New Gen 3 Pro in House!

[Montana Edge]

I calibrate with no knife, jaws in closed position, using 1000k grit paddles held to each side in the same manner (take up paddle/arm slop same fashion each side). Angle cube checked for zero. 23 on the paddles equals 23 on the adjusto lever markings and leaves equal thread on the ball fine adjust. I check things now and then with a flat ground knife that I trust.

[Montana Edge]

I just traveled with the gen 3 and had to pull the arms off. Used the same method to assemble and calibrate and be up and running in 5 minutes.

[Manny]

Today I calibrated my gen 3 and started to sharpen a kitchen knive, I did not check the angle when I started, I got up to 400 grid when I grabbed the angle cube and checked the angle my left side was 19.60 and the right side was 20.50 should I be worried? Do I continue to sharpen one side until the bevel is even? Thanks in advance.

[tcmeyer]

I received my vise upgrade last week and finally got around to installing it and taking it out for sea trials this week. I immediately noticed that the cam follower mechanism isn’t following the cam very well. When you start the release stroke, there’s a sudden, loud snap as the follower breaks loose from the guide bore and hits the cam. Is this normal? It doesn’t seem right.

It also seemed to me that I could feel a “scratchiness” as the cam drove the follower up, so I lubed it with some Outer Gun Grease I had laying around. If I had some resizing lube, I think that would be better. Resizing lube is designed for situations where two metal faces are slid, one along the other, while under high pressure. The lube has properties which resist being squeezed out of a pressurized joint. Resizing is more properly termed as swaging. Swaging is where you force five pounds of something solid through a two-pound hole.

Of course, lube attracts dust and grit, so I chose to put aluminum foil heating duct tape over the sides of my new vise. check it out.

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[Alan]

That’s a great idea with the tape on the sides. and exactly what I was thinking I would do as soon as I get my Gen 3 Pro. I’m also going to see about getting some magnets. Keep us posted on your thoughts!

Alan

[tcmeyer]

I had super-glued a pair of magnets, one to each face; front and back. After one year there was almost no collection of filings or dust accumulated. If you mount them high enough to be effective, they’re in the way for low-angle jobs. Probably half of the knives I do are much longer than the vise is wide.

For professional sharpeners, the magnets might be worthwhile, but for me, doing a few knives per month, it didn’t seem effective.

Maybe mounting an array of magnets right on the base, you’d tend to reduce the mess.

[wickededge]

Tom,

Thanks for your post. We’re tracking the way the cams work closely, especially when it comes to grit accumulating. I’ve also had two units I’ve tested that have had a similar pop and also the scratching. Please keep an eye on it and let me know how it goes. Of course we’ll fix/replace anything that needs it, hopefully with improvements we’ve learned along the way.

-Clay

[tcmeyer]

Clay:

I took my vise apart four or five times, looking for the cause of the “pop”. The best explanation I can come up with is that the spring is binding in its bore, a result of the follower button rocking forward and back on the cam face. I tried greasing the components and finally polishing the follower button as well as the spring, both bore and OD with no positive results. You might try making one with a tighter tolerance in the bore diameter.

Tom

[Joseph Mann]

Clay,

In the sailing world we use a product called SailKote. By a company Team McLube. We even spray it on across the sails to enable them to easily flow across when we tack. Incredible stuff. I use it on my arms and have NEVER had a problem.

http://www.mclubemarine.com/

Joseph

[wickededge]

Thanks Joseph,
I ordered some and will test it out as soon as it comes in.
–Clay

-Clay

[tcmeyer]

Clay:

Well, I finally identified the source of the loud snap whenever I release the vise on my Gen 3 upgrade. It turned out to actually be two sources. The main one is the loose fit between the square hub and the lever socket. I tried taping one layer of foil duct tape onto the hub and that eliminated most of the noise. The second cause is the shoulder bolt mount between the lever and its base. I eliminated the “slop” by exchanging the 10-24 shoulder bolt for a straight 10-24 bolt. With both components tightened up, there is little or no noise.

Re the hub; I suppose you could replace the axial retention bolt for a set screw, but that would give up a little convenience.

Re the lever mount; perhaps you could replace the shoulder bolt with a longer straight bolt and add teflon washers between the bolt head and the lever, and between the lever and the lever base?? Perhaps a steel washer between the bolt head and the teflon washer. Or maybe use Belleville washers?

Or maybe just leave everything alone and live with a little noise once in a while. The remaining question would be if the sudden snap will eventually be detrimental to the life of the lever socket.

[Marc H]

These questions go out to Tom and any other users of the Gen 3 Vise Jaw Accessory:
Do the gen 3 jaws accessory in actual use clamp FFG knives, in particular kitchen knives, without a cant to the left so adjustment for the lean is no longer needed? Do the Gen 3 jaws hold the FFG knife tightly and securely? What is the lowest bevel angle you can achieve with the Gen 3 Jaws?
Thanks

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

[tcmeyer]

The only FFG knife I’ve tried on it so far is my Delica 4, which was not held particularly solid. It was held vertical, but the jaws did not do a very good job of adapting to the longitudinal taper. The knife would rotate about the near side of the jaw (thickest part of the blade). A single layer of masking tape eliminated the problem. I could then pick up the vise, base and all, without moving the knife in the vise. I thought about contacting Clay on this, but decided that I really should be using tape on every knife, anyway.

That said, I wouldn’t even consider going back to the old vise. The rapidity of use and the ease with which it adapts to FFG blades is a no-brainer for me.

I think that the Delica 4 is probably a worst case of longitudinal taper because of its short length.

I haven’t tried to check the low angle limits, as I almost never go below 17 dps.

[Marc H]

The only FFG knife I’ve tried on it so far is my Delica 4, which was not held particularly solid. It was held vertical, but the jaws did not do a very good job of adapting to the longitudinal taper. The knife would rotate about the near side of the jaw (thickest part of the blade). A single layer of masking tape eliminated the problem. I could then pick up the vise, base and all, without moving the knife in the vise. I thought about contacting Clay on this, but decided that I really should be using tape on every knife, anyway.

That said, I wouldn’t even consider going back to the old vise. The rapidity of use and the ease with which it adapts to FFG blades is a no-brainer for me.

I think that the Delica 4 is probably a worst case of longitudinal taper because of its short length.

I haven’t tried to check the low angle limits, as I almost never go below 17 dps.

OK, so it’s quick and easy to use, it holds secure…
Is the blade clamped vertically with no lean to adjust for? When you sharpen a knife if you could throw the angle cube on a stone and look at how low it looks like you can go without grinding against the clamp I’d appreciate that. I have a couple of knives I sharpen at 14dps and I do go lower to thin behind the shoulder since I don’t have a belt sander.
Thanks again.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

[tcmeyer]

I’m sorry for not making myself perfectly clear. While the Delica leaves too little face area on which I can place my AngleCube, I set my stones at exactly 19.0 dps to match the current bevel angles. Except for an area near the very tip, it was clear that the stones were removing all of the Sharpie marks, suggesting that the blade was indeed clamped at almost exactly vertical. The anomoly at the area near the tip can be explained by the fact that the Gen 3 clamping position requires that the knife be moved toward the operator, as opposed to the old clamp on the flat at the top of the blade, which required a more forward position.

[Author]

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