First time using the Angle Cube while sharpening

[Joyal Taylor]

I sharpened/polished a SOG Twitch XL today and used the Angle Cube to get a 17 degree edge. The Cube showed that I was OK at the 17 degree mark on the WE on the left side arm but I had to move the right side arm to the 18 degree mark to get a 17 degree edge on both sides. I didn’t bother switching the arms to the other side of the marker bar to get even more accurate because I don’t have the Locktite Purple 222MS yet.

After going thru the diamond stones 100-1000, I was ready to progress through the balsa paddles 14 micron to the .5 micron. I retested with the Cube and it showed that I was off by approximately 1 degree for the balsa paddles compared to the diamond stones. Both arms had to be moved in 1 degree (to 16 on the left, and 17 on the right) in order to be consistent.

Is this the kind of thing to expect when using the Angle Cube? That there will be an adjustment going from diamond stones to balsa paddles?

[Leo James Mitchell]

The various media for sharpening in some cases have varying thicknesses and adjustments must be made in the degree settings.
When the WEPS was in its infancy, the cube was barely necessary, but with the addition of such things as the Chosera and Shapton stones for example, we run into variences that require compensating to get extreme accuracy in one’s edges. This also holds true for things like the balsa strops et al.
The recent rapid evolution of the WEPS has been crowded with additional tools and methods which those requiring sharpness in the extreme wanted/needed and the cube therefore has great value.I expect there will be many more surprising additions soon that will require even more delicate adjustments.
If one simply wants sharp, the standard package and setup is capable and the cube is not really necessary. I was turning out real-world sharp knives long before I acquired my cube.When I sharpen most of the time, I don’t even use the cube. It is only when I do one of my collection babies that I haul it out along with all my paddles and Chosera stones…and I put my paddle arms on in reverse for the finest accuracy plus a tiny squirt of Purple Loctite.
The learning curve for the WEPS grows a little steeper, while the edges it produces grow even beyond keen!

Leo…who should be in bed! Off I go! Hopefully the preceding makes sense.

[Jende Industries]

+1 Leo B) When you start adding on the accessory stones and strops, it is assumed that you have a comfortable level of experience on your stock WEPS already, which makes making the minor adjustments no big deal. One of the beautiful things about using the angle cube is that it brings an even higher level of consistency on the stock paddles, and is really a necessity for any aftermarket stones and strops.

I spoke with Tony Jackson, the Australian WEPS dealer, this weekend (he’s a great guy with lots of knowledge, BTW! B) ) He was saying how you also have to take into account outside influences on the angles – like how different spine thicknesses and degrees of hollow grinds will affect the overall angles given by the cube vs. the fixed readings on the WEPS.

We really need a propeller head smiley :cheer:

[Author]

Posts