Have you tried a different chisel or iron in the jig? If those come out fine than at least the jig should be ok.
Have you tried a different chisel or iron in the jig? If those come out fine than at least the jig should be ok.
My bevels were always a tiny bit convex. Not much mind you, maybe a curve of 0,25mm. It was the result of the rocking motion a lot of us unintentionally and automatically make moving the chisel back and forth over the stone. I was talking with Stanley Covington about sharpening and he told me about an article written by researchers at the uni of Tokyo. The found it's easier to erase the scratch pattern of the previous stone with the next higher grit stone if the bevel is fully flat. I changed where I put pressure and was able to get true flat bevel quite easily and the result speaks for itself. There's no difference in sharpness or edge retention but I get to the end faster now.
And some of us have arrived.
Though simple answers are often the best, some folks like to add layers of complexity.
My shop still doesn't have a set up to hollow grind. There is a project underway to have one.
If one doesn't have a grinder a blade holding jig may be the fastest way to get to a useable bevel.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
For someone who sharpens on maybe a monthly basis I would contend it is the only way to get a reliable result which is why hollow grinding is such a good thing. The bevel is so small the angle is irrelevant within reason and if the result is not good enough it takes very little time and metal removal to start again.
Chris
Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening
When a blade needs honing, free hand sharpening can often be done quicker than the time it takes to find the holder and set it up with the blade.
Over the last few years the "tiny bit convex" of the bevel is when they get redone. More recently this has caused me also change my approach to holding a blade while sharpening, to help keep the convexity from occurring.
As mentioned in an earlier post, there will always be more to learn.
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 02-23-2019 at 1:45 AM.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
I still try to sharpen freehand, for probably longer than you've been alive, but one thing you neglect to consider is that as some of us get older, this ability is not what it once was, and a jig is helpful. Write back to me when you're using a walker too. :^) (Among other things we have to deal with, regrettably.)
I find this to be true, and have worked hard to gain the skills to perform these touchups freehand. A couple swipes is usually all it takes to keep the edge razor sharp.
And I aspire to learn a little more every day. Sometimes damn little, but I keep moving the needle
Sharp solves all manner of problems.
To answer the OPs original question: the LV guide uses an eccentric adjustor to change the sharpening angle, thus adding a micro-bevel. The roller is fixed at one end, and eccentrically adjusted at the other end. This results in a roller that is slightly out of parallel with the blade edge. You need such little work on the edge of the blade to create a micro-bevel that its not a big deal. As far as the chisel slipping: I had this problem too. Take some PSA abrasive paper and line the jaws of the clamp: this will help keep a more secure purchase on the blade. I used the PSA paper that I used for sharpening (e.g. 3M micro-finishing film, 15 micron).
With stones and one of these:
Veritas® Mk.II Power Sharpening System.jpg
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...35&cat=1,43072
It is like an electrical 'scary sharp' system.
It has proven itself quite versatile.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
The wheel assembly consists of 4 major parts-the axle, which is fixed in both rotation (when in use) and location on both ends, an eccentric cam on each end, the roller which rotates independently of the axle (on the eccentric cam), and the adjuster knob. The adjuster rotates the cam, on the axle, to one of three positions that changes the height of the blade carrier, which as a result changes the angle that the blade is presented to the stone. The axle of the jig remains in the same location and the roller remains, for all practical purposes, parallel to the stone and the blade in the jig. It does not, at least not by design, skew the blade to one side.
Last edited by J. Greg Jones; 02-23-2019 at 3:38 PM.
It's even simpler than that Greg - the blade, chisel, etc. just slips.
The flaw in the design has nothing to do with the roller, cam, wheel or any of the related parts, it's the top clamp that is to blame. This is why others have suggested using sandpaper to hold whatever is being honed more firmly and I've suggested switching to dry honing media if abandoning that particular jig is out of the question. Narrow chisels are particularly prone. It's a beautifully designed jig, except for the fact that the cutter or chisel clamps from the top instead of from both edges. Marples made a top clamping jig, I think Sorby had one years ago, Woden as well I'm almost positive, probably more, they were all basically clones of each other. They all suffered from the same issue, the item being honed will often skew underneath the top clamp. If you're just taking a few strokes for a quick hone it's usually not a big deal. If you're doing relatively heavy removal for whatever reason, it can be a big deal.