My WEPS Observations!

[Chris]

Enjoying using my recently aquired WEPS immensely.
So if I may share some of my initial thoughts?

As someone that modifies or personalises nearly everything that I buy, I can’t help but look for any improvements to the experience.

I have a couple of questions that may have been asked before.

The knife blade mount lower adjusting screw is digging a hole into the aluminium.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n34/chrisbillabong/Hole.jpg

I intend to drill that surface where the screw and fit a “plug” of a more solid steel.
Is something similar in the works?

The next question is, how do you get a finer angle with a really thin blade when the top screw of the clamp protrudes out too far and touches the stone?
It would be nice to have a shorter screw included with the WEPS as it is tapered and packing it out with washers is not a great solution.
Of course I don’t want to file it shorter either.

Tightening up the slop in the arm joints (old arms) with a screw and nut (or tap the hole) gives a wonderful feeling of smoothness.
I think Clay said WE can do this at a cost?
I feel this is something that should be offered or included when purchased.
Even if a slightly higher price is required.
An amazing difference, if only psychological. 😉
Obviously this only applies to the base model that retains the older arms.

This is hopefully seen as constructive criticism as I think the WEPS is amazing!

Thanks.

[Jerrie Barber]

Two quick ideas. First as far as the top jig screw is concerned, take the original with you to Lowes and get a shorter one for about $.50. I know this is not a stroke of genius but is what I did so that I could work on case pocket folders and the like.
There is also a video on YouTube where a fellow used a small piece of metal on the lower screw face surface so that it was not digging into the mount. I believe he also mentioned buying or altering the screw that came with his WEPS so that the face of the screw was smooth.

[cbwx34]

Hey Billabong…

The screw digging into the aluminum bugged me too… but it turns out that once the center of the screw hits, it appears to stop doing this. Like Jerrie mentioned, lightly sanding the end of the screw would also help. Not sure it warrants a “plug”… but if you do it, I’d like to see the result. (I appreciate the urge to modify). 🙂

Maybe Jerrie, or someone, could post the size of the replacement screw they got? While I haven’t done it, I have seen the need for a shorter screw.

You’re right I believe, that Clay will modify the original arms… I’m not sure what he charges. I agree that “psychological”, it probably makes a difference, but reality, I don’t think it matters. The other day, just for grins, I put an old arm on one side, and a new one on the other. Set the angle with the cube so they’d match, and sharpened away. Came out just fine.

It’s good you mention these things for a couple of reasons… so others can post there experience and/or how to deal with it, but even more important, Clay pays attention to these threads and seems proactive at making changes if needed.

[Chris]

Hey Jerrie and cbwx34,

I will get a shorter top screw tomorrow, just thought it would be nice if Clay included one in the kits.
Important that it is a bugle head to allow the pivoting action that makes the clamp work.

My solution for the lower screw would be to drill and tap the point where the screw scores the aluminimum and put in a slightly larger diameter stainless “grub” screw.
Offering a nice hard face to push against.
You can see an insert is fitted in the screw side, so similar to that but no hole.
Simply making the screw face flat might be enough.

Mind you this is just me being pedantic.
I think I have found most of the tricks people do to their WEPS.

Like drilling all four (or two) pivot points of the arms and fitting screws to tighten up the slop. (older style)
The Subway straws over the arms. (new arms are thicker, so not needed now)

Reversing the bar and fitting 5mm x 10mm socket head screws, then using an iPhone clinometer app to check angles.

I have a 1″ square block of high density foam about 8″ long to rest the arms on for quick paddle changes.
Magnets located around the WEPS to pick up the metal filings.

All this while I wait for my new arms kit and angle guage to arrive. 😉
So then a longer bar from Clay and some rubber boots for the ball joints to add.

What did I miss?

Please note that I am 100% happy with the results I am getting with my WEPS.
As I was before I fiddled with everything.

Just want to be able to show people I meet, a WEPS without a “they could have done this” comment possible.

[Phil Pasteur]

I was reading a thread awhile back, I think it was on Blade Forums. Somebody was asking about why a maker of a popular sharpening system (not WEPS) had not done a bunch of things to amke the unit better. Somebody answered, “Hey if you give me $2500, I can make you something close to perfect”. Even at that, with all of the smart folks out there, I would bet somebody would come up with something they could make bettter… even at that price point.

Not too diminsh anything that has been mentioned here, but there is the matter of cost. At some point the cost of the “perfect” system is going to scare most people away.

Other than that, just a suggestion, try not to tighten the bottom screw any more than you need to to keep the knife in place. I think that I used to tighten way more than I needed to.. I always just expected a bit of marring of the relatively soft aluminum vise by a hardened steel screw BTW.

Anyway, I am glad you are getting good results with what you have so far!

Just a few thoughts.

Phil

[Jerrie Barber]

I can Amen that Phil. Here is the deal in my point of view. Men, and I guess women, we’re shaving with metal long before I was born, and there will be those who will be sharpening metal long after I have passed to my final reward.

I was talking with another fellow forum member this week who said that we have all seen a person pick up a rock and sharpen a knife with it. I personally saw a man split a piece of hickory branch sprinkle some dirt on it and sharpen a knife. I would believe that at some point all of us have tried our luch at just plain ole hand sharpening.

What WEPS brings to the table is a modicum of consistency and the ability to duplicate a procedure with some pretty good tools. Could the mount be a little bit better? Sure. Could the arms be made a little more accurate? Sure. Could there be improvements made here and there? Of course. As Phil said there is a point that you have to say, “that is pretty good” and let it go.

I looked at 3 systems for over two years before I settled on WEPS. I read reviews, watched a lot of YouTube and made what I believe to be the best decision for my money and I am getting hair splitting results consistently. I will continue to improve my materials and my technique until I reach what is acceptable to me. That may mean I continue to invest and modify and tweak and buy until I get there. I love to sharpen and love carrying a “bragging rights” sharp knife, so I will continue to feed my passion.

Continue the journey and we will “sharpen” each other as we sharpen knives.

[cbwx34]

Good post Jerrie. I always like to see the word “consistency”. 🙂
(But your entire post has a lot of good points!)

[Chris]

What WEPS brings to the table is a modicum of consistency and the ability to duplicate a procedure with some pretty good tools. Could the mount be a little bit better? Sure. Could the arms be made a little more accurate? Sure. Could there be improvements made here and there? Of course. As Phil said there is a point that you have to say, “that is pretty good” and let it go.

Perhaps you guys are right, the thing’s I mentioned are not important or Clay has accepted as “near enough” for the task intended.
Just my thoughts, I guess economics play a bigger part in the final product.
I can see room for improvement in almost everything in life, if it’s within my capabilities, I will attempt it.

I might slide back into an observing role again, for now. 😉

[cbwx34]

Perhaps you guys are right, the thing’s I mentioned are not important or Clay has accepted as “near enough” for the task intended.
Just my thoughts, I guess economics play a bigger part in the final product.
I can see room for improvement in almost everything in life, if it’s within my capabilities, I will attempt it.

I might slide back into an observing role again, for now. 😉

No reason to do that! Like I said, and it’s been shown before, points are always considered, and even if they can’t be implemented, doesn’t mean they’re not useful. Some of the upgrades were based on users’ feedback.

People will by a 50K car, and find ways to mod it. :blink:

[Phil Pasteur]

Just my thoughts, I guess economics play a bigger part in the final product.
I can see room for improvement in almost everything in life, if it’s within my capabilities, I will attempt it.

I might slide back into an observing role again, for now. 😉

Billabong,
I think we were doing a point, counter point discussion here. You are entittled to you thouhgts on the subject, just as I am. Clay looks at what is being said here and works to make things better. The new arms and riser are just one example of that. So, though I think I understand how the system got where is is, that does not mean that some things about it can’t be improved. I just have been on the other side of things and been involved in decisions on getting a product to market at a price point, that were clearly compromises.

There is no reason to stop expressing your views, but in a helathy environment of discussion, you have to expect that there will be those that don’t fully agree.

CBW mantioned modding $50K cars. People buy $500 K cars (racing Porches for one) and strip them down to the chassis and rebuild them, specifically because they think they can make them better… and judging by the results, they do make them better.

Phil

[wickededge]

Thanks guys for the lively discussion! In addition to cost, there is another set of constraints in implementing changes, and that is the length of the production pipeline and the economies of scale involved. Right now we’re sitting on lots of Free Vise Jaws which means that adding the new catch plate will have to wait until we’re ready to place a new order, same thing with the pivots. In the next production run, I’ll implement the screws and catch plate but it will be at least 6 months before those actually start showing up on units getting shipped out. The order we’re currently shipping from was initiated more than a year ago. We can do some custom stuff, but it’s all highly labor intensive and slow so we can’t mod all the units before they ship out and as CBW pointed out, the vast majority of customers get results that are well beyond just satisfactory without any mods. It’s the rest of us that are constantly pushing for better that start to pick up on all the little details that can be improved 🙂 Thankfully, there are so many great members of this community that give their feedback and are helping to create the always new, next generation versions. Billabong, please don’t ever stop supplying your great ideas!

-Clay

[Chris]

Billabong, please don’t ever stop supplying your great ideas!

You understand where I am coming from.

I wish and hope for nothing but great things for you and the development of WEPS into the future.
It is an exceptional product with exceptional support.

[Author]

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