A PERFECTLY PERPENDICULAR POSITIONING WEPSisode !

[DARRELL ALLEN]

:sick:

Well, I finally had it sunk home real quick what it means to check and double check blade positioning in the vise…BEFORE…you start sharpening.

I had started on a new Gerber small pocket knife last night, and decided it was too shallow a blade to put in the top holes of the vise, so I moved it up vertically in the vise, basically splitting the distance from the top mounting holes to the top of the vice, and clamped it down tight and proceeded to start my sharpening.

What I did not notice was that the blade was canted ever so slightly to the right ( my right facing the sharpener ) until I got up to the 400 / 600 grit paddles, which was when I noticed that the blade bevel on the left side was WAY wider than on the right…..DOH ! :angry:

Apparently, by me moving the blade up higher in the vise, it clamped more or less too ” close ” to the spine of the blade I guess :unsure:, not really clamping in the meat of the blade, and moved when I started applying pressure to sharpen….and I didn’t notice it. So, now I have to determine if I should try to correct it by totally reprofiling the edge, removing more metal than I really want to, or just continue sharpening and not charge the customer, and also offer to replace the knife…….which is where I’m leaning. Luckily, it wasn’t a very expensive knife……….so lesson learned here is to ALWAYS go with the basics and double check your blade position…..simple idea huh ? Apparently not, LOL. 😉

[cbwx34]

You can also use a thin piece of leather, chamois, tape, moleskin, drawer liner, etc. to help keep a knife from slipping if you need to.

I’d ask before buying a new knife… I’ve “messed up” a few… most people could care less as long as it’s sharp. 🙂

[Leo Barr]

There is a section in one of the English Yachting magazines it may be Practical Boat Owner although it does not really matter anyway people write about their blunders whether it be navigation or seamanship ( I think it is called the confessional ).

The point is that although it often takes courage to write these confessions they are in fact highly instructive for the readers.

Not yet having my WE I can only relate the blunders I have made using an EP the main ones relate to blade geometry – the profile I was not fluid enough with the stones and made hollows where there should not have been which I can imagine can easily happen on the WE .
My other foul up fortunately on one of my own knives was completely screwing up the bevel since only the heal end of the knife was flat ;I set up the bevel on the main part of the knife which was not flat and then I shifted the knife unbeknown to me at that time to the part that was flat at the heal the result was that my edge bevel was probable 5Ëš lower than it should have been and eventually I reset the bevel at a later date so I lost some steel which on a folder is often in short supply.

Still perhaps we should have a section called something like the confessional so that maybe we can learn not to make the same mistakes that others have done.

This is where it comes home that these are tools relying on the user to keep all senses peeled when using them. The most important thing is viewing 360Ëšaround the tool ( I think that possible for the first couple of knives it would do no harm to have a few mirrors mounted around to help keeping an eye on everything – I remember scratching parts of my EP the first couple of times I used it ), listening for unusual sounds , feeling the wrong feedback & noise from the stones and avoiding none fluid movement with varying pressure.

I think the confessionals would be very helpful for others and who knows even funny at times .

[Eamon Mc Gowan]

Been there done that! When in doubt now I just use a piece of leather and snug it up. Never been a problem since.

[Jed Bowen]

I will have to say been there done that too.

I think Leo has a brilliant idea about the “confessionals” idea. I do the same thing reading through here learning from others mistakes and from making my own mistakes as well.

I also think a link or a forum tab for this is a must.

[DARRELL ALLEN]

wholeheartedly agree Leobarr…………..a Confessional would be ideal.

Forgive me Clay, for I have sinned with my WEPS………..LOL 😆

[DARRELL ALLEN]

Been there done that! When in doubt now I just use a piece of leather and snug it up. Never been a problem since.

yep, I wound up going back on this one last night that I messed up Eamon and using blue painters tape to build up the thickness just a bit, and moved the blade down on the first depth setting instead of where I had it ( halfway between the top of the jaws and all the way down touching the pins on the top hole setting ) but I like the idea of using leather as I have a whole BUNCH of it left over from when I was making Native American “style” Flutes from 1999 till a couple of years ago…………….I used to buy whole, tanned deer and elk hides to use for the strips that ties the fetish on top of the flutes. ( see pics )

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[Leo Barr]

Great looking flute!

[Eamon Mc Gowan]

Darrell, Great flutes!!! :woohoo: OMG do you have talent!! Hey you know I used to use painters tape to. I would build up 2-4 layers and that was all nice and good, but…. So a friend gave me some thin leather really it is chamois looking? I cut one a one inch square for the larger knives and the a small piece probably 1/2″ x 1″ for the really small knives. Which takes some getting used to to chuck up the small blades at first. I swear to you I have never had a problem since.
Phil and I had a conversation ( here on WE) That he washes his pieces out when done and the just stretches-pulls on them when dry and their new! I now do the same and sometimes I’m careless and my little piece of leather comes up missing and I just cut a new one out and on with it.
I promise you you if you do this your troubles will be over!! :cheer:

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