The Veritas Skew Jig

[Derek Cohen]

The Veritas Skew Angle Jig has just been released. This is one of a few accessories for the Veritas Honing Guide Mk II. Another – not dealt with here – is a unit with a cambered wheel for honing cambered or radiused blades.

The basic Mk II was designed to focus specifically on straight bevels. Before the skew jig was developed, I outlined a strategy to create templates for honing skew blades, link below.

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=handtools&file=articles_566.shtml

Several months ago I was sent a pre-production version of the jig by Lee Valley for evaluation and feedback. With the release of the production model I was sent this version as well, and I am now in a position to offer my observations on the final form. What I plan to do is illustrate and demonstrate what the skew jig does. The aim is to help you decide whether this jig is going to be useful in your own workshop.

Of course, the skew jig is only going to interest those who (a) have skew blades they wish to sharpen, and (b) already use, or plane to use, the Veritas Honing Guide Mk II.

It is quite amazing how many tools-with-skew-blades are in my workshop. Here are a few for inspection.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/Skewbladecollection.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

There are skew chisels (for dovetails), a Lie-Nielsen #98/99 side rabbet set, a Stanley #79 side rabbet plane, a Stanley #46 combination plane plus a set of skew blades, a shopmade dovetail plane, an ECE skew filletster, and a Stanley #140 skew block plane.

In my experimentation with the Skew Jig I managed to cover several different blade types, such as those above, and will detail these below.

Overall, I think that the concept of the skew jig is terrific – makes my templates appear hard work! It is straightforward to grasp the principals of its design. I think that we need to start with this. The following instructions and illustrations are taken from the Lee Valley website. Pictures have been added of setting angles on commonly used blades.

<I>The jig attaches to the guide using the same dovetail feature along the front of the blade carrier as the standard registration jig. It is used with the blade carrier set to the 2 (yellow) standard-angle configuration.</I>

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/image001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

<I>The jig is designed to hone bevel angles of 20°, 25°, 30° and 35°, and skew angles from 10° to 45° in 5° increments. Skew angles for 18°, 22° and 28° are also included, as these are common angles for skew plane blades.</I>

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/image002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

<I>The fence is reversible to accommodate left and right skews. Simply flip it over end for end to orient the blade stop left or right, as needed.</I>

Setting up for the #98/99 LN or Stanley Side Rabbet Planes

Step 1: Set the Bevel Angle

Place the fence in the appropriate groove for the bevel angle you are honing. The fence shown is set for a 25° bevel angle. In the following picture, the jig is being used to determine the skew angle. This is 30°.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/LN98-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

The fence is reversible to accommodate left and right skews. Simply flip it over end for end to orient the blade stop left or right, as needed.

Step 2: Setting the Skew Angle

Having established the skew angle, slide the fence so that the blade stop is tangent to the appropriate skew angle line. If the skew angle is known, go directly to this step.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/LN98-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

Step 3: Centre the Blade …
<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/LN98-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

… and you are ready to go.

Setting up for the Stanley #79 Side Rabbet Plane

The blades for the Stanley #79 Side Rabbet Plane have a 30 degree skew angle and should be honed with a bevel of 25 degrees.

These blades are too short to fit the Veritas skew jig set at the desired bevel angle.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/79at25degrees.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

However they will fit if set for a 35 degree bevel angle.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/79at35degrees.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

Now, if the Blade Carrier is locked on the GREEN setting, the bevel will be honed at approx. 25 degrees (the #79 blade is small and I could not be completely sure that my readings were accurate).

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/79-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

Setting up for the Stanley #46 Combination Plane

The Stanley #46 Combination plane: blades have a 20 degree skew angle and the bevels are 25 degrees.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/46-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

This was straight forward to set up and hone.

<I> ... continued in part 2.... <I>

[Derek Cohen]

<I>PART 2</I>

The Stanley (and LN) #140 Skew Block Plane

My Stanley #140 skew block plane has the unusual skew angle of 21 degrees (and a bevel of 20 degrees). If I used a 20 degree skew angle, the blade would be canted in the mouth. So it required a custom setting.

Since my skew angle was already established, the bevel angle was set by squaring the bevel edge with the fence. Note that the example below is set up for 25 degrees.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/140.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

Skew Chisels

I have ½” wide Crown skew chisels (left and right): These have a skew angle of 40 degrees and a bevel of 25 degrees.

If the blade enters from the direct rear of the Honing Guide, then the maximum width blade it can fit (with the skew) is ½”. This is also going to lead to a poor centering of the bevel for honing.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/skewchisel2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

Instead, the blade should enter from the side of the Honing Guide.

<center> <div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Articles/Veritas%20Skew%20Jig/Skew2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br /></center>

<B>Conclusions</B>

The Veritas Skew Jig essentially delivers what it sets out to do, that is, establish the honing angle for skew blades in association with the Veritas Honing Guide Mk II. It does this with the minimum of complexity and is quick in execution.

There is no difficulty for blades either with skew angles that are known (but not honed), or with blades with non-standard but established skew angles. For those unhoned blades with non-standard skew angles, the bevel will first have to be established, and in these situations I suggest you refer to my directions for creating templates.



<B>Derek Cohen</B>
Perth, Australia
April 2006

[Brian Knop]

Thanks for the information. I have been looking and wondering if I should get one.

Thanks Brian

[Alan DuBoff]

Great writeup Derek. Looks like a nice jig.

[Doug Shepard]

Derek
Thanks for the review. I've been saving my Christmas LV gift card for just the right purchase and this just may be it. One question though, you mentioned "Another – not dealt with here – is a unit with a cambered wheel for honing cambered or radiused blades". Is this another pre-prod. unit? I don't see anything on their site about this one.

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks for the great write-up Derek. I had read the material in the latest Lee Valley catalogue about this and was confused about how it worked. :confused: Now I am no longer confused. :)

I suggest that you send a note to Aaron requesting that this thread be made into an "article".

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Doug,

It is forth coming. I suspect it'll show up in another catalog suppliment. It basically is like mine:

http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/temp/roller_mod_0001.jpg

There is a flat in the center of the original diameter, about the same width as the older LV honing guide and the wheel tapers to both ends.

Though it doesn't look like much taper, it allows one to put enough even camber for even a scrub plane blade with a fairly tight radius, shown below. I use it for honing blades of all radii, from my larger planes with little, to my pattern makers planes which have to have an exact radii of several curvetures, as well as my rounds from my hollow and round half-set.

http://wenzloffandsons.com/temp/lv_honing_guide/roller_mod_0007a.jpg

Take care, Mike

[Doug Shepard]

Thanks Mike
My LV scrub plane wants one of those. Too bad it's not out yet.

[Mike Wenzloff]

But it will be...:)

[Mark Stutz]

Thanks Derek. Wonderful job as usual. I've been struggling with the accumulating skewed blades I'm coll....err, acquiring. Try to use the Mk I version just hasn't been very satisfactory. Looks like I'll be placing an order soon.

[Alice Frampton]

One question though, you mentioned "Another – not dealt with here – is a unit with a cambered wheel for honing cambered or radiused blades". Is this another pre-prod. unit? I don't see anything on their site about this one. I've just done a quick review of that one, but it's on another forum so under the TOS I can't link to it. Sigh. On the other hand I don't think it says I can't suggest you type "UK Workshop" into Google, navigate to the forum, go to Hand Tools and find it that way.

Derek, I'm steadfastly not reading your review until I've looked at the pesky thing myself - I'm not shunning you! :)

Cheers, Alf

[Derek Cohen]

<I>I've just done a quick review of that one, but it's on another forum ....
Derek, I'm steadfastly not reading your review until I've looked at the pesky thing myself - I'm not shunning you! </I>

Yeah, I know Alf. :) I would not post this (or anything) to the UK forum until you had done yours anyway. I have my feedback notes to LV for the cambered wheel, the relevant parts of which I will share once it has been released (has it been released to the market?). But I also thought that Mike might first want to have his say here since the design was his.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Doug Shepard]

I've just done a quick review of that one, but it's on another forum so under the TOS I can't link to it. Sigh. On the other hand I don't think it says I can't suggest you type "UK Workshop" into Google, navigate to the forum, go to Hand Tools and find it that way.
...


Thanks for the reply. That's a nice review and a cool site too. I bookmarked it and will have to start visiting there occasionally - assuming you folks have gotten over that whole American Revolution thing and dont minds Yanks dropping by.:D