I have the WE120 and wonder if there is some way to LOWER the clamp that holds the blade in order to achieve a wider angle.
The WE scale goes out to 35, I can use the angle cube and get it out to 38-40 but that is it. I am sharpening “goat hoof shears” which look just like the small pruners that gardeners use. At my max angle I have to reprofile all her shears, that are likely around 42 degrees from the factory.
When you hit the limit on how far out you can move the arm, you just have to wonder if it’s possible to put a smaller riser / spacer that sits below the clamp. That would achieve the same result of a bigger angle…
…planer blades that require a 45 degree angle. …I have the WE130 and the largest angle is approximately 38 degrees.
I have the WE120 and wonder if there is some way to LOWER the clamp that holds the blade in order to achieve a wider angle. The WE scale goes out to 35, I can use the angle cube and get it out to 38-40 but that is it. I am sharpening “goat hoof shears” which look just like the small pruners that gardeners use. At my max angle I have to reprofile all her shears, that are likely around 42 degrees from the factory. When you hit the limit on how far out you can move the arm, you just have to wonder if it’s possible to put a smaller riser / spacer that sits below the clamp. That would achieve the same result of a bigger angle…[/quote]
The scissor attachment won’t work for the goat hoof shears?
I thought they would have a much more blunt angle - but I can’t seem to find any numbers on that from Wicked Edge…
But maybe you are right - I found a scissor site that said 40-45 degrees which is what I need. I will have to pick up that attachment. I think it would clamp the disassembled shears well. Yeah I will give that a try.
The scissor attachment won’t work for the goat hoof shears?
I thought they would have a much more blunt angle – but I can’t seem to find any numbers on that from Wicked Edge… But maybe you are right – I found a scissor site that said 40-45 degrees which is what I need. I will have to pick up that attachment. I think it would clamp the disassembled shears well. Yeah I will give that a try.[/quote]
It works great for me on my scissors. I forgot what the offset is from the base level for the scissors attachment, but the chisel attachment is offset 26° from base level, if I remember right. But the easiest way to sharpen them is with the sharpie method anyway. The scissor attachment also grips very well, better than I expected it would.
[quote quote=56573]It works great for me on my scissors.
…But the easiest way to sharpen them is with the sharpie method anyway. [/quote]
OK, got the scissor attachment in today - and it is the opposite problem. The angle is too wide, the sharpie gets hit along the apex. Previously it was hitting along the base of the bevel.
I tried the 3 mounting points on the attachment, the one that angles “down” more rather than level is approximating what I need on this odd 40 to 45 degree angle on the wife’s hoof shears. But it’s not angled down enough, and it is like the sliding arm needs to be a couple inches longer for that to work (I have the WE 120 that is numbered out to 35).
I removed the “riser block” on the WE 120 which fixed everything for this odd application - but it is a pain to go back and forth.
She has a bunch of goats, and needs these things sharpened all the time. Has several sets of these shears, and I have been reprofiling them to about the 38 degree max that is mentioned on the first post of this thread.
It works great for me on my scissors. …But the easiest way to sharpen them is with the sharpie method anyway.
OK, got the scissor attachment in today – and it is the opposite problem. The angle is too wide, the sharpie gets hit along the apex. Previously it was hitting along the base of the bevel. I tried the 3 mounting points on the attachment, the one that angles “down” more rather than level is approximating what I need on this odd 40 to 45 degree angle on the wife’s hoof shears. But it’s not angled down enough, and it is like the sliding arm needs to be a couple inches longer for that to work (I have the WE 120 that is numbered out to 35). I removed the “riser block” on the WE 120 which fixed everything for this odd application – but it is a pain to go back and forth. She has a bunch of goats, and needs these things sharpened all the time. Has several sets of these shears, and I have been reprofiling them to about the 38 degree max that is mentioned on the first post of this thread.[/quote]
It’s hard to know what people are really talking about when they don’t show any photos. But I googled goat hoof shears and figured that sharpening them wouldn’t be much different than sharpening scissors. The angle offset from the base with my SA on my WE130 is 24°. The angle out to the outer hole on the angle bar with my aftermarket micro-adjusters screwed all the way back is 25.7°. I could go a little further if I don’t use the hole and instead use the micro-adjuster L-screw to lock the L-Bracket. That’s 50° or so that I can go. It seems to me that it should work.
Factory profile on this hoof shear is about 40 degrees. With the WE120 set as far wide as it can go, it barely clears the sharpie off the factory bevel. She has several different manufacturers of these shears, some factory edges are a bit over 40 degrees and I have to reprofile.
Now it goes to 45 degrees easily, so I have freedom to easily move around that 40 degree range to clear the sharpie and approximate factory angle (which is usually around 40 degrees)
Here the scissor attachment is on. Of the 3 positions this is closest I can get to factory angle but can’t clear the sharpie off anything but the apex.
At this point, I think I am going to do all my long kitchen knives while the riser block is in place. Then remove it so I can do the constant supply of dull goat hoof shears, and still do the average length knives, my Paramilitary 2’s etc. without riser block.
Bob, the Wicked Edge steel square bar is 5/16". You can replace it with a longer bar. It probably needs to be 14" or 16" longer, overall. Then you’ll be able to achieve the wide angle settings needed to sharpen the hoof sheers with the SA while the riser block is still in place. The longer square bar won’t effect your knife sharpening ability. You will have to learn to work with a flat sided square bar without the delineations or angle indents. The mini L brackets can be locked in place against a flat square bar if the set screw pointed tips are flattened. You may find it’s helpful to use two 10-32 set screws for each side bracket. One screwed in from the front side and a second one in from the rear.
If you want to pay the expense you can have a bar machined with the indents. I met a guy that did that for me years ago as a one-off deal. See the attached photo showing my modified setup.
The new square bar will need one hole drilled up through the square bar to secure the bar up underneath the blue W.E. mount and up into the stationary left vise side. If you have the tools to do metal fabrication you may be able to cut and drill the 5/16" steel bar yourself. If not a local metal shop, machine shop or welding shop can easily knock it out.
Coincidentally the 5/16" steel is the same dimentions as many rotisserie rods like those used on an outdoor BBQ grill rotisserie accessory.
I made this modification to my W.E. setup many years ago to improve my overall angle range I can achieve. I work with this longer square bar in place all the time.
Wow I never thought of getting a longer bar. People are always giving away junk BBQ’s on Craig’s List, I will have to find one with the rotisserie thing. I could live without the indents.
I already have the longer guide rods and low angle adaptor, so should be able to find combinations that work for all sharpening with the addition of 5/16 longer bar.
You are putting those “pool noodles” to good use on your base. I use them on my ladders to avoid damaging the edge of shingles, I do roof inspections.
The longer bar doesn’t affect how you sharpen knives. You don’t need the low angle adapter, (LAA), unless you needed it already with the original length bar. The longer bar simply gives you a wider angle capacity you lacked with the regular length bar.
I needed the longer bar because I use an extra riser block. This allow me to achieve lower angle settings with just the W.E. vise, without the need to use the LAA. When I gained the low angle ability it was at the sacrifice of the wide angle ability. It’s a compromise between low angle and wide angles.
That’s just what you found when you removed the riser block. You lost the narrow angle ability you need for knives. In order to have a narrow angle range the riser block is used. Then to improve the wide angle range with the riser block still in place you found you needed a longer square bar to allow you to move the end brackets wider.
By using both the extra riser block in combination with the longer square bar I expanded my overall angle range, both low and wide settings.
FYI: some rotisserie bars are not exactly square. Some are sort of rounded out in the flat sides. This is to help them insert through meats that your putting on the spit.
The SA is going to add 24° to the angle so I don’t see how it won’t help you to easily get to 45°. But Marc gave you some good ideas so I’m sure that you will get everything working great. But photos always help.
[quote quote=56616]@Bob Harvey The SA is going to add 24° to the angle so I don’t see how it won’t help you to easily get to 45°. [/quote] Gotcha, I am new to the Scissor Attachment - but here’s my opinion.
I think if it simply angled over a bit from vertical, while still holding the “goat hoof shears” upright, then it would work. But it also moves the shears 90 degrees from vertical, so it is a very big change from doing simple knives on Wicked Edge.
In this photo, I have the rod-arm moved outward as far as it can go on the WE120 and the sharpie is only removed from the apex.
I knew that I was getting the tool for something other than what it was intended for (scissors). The angle of these “goat hoof shears” tends to be about 40 degrees which is just odd. I just did some garden pruners, the factory edge was 36 degrees and I could do them with the Wicked Edge standard out of the box set up. So I realize that I have an odd-ball application.
I am OK on keeping the scissor attachment regardless, I am a tool freak and am sure they will see some use.
There are too many different cutting implements to make a one size fits all sharpener set-up. Hence adaptations and modifications to broaden your W.E. sharpening tool’s usefulness to better fit your personal needs.
@Bob Harvey The SA is going to add 24° to the angle so I don’t see how it won’t help you to easily get to 45°.
Gotcha, I am new to the Scissor Attachment – but here’s my opinion. I think if it simply angled over a bit from vertical, while still holding the “goat hoof shears” upright, then it would work. But it also moves the shears 90 degrees from vertical, so it is a very big change from doing simple knives on Wicked Edge. In this photo, I have the rod-arm moved outward as far as it can go on the WE120 and the sharpie is only removed from the apex. I knew that I was getting the tool for something other than what it was intended for (scissors). The angle of these “goat hoof shears” tends to be about 40 degrees which is just odd. I just did some garden pruners, the factory edge was 36 degrees and I could do them with the Wicked Edge standard out of the box set up. So I realize that I have an odd-ball application. I am OK on keeping the scissor attachment regardless, I am a tool freak and am sure they will see some use.[/quote]
They will definitely be good for scissors. The angle on those shears must be more obtuse than 40°. I can go over 50° with my setup. Maybe the WE120 has a shorter angle bar. Anyway, a wider angle bar like Marc suggested will probably fix the problem for good.
