Linkage play–your technique for consistency?

[Michael Lingard]

I might just send them in to you guys for the mod. Most of the time, I think I’m dealing with the linkage slack okay but there have been times when I seem to be hitting the edge at a slightly off angle on one side so the mod might help me some. I always thought that my knife wasn’t clamped straight, but it makes more sense that one hand wasn’t holding the stone right while sharpening.

Can I find information on how to send it in on the website here? I’m up in Canada, so it might take a while to get there.

[Michael Lingard]

I guess my other option would be to try and find machine screws of the same diameter with washers and a lock nut so I don’t have to tap threads in? That might be a simpler option if I can find the stuff.

I’m guessing it’s just the washers that take out that linkage slop?

[wickededge]

I guess my other option would be to try and find machine screws of the same diameter with washers and a lock nut so I don’t have to tap threads in? That might be a simpler option if I can find the stuff.

I’m guessing it’s just the washers that take out that linkage slop?

Compressing the joint works well at taking out slop, so the nut/screw combo will have a decent effect on its own. It’s even better if you have the washer.

I found the washers on DrillSpot:
DrillSpot
11103084
0.125″ID x 0.25″OD x 0.01″Thick White PTFE Flat Washer, Pack of 50
SKU: 1287009
For my next purchase, I’ll try a little harder to find a brass or other metal washer. The PTFE washers are difficult to work with.

-Clay

[Michael Lingard]

I’m going to go look for some today… I’m hoping a hardware store will have stuff that small. Those are pretty thin washers.

[Michael Lingard]

I guess my other option would be to try and find machine screws of the same diameter with washers and a lock nut so I don’t have to tap threads in? That might be a simpler option if I can find the stuff.

I’m guessing it’s just the washers that take out that linkage slop?

Compressing the joint works well at taking out slop, so the nut/screw combo will have a decent effect on its own. It’s even better if you have the washer.

I found the washers on DrillSpot:
DrillSpot
11103084
0.125″ID x 0.25″OD x 0.01″Thick White PTFE Flat Washer, Pack of 50
SKU: 1287009
For my next purchase, I’ll try a little harder to find a brass or other metal washer. The PTFE washers are difficult to work with.[/quote]

No luck finding washers that thin. The smallest brass washers made for machine screws are too thick. Drillspot doesn’t ship to Canada. I might drive into Calgary tomorrow and see what I can find. If I don’t have any luck, I will probably end up sending the arms down to you guys after all.

[Josh]

I think that the subway straw idea is the best yet!!! I’m gonna have to make a special trip there tonight now lol

[Phil Pasteur]

Go to Subway if you want to do this.
I tried about 5 different convenience stores and three differnt fast food places.
I threw away gallons of softdrinks…
🙂

I went to subway and could duplicate the results that Holymolar got…

Works like a champ. If they wear out, I know just where to go for replacement parts.

Phil

[Phil Pasteur]

I think that your knife is not clamped in straight. If you have errors due to linkage slack it will not be that consistent as to make one bevel visually different. I have had the same results myself. It has always been with blades that I had to use some cluge to get clamped in firmly. I have tried different materials for doing this, I haven’t found anything yet that avoids the problem. The angle cube is pretty useless for verifying this. If the blade soen’t have enough of a flat for the clamp to grab and center on, there is no reference surface for the cube.

Anyone have suggestions for getting around this??

The only other thing that I can figure that could cause the different bevel size is something that Ken was talking about. If you grind more on one side than the other when you are getting your initial burr you move the edge to one side of the center line of the blade. I have had that happen, but I try to correct it befor proceeding. This has happened to me with blades that I had no question about them being centered in the clamp… After you set the initial bevel, or so it seems to me, and you sharpen with an equal number of strokes and pressure.. it is hard for me to think that you would offset the bevel enough to be visually apparent… especially when being aware and trying to take the slack out of the arms on each stroke.

Phil

BTW, at this point there is no good reason for not fixing the joints on your arms. It should help consistency. It will not fix a blade that is not centered in the clamp or overgrinding one side for the initial burr!

I… Most of the time, I think I’m dealing with the linkage slack okay but there have been times when I seem to be hitting the edge at a slightly off angle on one side so the mod might help me some. I always thought that my knife wasn’t clamped straight, but it makes more sense that one hand wasn’t holding the stone right while sharpening.
quote]

[Chelsea Page]

Couldn’t you just use the knife handle as a flat to measure with the cube?

[Chelsea Page]

Just for the record, the left side of the blade always seems to have a slightly lower angle than the right. It’s been that way on every single knife I’ve done, despite me making sure it’s within 1 degree of being centered using an angle cube.

[wickededge]

Just for the record, the left side of the blade always seems to have a slightly lower angle than the right. It’s been that way on every single knife I’ve done, despite me making sure it’s within 1 degree of being centered using an angle cube.

So to be clear, if you set both sides to 20 degrees and place the angle cube on the stone after zeroing it on the base, you get different readings even though you’ve verified that the knife itself is vertical? If that’s the case, we have some troubleshooting to do…

-Clay

[Chelsea Page]

Just for the record, the left side of the blade always seems to have a slightly lower angle than the right. It’s been that way on every single knife I’ve done, despite me making sure it’s within 1 degree of being centered using an angle cube.

So to be clear, if you set both sides to 20 degrees and place the angle cube on the stone after zeroing it on the base, you get different readings even though you’ve verified that the knife itself is vertical? If that’s the case, we have some troubleshooting to do…[/quote]

I haven’t measured the angles on the stones yet. I honestly don’t think it’s the system, I think the way I hold the knife while tightening the clamp makes it cant to the left ever so slighty. I’ve measured it on the handle, and I’m always off about .5 degrees.

I’ll try and make a YT vid to explain what I’m talking about, but I truly do think it’s something that I’m doing.

By the way, I got my new angle arms in, and on the third knife I did I got a hair whittling edge. I LOVE it! So much less hectic than the EP. Oh yeah, somehow with the new arms my rounding of the tip issue is gone as well. My tips are like little needle points now.

[Phil Pasteur]

Whenever I get a difference in the bevel it is on the left side looking towards the tip. I am right handed. When I have looked at my technique, I almost always …make that always start to grind for a burr on the right side. When I was not paying attention and depending on how much I was changing the bevel angle.. I ended up grinding the heck out of the right side bevel to get a burr. Then I would switch to the left side and it would take many fewer strokes to get a goog burr.

Think about it, I was taking a bunch more metal off of the right side. Then I would go through my progression. Get a good edge, but the bevels are not equal.

Lately I have been grinding a bit on the right side, switching to the left, then back an even number of strokes, or close, until I get a good burr on both sides. I don’t see the difference in the bevel width neraly as much, if at all now.

I would really love for somone to tell me how they get a good reading with the cube on Full flat ground or hollow ground blades with no good reference surface to put the cube on ???

The handle won’t get it, there is not always a fixed relationship between the handle and the center line of the blade. How about rounde handles, those with a taper, what surface would I use to measure with the cube??
Just what I have seen.. I always love to be corrected if it helps me get better.

Phil

[Phil Pasteur]

Maybe if you had machined carbon fiber that was perfectly aligned with the blade center…and if using a folder, there was perfect alignment with the frame and no slop in the pivot..
I think a perfect set of circumstances that does not often occur… I don’t think that I can depend on it anyway!

Phil

Couldn’t you just use the knife handle as a flat to measure with the cube?

[Phil Pasteur]

Clay,
I guess I am being a bit repetitious
But how do I know that the blade is really vertical in the clamp. I can eyeball it… but that is about it.

Phil

you get different readings even though you’ve verified that the knife itself is vertical? If that’s the case, we have some troubleshooting to do…

[Author]

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