LN Honing Guide

[ken hatch]

I must be missing something but.....

I bought the LN honing guide to help keep my pig stickers square. No joy, the guide mortise jaws are 12mm from the guide to the top lip on the mortise jaw and the pig stickers are 15mm to 18mm in the area where the guide needs to clamp. Doesn't matter how you hold your tongue best I can tell it ain't gonna work. I love my pig stickers but maybe I should try one of the LN mortise chisels, they look very pretty and I like Hornbeam handles on chisels.

Well, I had LN send a couple or three of their mortise chisels out to the desert Southwest and best I can tell the 1/2" one doesn't fit the guide either. Here is a photo of the guide, you may be able to see that from the step on the bottom of the guide to the top lip is 12mm, the LN chisel is very close to 13mm. I know us guys in the metric world have a hard time with imperial measurement but....Last time I checked 13mm is greater than 12mm. Like I said, I must be missing something and once I find what it is I guess I'll have another "never mind" moment.



What am I missing?

ken

[Joe Bailey]

What am I missing?

ken

The ability to sharpen freehand?

All kidding aside, this is the second "review" I've read, of this long-awaited product, in which the reviewer discovers that this jig, despite a plethora of jaws, cannot handle everything thrown at it.

[Mike Henderson]

I've always sharpened pigstickers freehand. Well, I may establish the primary bevel on a grinder, but the real edge is set freehand.

Mike

[ken hatch]

I've always sharpened pigstickers freehand. Well, I may establish the primary bevel on a grinder, but the real edge is set freehand.

Mike

Mike,

I do not like a hollow grind on mortise chisels.

The wider chisels are not bad but the 1/4" one is tough (for me) to keep square and the bevel flat. I had hoped the LN guide would help. BTW, I understand LN will make custom jigs, if they do I may order one that will handle a 20mm thick iron.

ken

[Brian Holcombe]

Ken,

I've actually been having success with the eclipse jig with non-pig sticker mortise chisels. I'm surprised that this doesn't work with the new jig.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Ken

I am please that you posted this as I have had thoughts along the lines of getting the mortice attachment for my LN guide, however I use RI chisels and LN state that that match is not recommended. I use a 35 degree secondary bevel on a 20 degree primary, which can be freehanded, especially if you use a rounded bevel method (just set a sliding bevel alongside as a guide). Alternately, make a wedge at this angle ...



I digress.

I did use the basic LN guide with my RIs ..



It works well enough but this is not a perfect idea since there is the risk of lifting the chisel if you apply too much downforce (which is the risk of all side clamping guides with tall chisel sides). The Eclipse is in the same boat.

the guide mortise jaws are 12mm from the guide to the top lip on the mortise jaw and the pig stickers are 15mm to 18mm in the area where the guide needs to clamp.

Here is my idea for the LN guide plus mortice accessory: add spacers under the screws to lift the front 3mm and the rear 6mm.

Give it a try and report back. Also, which mortice chisels (and sizes) are you using?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Brady]

Contact Lie-Nielsen customer service if you have the problem Ken is referring to. You will be exchanging jaws with them at no cost.

[Jebediah Eckert]

2x. Email LN or give them a call, great customer service. I'm pretty sure they say the guide is specifically made for their tools but may work with others. I would be surprised if they make a mortise attachment that doesn't work with their mortise chisels. None of it makes sense but I haven't tried it myself yet.

[Mike Brady]

The problem is that the first jaws they produced do not quite fit the 1/2" LN mortise chisel. They will replace those. They are not saying that they fit all mortise chisel from other makers. Never did. Overall, the Lie-Nielsen honing guide is in a class by itself. I have disposed of my others.

[ken hatch]

Never mind but do. Playing around more with the 1/2" LN mortise chisel I find it will fit, I'm not sure I like the way it fits but....Here is a photo:



You should be able to see it is held in place by the top and bottom corners of the jig.

Here is a photo of one of the smaller chisels:



It is held in place by the sides and the upper lip, which is how I would expect the larger chisels to be held.

ken

[ken hatch]

Contact Lie-Nielsen customer service if you have the problem Ken is referring to. You will be exchanging jaws with them at no cost.

Good to know....I had planned on a call today anyway.

ken

[ken hatch]

Hi Ken

I am please that you posted this as I have had thoughts along the lines of getting the mortice attachment for my LN guide, however I use RI chisels and LN state that that match is not recommended. I use a 35 degree secondary bevel on a 20 degree primary, which can be freehanded, especially if you use a rounded bevel method (just set a sliding bevel alongside as a guide). Alternately, make a wedge at this angle ...



I digress.

I did use the basic LN guide with my RIs ..

It works well enough but this is not a perfect idea since there is the risk of lifting the chisel if you apply too much downforce (which is the risk of all side clamping guides with tall chisel sides). The Eclipse is in the same boat.

Here is my idea for the LN guide plus mortice accessory: add spacers under the screws to lift the front 3mm and the rear 6mm.

Give it a try and report back. Also, which mortice chisels (and sizes) are you using?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek,

I use mostly RI up to the 1/2" one with a few older pig stickers as well. Like you I've found the standard jaw will work if you are careful. The mortise jaw, not at all, it's a shame because the mortise jaw is too short to work with most of my Japanese chisels as well. I had hopes it would, it could be very useful for re-establishing a flat bevel on the Japanese chisels.

Back to the same old same old. Not a problem but I'm usually on the lookout for a better way and hoped this would be one. I expect spacers would work, just not sure it would be worth the trouble to make.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken,

I've actually been having success with the eclipse jig with non-pig sticker mortise chisels. I'm surprised that this doesn't work with the new jig.

Brian,

I had high hopes it would at least work with my Japanese mortise chisels (IIRC you use Japanese mortise chisels) if not with the pig stickers. But no joy with mine.

It's a nice jig, if you can use the Eclipse on your chisels it should work and it is a huge step up.. Is it worth 10X the money...depends on how much you like your money.

ken

[Brian Holcombe]

All of my Japanese chisels that taper in thickness as they progress toward the shank are not capable of being held in the eclipse either. Derek, you have the Krell jig, have you tried it with Japanese bench chisels?

Paring chisels and Japanese mortise chisels haven't been a problem for me, but some of my bench chisels have been.

I think an ideal for the LN jig would be the height of the mortise jaws with the length of the long jaws….but like they said, they were designing this around LN product.

* just read your latest reply.

Thanks Ken, I may pick it up in the near future. My only real complaint with the eclipse is that the blades can slip upward, which is pretty annoying, especially on a high grit stone.

[Derek Cohen]

The very best honing guide for mortice chisels and Japanese chisels - it was designed with Japanese chisels in mind - is the Sharp Skate. this is a side sharpening guide designed by Harrelson Stanley.





Absolutely secure with deep mortice chisels.

Regards from Perth

Derek