Repeatable Secondary Bevels With an Eclipse Guide, or a Different Ruler Trick

[Jim Koepke]

This is a new thread so as to not get lost at the end of a longish thread that is breaking into a bit of mud slinging.

For the record, my edge sharpening usually doesn't include secondary bevels, ruler tricks or a honing guide. That doesn't mean my brain is unable to devise a reasonable way to solve a sharpening dilemma.

Here is a snippet from the post that caused me to come up with this solution:



I think for now I'll stick with the Eclipse as I'm not sharpening anything skewed or extremely high-angle. It would be awesome if someone made a higher-quality version of the Eclipse that combined the angle setting jig of the MKII with the side grip style of holding the blades (paging Mr Lee!).

There is a simple design change that could accomplish this. Not being a machinist or a tool maker it isn't something I could offer. If someone who wants my ideas contacts me and is willing to make an offer (buying tools isn't the only thing I do on the cheap so I would likely settle for one of the finished items) I will be glad to share my ideas.

Since a secondary bevel can be produced with a few short strokes why not place a small piece of plastic or other material under the roller. This would limit the stroke to the distance between the roller and the blade. It would lift the blade slightly to produce the secondary bevel.

This is just a theory. Any ideas as to why it won't work will be appreciated.

Please stay on topic and avoid needless nastiness.

Thank you,

jtk

[David Weaver]

There's a bunch of stuff on Brent Beach's page about folks making guides that ride off the stone so the same thing can be accomplished. There's really no reason someone couldn't do what you're saying, but with a little bit of sparing (in the number of strokes), the same thing can be accomplished freehand, even if the first part is done in the guide. The slower the stone, the more forgiving (a settled translucent is a great stone for it, because it makes very little that needs to be removed).

[Charlie Stanford]

This is a new thread so as to not get lost at the end of a longish thread that is breaking into a bit of mud slinging.

For the record, my edge sharpening usually doesn't include secondary bevels, ruler tricks or a honing guide. That doesn't mean my brain is unable to devise a reasonable way to solve a sharpening dilemma.

Here is a snippet from the post that caused me to come up with this solution:



There is a simple design change that could accomplish this. Not being a machinist or a tool maker it isn't something I could offer. If someone who wants my ideas contacts me and is willing to make an offer (buying tools isn't the only thing I do on the cheap so I would likely settle for one of the finished items) I will be glad to share my ideas.

Since a secondary bevel can be produced with a few short strokes why not place a small piece of plastic or other material under the roller. This would limit the stroke to the distance between the roller and the blade. It would lift the blade slightly to produce the secondary bevel.

This is just a theory. Any ideas as to why it won't work will be appreciated.

Please stay on topic and avoid needless nastiness.

Thank you,

jtk

It honestly just takes about five seconds to reset the cutter at a higher angle against a jig board, which by the way can have as many angle stops as one cares to set up at whatever angles one cares to set them up at. Nothing predetermined at the factory. I like that. Snazzy, colorful decals aren't included though.

That said, your method would work fine.

[Gabe Shackle]

That's what I ended up doing. I just made a small block jig with the primary and secondary angles set with a spacer. One side is maybe 2 inches wide in the middle, the other side is 2 1/4 inches (an extra 1/8" on each side) and that is just enough to push the angle a few degrees. To swap between the two I just slightly loosen the guide, flip the block and push the blade up to the edge.

252024

[Charlie Stanford]

That's what I ended up doing. I just made a small block jig with the primary and secondary angles set with a spacer. One side is maybe 2 inches wide in the middle, the other side is 2 1/4 inches (an extra 1/8" on each side) and that is just enough to push the angle a few degrees. To swap between the two I just slightly loosen the guide, flip the block and push the blade up to the edge.

252024

Perfection.

[David Keller NC]

Jim - That's a pretty good idea. While I no longer use a jig and do everything freehand on a hollow-ground bevel, I do remember being very reluctant to re-set a chisel or plane blade in the jig. The reason wasn't repeatable blade extension (the veritas jig's angle setting attachment was pretty reliable for that purpose), it was getting the bevel absolutely square to the stone to avoid sharpening the edge at an angle.

The advantage I can see to your idea is that no re-setting of the chisel or blade is necessary - one just puts a shim under the roller.

[Jim Koepke]

The advantage I can see to your idea is that no re-setting of the chisel or blade is necessary - one just puts a shim under the roller.

And saves 4 seconds! :D

jtk

[Kees Heiden]

Jim, using your shim, wouldn't you loose a lot of travel on your stone? The shim should be about half the stone long, so you can only sharpen on half the stone. One of the disadvantages of using a jig is loosing travel on the stone, becuase the jig needs its space too. With the shim it would be even worse I think.

[Jim Koepke]

Jim, using your shim, wouldn't you loose a lot of travel on your stone? The shim should be about half the stone long, so you can only sharpen on half the stone. One of the disadvantages of using a jig is loosing travel on the stone, becuase the jig needs its space too. With the shim it would be even worse I think.

Yes, that was mentioned in my post.


Since a secondary bevel can be produced with a few short strokes why not place a small piece of plastic or other material under the roller. This would limit the stroke to the distance between the roller and the blade.

It is just another way to do something that has a lot of ways one can choose from when doing.

jtk