tcmeyer

Sorry for jumping in here without reading the previous posts (TLDR), but I have the following to share:

Uneven bevels usually mean that the apex is off-center, assuming that the angles are the same, although I’ve seen it knives I ground rather badly, where the flats are not truly flat.

To correct the differences, simply take more strokes on the…[Read more]

The slickest method I’ve used in the past is isopropyl alcohol with a battery-powered scrubber.

The fact is that I haven’t cleaned my diamond stones in years.  The swarf simply does not accumulate to the point where it’s a problem.  But I don’t use my sharpener on the dining room table, like some users.

A bigger reason may be that the factories don’t want to taper the tip to match the primary grinds, as it would leave the tip subject to breakage.  The wider bevel doesn’t mean necessarily that the angle is more obtuse.  Trying to find a sweet spot that gives you a constant bevel width at the tip will drive you nuts, unless it’s a very thin b…[Read more]

I have three WE rigs: A Gen 3 Pro with a 3/4″ riser block added and the SS aftermarket micro adjusts (my design), a WE130 with the same type microadjusters and what would called a WE120, with the original vise and on which I use the rods/microadjusters from the WE130 rig.

The Gen 3 Pro is a very nice rig.  I especially like the incremental…[Read more]

I can’t imagine not using the micro-adjust on every knife I sharpen.

The main purpose is to match the angle of the edge of the knife you just mounted.  If you know what that angle is, you’ll want to be spot-on to avoid starting a major profile job.  If you don’t know what the angle is, you’ll want to use the micro-adjusts to zero-in on the c…[Read more]

Mcmaster Carr sells carbon fiber rods which you could thread yourself if you get a 1/4″-28 die and die handle.
Carbon fiber rods are quite expensive at $50 plus shipping for a 48″ length.

They also sell rods in Garolite, which I believe is the equivalent of G10 and has some lubricity to it.  It sells for $16 per 48″ rod.

I made my rods from…[Read more]

I’ve been using a micron/mesh chart that was published by Advanced Abrasives about 10 years ago.  It’s always worked for me and seems to match up very close to the chart on the WE grit/micron list taken from the WE support list.

I think it’s important to note that we’re not publishing a set of standards for the industry – just a guideline to use…[Read more]

I’ve run into this problem of abnormally large clusters of diamond grit a few times before.  In instances where the cluster is aligned parallel to the stone, they are really hard to knock off and the normal process of breaking them in doesn’t do it.  On particularly hard steels like my ZDP-189’s, they can produce some really nasty chips.  I fo…[Read more]

Sorry I’m late on this one, but here’s one tidbit I have to share:

If the long bore diameter is larger than the rod diameter, you’ll want rods which are extra long.  If you slide the handle high enough to have the rod drop out of the upper bushing, you’ll see some angular error and if the bushing are a tight fit, you’ll see some binding between…[Read more]

Hi Marc:

How do the micro-adjusters work??  What are the internals?

I used the VSTAs quite a bit and with good success when I was using custom stones which varied in thickness by more than 0.010 – 0.015 of an inch.  They take only a few seconds to make an adjustment, as compared to using an angle cube with each grit change.  Like Mark says, they never really caught on and users simply found it easier to either u…[Read more]

I had to look at a few of the new product photos to see what you meant.  The new version has only one pair of holes for the height position key.

I don’t know how different the hole height position is from the previous version, so can’t say for sure, but my experience is that there’s only a small change from one position to another, whether you…[Read more]

Which stroke direction works for each user is a subjective thing.  For whatever reason, one might work better for you than others and that’s fine. Clay did some tests awhile back and found that under higher magnifications, edge leading strokes seemed to leaved a less jagged apex.  I had argued this point for several years as I had experienced s…[Read more]

Seems to me that 5/32″ is less than 1/4″ (8/32″).  It ought to fit in the 1/4″ jaws.  In fact it ought to fit in the standard jaws.  Are we miscommunicating or is this another case of me being too old?  Seems to happen a lot lately.  Maybe you meant 5/16″?

I bought a WorkSharp 3000 for sharpening plane blades, thinking that it would also speed up the process of sharpening ceramic knives as well.  Haven’t tried it yet, but the principle of higher grits and low pressure makes a lot of sense.  Thanks guys, for reminding me of a lesson learned five years ago.  I’ll have to give it a try.

I’ve been Wicked Edging for about 12 years and I have both the Pro with the Gen 3 vise as well as an older setup with the Gen 1 vise and I’ve found solutions for every knife I’ve been asked to sharpen, from itty-bitty little pen knives to 12″ jerky knives to an Alaskan Ulu.  Some have required the assemblage of some gadgetry, but I’ve never…[Read more]

Here’s how I do it, using RAM mount gadgets:

I replied to Rob’s post, but apparently the OP was moved to a different Forum topic and my reply was lost in the transfer.  Just in case, I’ll copy it here:

Using strops is certainly another way to do it and would probably do it a lot faster once you work out the progression.  I’ve drifted away from strops because of their tendency to get c…[Read more]

Using strops is certainly another way to do it and would probably do it a lot faster once you work out the progression.  I’ve drifted away from strops because of their tendency to get cross-contaminated.  Once a strop  is contaminated, there’s almost no way to return it to its prior condition.  Diamond stones  and films can usually be cleaned to r…[Read more]

If I understand your question correctly, I believe that flipping the horizontal knife holder rotates the vise on the same plane (or axis) as the rod centerline, so there should be no change in the relationship between the shape of the edge and the rod’s rotational axis.  It will be reversed but not otherwise altered.

As a side note, I see two…[Read more]