uneven burr sizes..
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I am trying..now 8th time to sharpen a maxamet manix 2 and I have a burr easily felt on one side but it is so hard to get one on the other side although I think I have a very small burr along the entire length. What is happening here using a pro 3 unit? I have had no trouble with other blades but this is so frustrating..some have said the smaller the burr the better but if I have uneven burrs can I proceed OR do I need to do something differently.. Both angles right and left are very close and yet from previous session where adjustment loosened, edges are uneven..
I suspect that your knife is not mounted perfectly normal (ie. orthogonal) to the plane that your stones are being measured from via the digital angle gauge. It should not matter much though if you truly have a full burr on both sides. However, if you are looking for “perfection” doing 3-5x+ more strokes on the correct side will raise a bigger burr. Also, remember that while the WEPS clamp IMO supplies very accurate centering it still is a function of the major face grind angles of a specific knife. This can cause unavoidable very small tilts when clamped in the WEPS.
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A magnified visual aid, such as a jeweler’s loop or a USB microscope will allow you to see exactly what your bevels look like. This will help you determine what’s going on.
Like Readheads suggests it may be an angle issue. It could be in the knife’s primary grind symmetry, or in the knife’s clamped position, or possibly in the angle’s the stones are set to. It only takes a slight the angle issue from side to side in to effect the burr formation.
Maximet is a harder steel and not always easy to sharpen. I’d use up down scrubbing strokes perpendicular to the knife edge balancing your effort from side to side till you produce the even burrs you seek. Remember the burrs will flop back and forth to the side opposite to where your working.
Marc
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Cmyhero, I don’t know which system you are using, or what angle you are sharpening at. So rather than a lot of back and fort I will relate an issue that happened to me that sounds similar.
I was using the WE 120 with the standard vice trying to get a low angle on a knife. Like you one side seems to go fine but not the other. Turned out my stone was hitting the vice as the blade was too short and angle was too steep. So look for shiny spots on the vice or jack screw if you are using the std vice (has 2 screws you tighten) it would also be prudent to check the same even if you are using one of them more expensive systems.
If the above is N/A and you have not had the opportunity to watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RrvnZRVc-I grab your favorite beverage take a look. It demonstrated the different types of stroke you use with the WE, why and when to use them. It was very helpful to me as I developed my proficiency with the WE. Still no expert but very comfortable with the knives I sharpen regularly. Having A USB scope is worth very penny ($35) as you can see if you are reaching the apex of the bevel, yes the marker is gone to your naked eye but maybe it isn’t. A very bright light placed in front and above the knife as it sits in the vice is invaluable, if you have not apexes the bevel you will see shiny spot where the bevel is rounded or pushed over.
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In my experience, very hard steels tend not to produce large burrs. As said by airscapes, a USB scope should be the answer. After raising a burr on the first side and trying to raise a burr on the opposite side, look to see if the stone on the second side is really reaching the apex. If it is, the size of the burr is unimportant.
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