0.1mm.

 

Any tips on setting up the Schärf-Fix for skiving for bellows, and skiving in general?

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Hi Steve,

Though the years I've found the edge quality of blades differs according to brands. (This source may not directly help you but will give you hope in searching) I found the Sharfix brand blades quite dull. The bookbinder supply place in Brooklyn, NY., Talus, supplied some Isreali made blades that were quite good. Subsequent orders to Talus

found they had changed suppliers. Last batch of a thousand was good but not as great. Fortunately I still have some of the original batch that I use for difficult leather or special touches.

 

Wally Carroll and Carroll Concertinas were very helpful in showing the way to successfully using the Sharfix. Wally uses each side of the blade (with no flip). It usually takes 2-4 passes to get a finished edge. I usually skive the final pass of a piece with a brand new blade and then do preliminary passes of other leathers as the blade dulls.

 

Blades out of the box can have different characteristics. With experience you can "feel" when you have a very good blade and can go very thin.

 

It takes some experience to get your feed hand and pull hand at just the right angle and pressure.

 

Mark the adjustment wheels so you can find your best settings.

 

Different leathers skive differently. Hewit Cheiftan leather is a dream to skive. The Paste grain can be difficult.

 

Monitor your cut. If things start going badly you can catch it in the first 1/4 to 1/2 inch and stop. Back out the piece and repair with a elasticized PVA. Skive the rest and go back to that section later using a level setting and gently shaving the patched area. Or sand the patch by hand.

 

Like anything else wothwhile using the Sharfix takes practice. I can remember being almost reduced to tears as I ruined one piece of leather after another when I was starting out. Occasionally I still have a bad day at the Sharfix but now they come much less frequently. Pretty marvelous tool when things are going right. Don't give up.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Greg

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Many thanks, Greg, for the tips :D

 

I have some samples from Hewit, and the Chieftain goat does look to be the best - trouble is I dont have enough to practice with.

 

I've 200 Gillette blades, so I'll give those a go.

 

My experience seems similar to yours - I'm finding the process frustrating, but also I'm starting to ruin fewer pieces (I was about to give up at one point is desparation) - so I'll just keep practicing.

 

Steve

Edited by SteveS
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I have a Scharf Fix too. I've had the same frustrations, and eventually gave up in favour of a hand held skiving knife on a stone block. Sharpening the blade to a razor edge is the key to this method, then it is very quick. I still use the Scharf Fix for occasionally reducing the thickness of thicker, stiffer leather as used for straps, but for me the knife is the tool of choice for edge skiving of the soft leathers required for bellows components.

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Greg

 

This sounds handy: "elasticized PVA" - could you explain this a bit more, characteristics, brand names.

 

Thx. Don.

I use Tandy's "Leatherweld". It dries fairly quickly and has a thicker consistency than Elmer's. It is flexible when dry.

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Greg

 

This sounds handy: "elasticized PVA" - could you explain this a bit more, characteristics, brand names.

 

Thx. Don.

I use Tandy's "Leatherweld". It dries fairly quickly and has a thicker consistency than Elmer's. It is flexible when dry.

 

Good to know about a second supplier as Aleene's seems to be harder to find.

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I have a Scharf Fix too. I've had the same frustrations, and eventually gave up in favour of a hand held skiving knife on a stone block. Sharpening the blade to a razor edge is the key to this method, then it is very quick. I still use the Scharf Fix for occasionally reducing the thickness of thicker, stiffer leather as used for straps, but for me the knife is the tool of choice for edge skiving of the soft leathers required for bellows components.

I skive by hand as well though in such low volume I cannot claim any expertise in the matter and I am in awe of those who have mastered the talent. I use single edge utility blades that I buy in bulk and use a conventional blade holder. I skive on a section of masonite, which has enough traction to hold the leather in place, though I like your idea of a stone, perhaps the reverse of a marble tile available readily at any home improvement warehouse. Mike

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I use an old bandsaw blade, must be around 2.2mm thick, 100mm long and 20mm wide, with a single ground edge and a piece of leather around the handle to soften it for the hands. It is very rigid and holds a good edge. For the table I use a piece of flat glass, would probably be 3mm. To hold the leather while skiving I use a paint scraper, I have a couple of different widths. This allows me to hold the leather in place with the force close to the skived edge ( the scraper is held very low) and still have room for the blade. The key thing is a sharp blade.

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I might add, if you have ever taken apart an old bellows, I soaked a ruined Jeffries set apart once, the approximate nature of the leather pieces and the crudity of the skiving is shocking when you are striving to get every piece nice in your own work. I suspect you could only get away with it when using black leather. And no electric light much around in those days either.

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  • 4 months later...

Argh!!!!! Frustrations with my skiver.

 

Try as I may, I cant get a nice straight and thin bevelled edge to my work. I find that the leather tears and gets holes in it.

I pare down the leather first before trying to get a thin edge.

I'm changing blades frequently.

 

So how does one use the paring machine to get the fine thin edges?

Is it even possible with this device?

 

I'm about to give up with this and go for the hand-held blade route.

Edited by SteveS
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I think the device is fine to pare down the leather to the right thickness for the job in hand (not too thin though).

Anything other than that its the paring knife it seems.

 

I'm getting a fine grit whetstone - I'll dig out some old hacksaw blades for grinding to make blades.

 

Then lets see how to get the blades sharp enough.

Edited by SteveS
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I'm sorry to hear your frustration. Some days on the Sharfix are better than others for me. I can only surmise that my attention, patience and "touch" are better some days than others. Occasionally I have to either mentally reset after a failure before trying again, or perhaps walk away for awhile.

 

I'll repeat that the brand of razor blade has made a huge difference in my success. When I've used up all my original Isreali blades I'm not sure what I will do. Presently I use the "just good" blades to do all the preliminary passes (sometimes two or three) then I'll stick in a "VERY" good blade for the final pass.

 

And some goat and individual skins skive better than others....

 

I've tried a few bargain brand blades from Amazon. I would not rate their performance as even good, maybe fair.

 

I keep saving the old blades in hopes someone will come up with a reliable resharpening device. Maybe all of you who have gone to hand skiving and sharpening have the right idea.

 

Greg

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The Button Box Scharfix sees heavy use, and I think the best blades we've ever had were Israeli. Probably the same type as Greg's favourites? Other blades we've tried don't measure up.

 

Even among the Israeli blades, some new ones were absolutely amazing, most were very very good, and a few were ... what's wrong with this one? Sometimes when I thought I was having a really bad day even with a new Israeli blade, I'd change to another new blade and everything would suddenly go well. (Of course, other times it turned out I really was just having a bad day.)

 

It's only just occurred to me that after some reading reviews and trying different things years ago, I settled on Merkur blades for my double-edged razor for shaving. But I never tried putting one in the Sharfix to see how it compares, and I never tried putting one of the Israeli blades in my razor, either. Has anyone tried Merkur blades in their Sharfix?

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