Most Versatile Sharpening Jig?

[Dan Barr]

Don,

What is the maximum width of skew chisel that your jig can handle?

Thanks,

dan

[Don Naples]

Don,
What is the maximum width of skew chisel that your jig can handle?
Thanks,
dan

Dan: That depends on the angle you want to set and the width of the skew chisel. The clamp opening is 2+7/8". The reference lines are marked 0 to 45 degrees.

[Sean Hughto]

Oh, you meant the original LV (Mark 1 I guess?). I had that for years before the Mark 2 came out and still use it plenty - keep the camber roller on the Mark 2 for plane blades and use the Mark 1 for straight edged chisels and such. As you suggest, I use the existing bevel and have never used to the wheel thing (though the wheel thing is metal - not plastic - FWIW). I've never had any problem with flex. Really, one is pressing on the blade out ahead of the device when pulling the chisel over the stone, not on the guide. The guide is just helping maintain the angle. If you like secondary bevels - which I do, the mark 1 is very convenient as the spring loaded roller makes it a snap to raise the angle a tad.

[David Gendron]

How important is it to be so exact on the angle, I meen if you repeat always the same angle it doesn't mather if it's 24,25 or 26.658 degrees, the wood wont know!! Or maybe I'm totaly wrong...

[John Coloccia]

How important is it to be so exact on the angle, I meen if you repeat always the same angle it doesn't mather if it's 24,25 or 26.658 degrees, the wood wont know!! Or maybe I'm totaly wrong...

Someone will disagree, but most would agree. Being able to repeat an angle is very important. That way honing only takes a couple of seconds. If you're making a new bevel every time, honing will take forever everytime.

[Dan Barr]

I'm not really after exact bevel angles. I am however after EXACT Repeatability.

For most of my tools, i will keep whatever bevel angle is on the blade right now. Whether its 25.9 or 31.1878375 degrees.

The little wheel on the first Veritas jig would be useless to me. I would set by eyesight with the bevel that already exists.

I'm not a microbevel fan. I dont like to sharpen twice. i go with the correct angle for the purpose and that's what stays on the tool. I do see the usefulness in microbevels though. I'm definitely not a fan of back bevels. i keep most all my tools dead flat on the faces except for my carving tools.

From what i can tell, the H-100 seems a better buy for me. the Varitas MK II does not seem too amenable to skew chisels from an out of the box perspective. also, the reference bar on teh H-100 puts the edge of the tool exactly where it needs to be, where it will initially contact the sharpening surface. It is also already prepped for skew blades.

I am definitely in need of an accurate way to maintain the correct skew angle. some of my old wooden skew planes cant afford to lose much metal to me re-grinding or needlessly wasting metal. I sharpen everything by hand right now but i want to have a faster method.

Cheers,

dan

[Sam Takeuchi]

If you want a faster method, get a grinder and hollow grind. You can skip intermediate grit stones and no need to setup jigs, still get repeatable and accurate result. No need to hollow grind until hollow goes away. You won't be wasting metal either. Honing jig isn't exactly a time saver.

[Derek Cohen]

Dan

I totally agree with Sam's recommendation about freehanding on a hollow grind in the above post. If you are already one that freehand sharpens, then I cannot see why you would want a honing guide! Also I cannot understand why you are so adament about honing a flat bevel only... unless you are working Japanese blades in a "traditional" manner (and even then this is not a sacred matter - most of my Japanese blades are hollow ground on a Tormek).

I also have a question for you - have you actually used many .. any ... honing guides? I ask because your take on the Veritas Mk II is consistently so wide of the mark. For example, a statement such as "the Varitas (sic) MK II does not seem too amenable to skew chisels from an out of the box perspective."

As it happens, the Veritas Mk II is the one of only two honing guides that I know that offer a facility for skew blades.. now ....

I do have another recommendation for you. It may just be your perfect honing guide. No kidding! Are you familiar with the Sharp Skate? This will do everything you want, with one provisor .. you will need to hone sideways, not front and back. Having said this, the side sharpening method is the one I use when freehanding blades. So this probably will suit you even more than you can imagine.



Here is my review of the Sharp Skate:
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...p%20Skate.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Michael Schwartz]

I'm looking to lay paws on the most versatile sharpening jig out there.
I would like it to be able to properly hold a 2 1/2" wide plane blade, bevel edge chisels, paring chisels, skew chisels etc.

I've looked at the Veritas and im not too impressed. max blade width of 2 3/8" is insufficient and that little plastic guide that helps set the angle doesnt look too accurate to me.

Any advice or knowledge of a superior product would be helpful.

Thanks,

Dan

I have both the generic style (cast clamp with a wheel) and the current Veritas with all the bells and whistles.

The Veritas works very nicely, however lately my feeling is the best jig is none at all.

[Richard Niemiec]

<snip> however lately my feeling is the best jig is none at all.

+1.

That being said, however, I've also concluded that one has to buy at least two jigs before the epiphany that you really don't need one after all has burst upon your psyche. As much as some like to think that sharpening is rocket science, believe me, it ain't. Spend your jig money on good stones, no, wait, you can only do that once you have at least two sharpening jigs......

[Todd Bin]

without a doubt, this is the most versitile sharpening jig I have ever seen or used. It basically turns the whole idea upside down. It is easy to use, you can use your whole waterstone and it is not so sensitive to the flatness of your stone.

Check out the video.

http://www.blumtool.com/pages/sharpeningjig.html

Thanks,
Todd

[harry strasil]

+1 for my paws and a leather strop with jewelers rouge on it. By the time I set up a jig for one chisel, I could have touched up 3 or 4 or more with my versatile paws Jig. 2 or 3 swipes on each side. i have been sharpening knives, chisels, plane blades and draw knives since I was I think 6 yrs old and started working with wood.

just my 2 cents. of course I am old and old fashioned.

[Eddie Darby]

It looks simple, yet it works great.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...072,43078&ap=1

You just need to be precise in the distance the blade protrudes from the holder to consistently repeat an angle. Capacity is 3", and it works well on narrow tools as well.

The key to this unit is that the sides of the blade must be parallel, so skew chisels are out of the question.

Do you want to put a slight camber on your blades, then the narrow roller allows you to do so by just applying pressure on each end of the blade as you roll it.

[bob frost]

I have and like the Worksharp 3000

[mike holden]

Dan,
from your description, I think you are confusing the mk1 and mk2 LV jigs. Mk1 used the wedge device, and I agree it is clumsy; Mk2 uses an attachment that measures the length of blade extension.
Mike