Veritas MKII honing jig - Problems???

[Adam Slutsky]

Has anyone used the MKII to sharpen chisels? My chisels keep turning in the jig so that the blade is no longer square to the jig. I have tightened the thing up but the chisels still move. I am thinking of making is little block with a groove in it to keep the chisel square to the jig. Am I doing something wrong here? I have used this jig to sharpen my plane blades and it worked great but for chisels it seems to be have trouble holding them tight. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Rick Erickson]

Common problem with top/bottom mount jigs. Someone on a different thread talked about putting a thin piece of rubber of the faces of the jaws. You could try that.

[glenn bradley]

I had that problem initially. It is a bit of a learning curve but tightening each side lightly at first to get the bar to set parallel to the base is key. Then snug each side an equal amount. Also, allow the abrasive to do the job. If you're like me you may tend to get a bit tense while moving things back and forth. If your fingers hurt and your knuckles are turning white, ease off on the pressure. The honing jig is just a guide, not a vice.

[Orlando Gonzalez]

I assume that you are using the registration jig as well? What usually happens with the MKII, especially with thin chisels, is that when you tighten the brass knobs on top you may be over tightening one of them which skews the chisel. This leads to an edge that is not straight.

What I do, after initially setting it up, is to look at the chisel head on and if I see that the pressure plate is uneven - lower on one side - I back off on the lower side's knob at the same time tightening the opposite knob until it looks even. I do this slowly a little at a time b/c if you do it fast the chisel may slip out.

With a square I then draw a line on the back of the chisel as a guide and begin to sharpen/grind looking, at intervals, at the line to check for squareness. If it is still not square, I loosen the knob associated with the low side (of the chisel's edge) and tighten the opposite knob until I am getting a straight/square grind/hone.

EDIT: Glenn is right about the learning curve. The key is a parallel bar.

HTH

[Adam Slutsky]

Yes, I'm using the registration jig and it starts out nice and square. Based on your comments, I'll give it another try concentrating on keeping the jig vise parallel when tightening it. If that doesn't work, I'll add i piece of thin rubber to hold it. It would seem that an improved design would have something to hold the blade square in the jig.

[Rick Erickson]

I like my MKII for some things (skew, heavy camber) but find a cheap side mount jig does more for me. I have an Eclipse but there are several after market knockoffs that do the job. I'm trying to master free-hand sharpening to eliminate these problems all-together but just don't do it enough to where I can get good muscle-memory, etc.

[Tri Hoang]

The MKII is great for wide/flat blades & chisels. When you get to things like japanese dovetails or smaller/thicker (mortise) chisels, the grip isn't good enough to prevent skewing. Those can probably benefit from the eclipse jig (if sides are parallel) or free hand honing.

[Zach England]

I have to tighten the nuts with pliers to ensure a good hold.

[Don Dorn]

Chisels are thick enough that I'm having better luck doing them by hand. I stick to a jig (Elipse or MKII) for plane irons, but the thickness of the chisel allows me to find "home" and then tip up slightly for a sharpening bevel. Granted, I can't guarantee that I'll find that exact bevel the next time, but it's been very close and I'm getting the results I'm looking for. I have a friend who does this well, but like any other skill, it takes practice.

[Ben Rivenbark]

I think Glenn Bradley has it right; if I tighten the clamp so it is even and parallel I don't have problems with any of my chisels, 1/4" are no problem. That along with not trying to force it = sharp for me.