New guy grinding his clamps by accident
- This topic has 7 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 01/04/2018 at 5:02 pm by
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Welcome to the forum Derek. The lower and upper limits on angle settings listed in the WEPS Specs for each model are only an approximation or a generalization. The values were determine using a knife mounted in an average position at the height of I believe 5/8″ above the jaw tops. The results do vary up or down depending on the size and position of the knife. All of us that have been using our Systems for any number of knives have experienced the same ground jaws and vice.
The depth key is there to help you as a guide to position your knife to help with recording/logging a repeatable clamp setting or sharpening position. Sometimes it may be necessary to raise the knife up so it is held higher in the clamp, while less of the knife steel is being held by the jaws, but no longer resting on the key pins. As long as the knife is secure and doesn’t move while sharpening is all that matters. You’ll have to measure the position in some other fashion for repeatability.
If raising the knife still isn’t enough to avoid stone contact with the vice or jaws, you may need to purchase and utilize the Low Angle Adapter, (LAA), available from Wicked Edge. The higher you are able to mount your knife in the jaws, the lower setting angle can be achieved. There is limit to the lowest angle. There Also is another adapter, Tormek Small Knife Adapter, but it’s a little trickier to use.
Here’s a knife I’ve clamped with the LAA:
Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)4 users thanked author for this post.
Derek, the problem with that is if your hitting the clamp you may well not be hitting the knife bevel of your set angle. So only for that reason I’d try to avoid grinding on the vice and jaws.
I use a broad tip black magnum sharpie to paint over the raw metal grind scars on my vise a jaws. It helps me to keep track of what is new as the paint is removed again. For me I really think it just gets excess metal out of the way. A lot of metal will need to be removed all over the jaws and vice before it effects the metal’s strength and clamping ability.
Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)1 user thanked author for this post.
Thanks for the reply – as a lot of my sharpening will be smaller knives this may be something I need to purchase. A little frustrating as I would imagine these smallish kitchen (Steak knives) and small pocket knives have to represent a huge percent of knives to be sharpened. But it is what it is.
Yes, it’s just the nature of a design that clamps the blade. There are pros and cons to the approach, but I think the pros far outweigh the cons.
-Clay
1 user thanked author for this post.
I agree Clay – just wish I had known Id need that extra part to work 90% of my knives so I could get it all going faster!!
1 user thanked author for this post.
I agree Clay – just wish I had known Id need that extra part to work 90% of my knives so I could get it all going faster!!
You may want to consider sharpening things like paring knives and steak knives at wider angles anyway because the really shallow angles on those blades won’t hold up long, especially on the steak knives.
-Clay
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