what gage are you using now if you don’t mind me asking?
I’m using the DXL360S. The red one. There are many different brand names for the same cube. I believe they’re all made in China.
Based on specs it offers the best accuracy, resolution and it’s dual axis.
The downside of trying to work at this level of precision is it slows you down while you make all the very small increment micro-angle adjustments while trying to use this instrument to it’s fullest capabilities. The precision afforded by the WE sharpeners invites us “perfectionists” to attempt to work at this level. W.E. perfectionists tend to find displeasure and shortcomings in our results when instruments show how we are off a minutiae. Don’t get caught up in this.
To be clear it doesn’t matter whether your knife’s actual bevels are sharpened at 17.03°, 17.11°, or 16.97°. The knife is still profiled to a 17° bevel. What matters, that is, what makes the knife edge sharp is how precisely or keenly the bevels are, that is flat and smooth, and how well they intersect at the apex.
You need to learn to use and work well with your cube, first. That’s what is important. Not which cube model you use or it’s specs. Using a more precise cube will not make your edges sharper. Effort exercised, consistency and a attention to details are what make for a sharp edge.
I also use the DXL360S , besides the precision it is re-chargeable via USB. I don’t have to worry about changing batteries.
Ed K.
Nice, I have the igage coming tomorrow but I may just return it and order the DXL360S.
so I got the DXL360S and thought maybe I should try to calibrate it even though they probably did that at the factory, I tried the level calibration, did step 1, spun it 180 for step 2 and it says wrong direction or something an flashes the message but then acts like it wants to go to the next step, I tried turning it 180 in both directions. Is this normal or have you not tried to calibrate yours? Should I just not worry about it? I haven’t dropped it and I don’t think it’s been in extreme temps but who knows, it came in the mail, I think it did come from the local amazon warehouse though.
Joe you should calibrate it before you use it. Do the factory reset first then try again…
I am attaching a download of the procedure. Use it even if the version is not the same as your model. Try to use this starting on page 15, for the red cube.
DXL360S-v2-Dual-Axis-Digital-Protractors
Do it the first time with it still is off, as a dry run. Then you’ll have the time you need to match your device in your hands with the pictures in the instruction manuals. I found it hard to do the calibration with the manual mine came with, also. This down loaded manual seem to make it easier for me. That, plus taking the time at first to familiarize myself with what I was going to be expected to do.
That is to place it in a series of positions and rotate it into positions made sequentially with the device in different orientations and planes, step after step. You are rotating the cube slowly with your finger tips, through these motions, usually 180° around that axis, while the cube still rests or stands flat on the table… you’re not spinning it like a top! Slowly and deliberately turn it this way then stop, then slowly and deliberately rotate it that way, then stop. step by step as it beeps.
It took me several dry runs till I figured it out. It seems it must be translated from Chinese.
There are You Tube Videos you can watch but they’re all in Chinese. LOL
Have fun. You won’t have to do it again unless you do the factory reset.
BTW it keeps a battery charge for a long time…months.
It probably is calibrated I was just gonna do it again for giggles lol. I’ll check this guide.
Read my post again, I edited it for clarity!
I figured it out, it’s giving you a warning right after a step that you aren’t in the correct position for the next step, funny haha. I’m squared away, I was playing with zeroing, this unit is very sensitive, you’ll see all 0’s for a second then it will kinda bounce between all zeroes and like .01, .02 back to 0, a little annoying but I guess that is what you get with all of the accuracy and sensitivity. I do like that it measures from 90 degrees no matter which side you you flip it.
true that. 
Consistency becomes really important using this device.
Where you place the cube against your stones, how high or how low on the stone. Then how your stones are placed while leaning against the knife edge. Again, how high or how low the stone is relative to the apex. Are you holding the stone in that position? If so, with how much finger pressure and where are you holding it, placing your fingers. Or, is the stone simply resting or balancing against the edge?
Every little thing effects the readings. Due to the sensitivity of this cube.
I prefer to rest my stones centered with the vise on the knife edge while it’s held up in place centered top to bottom, with a lower stone stop. I take all angle readings this same way, every time. This is simply my attempt to remove any chance for differences in readings due to method and inconsistencies.
It is slow and can be tedious. Especially if you prefer to check and micro-adjust your bevel angles with each and every grit change.
Yeah, it does take more time. I spent nearly 3 hours on my leather knife taking the edges up to my new 3000 grit stones using my new Tormek SVM-00 small knife jig at 16dps. One side was exactly 16dps and the other side was a little off so I reprofiled it to 16dps. Even though my new 2200/3000 stones are not broken in yet, they still did a pretty good job.
Time? Oh well, it’s a labor of love!
This link was very helpful - more so that the printed instructions in my opinion. Two things to keep in mind:
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My cube was not giving an accurate angle indication until AFTER I re-calibrated it - so while it SHOULD be calibrated correctly - don’t count on it. I was seeing the protractor suggest that the vise was wrong when in fact it was an out-of-calibration DXL360S.
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As you go through the steps, the cube will beep as it stores information about that position and then immediately indicate an error about the position being wrong - which may make you think you just did something wrong. But that error isn’t about the position you just completed - the cube is telling you that you aren’t in the correct position for the NEXT step - not the step you just completed. So when the beeping stops and you get an error - just move on to the next position in the sequence - the error will go away and you can initiate calibration for the next position.
After re-calibrating the cube the error I thought I was seeing in the vise went away and everything is not within a couple of tenths of a degree which is about as good as you’re going to get.
Regardless of the type of cube you use, the table you place your gear on is also important..
Zeroing your cube while leaning on a table that is not rock solid will show you a non zero when not leaning on the table.. You would be very surprised at the change that can take place on a seemingly stable surface.
I zero my cube on the base in front of my vise.
[quote quote=56086]
.I zero my cube on the base in front of my vise.[/quote] The point I was trying to makes is if you are working on anything other than maybe a granite counter top that can not shake or move, you have to be careful not to lean on, bump or shake the table you ware working on.. I have done this and it will mess up your Zero. Not saying you did it just mentioning it for the betterment of anyone reading in the future.
For instance you put your left hand on the table while pushing the zero button, or when checking an angle between grits and you are leaning on the table in a manner in which you were not when you zeroed, you may be altering the reading because you are working on a table that has legs on it and can move.. as a for instance.
[quote quote=56087]
The point I was trying to makes is if you are working on anything other than maybe a granite counter top that can not shake or move, you have to be careful not to lean on, bump or shake the table you ware working on.. I have done this and it will mess up your Zero. Not saying you did it just mentioning it for the betterment of anyone reading in the future.[/quote].I zero my cube on the base in front of my vise.
Of course you don’t want to shake the table. I have the aluminum base and it is pretty solid. I also give the cube a few seconds to settle after I zero it before I start using it.