DC's ruler trick with a LV MKII honing guide ...

[gidon]

Karl's post on back bevels has prompted to post my solution for applying DC's ruler trick with a plane blade without taking it out of the honing guide:



The guide simply pivots on the back of the honing guide and the small back bevel is dictated by the extension of the blade and the height of the polishing stone. You simply need a planed piece of timber to rest your polishing stone on - a rough measurement and small amount of trial and error will give you the correct thickness. The beauty is unlike with the ruler trick the back bevel angle will remain the same where ever you rub the back of the blade on the stone .
I know it's simple but always bugged me taking the blade out of the jig to apply the ruler trick.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[wizer]

Thanks gidon, I'm still learning every day. I have that honing guide. Will a back bevel work with a spokeshave blade? What happens with cambered blades?

 

[woodbloke]

I use an Eclipse clone guide and with the thicker blades there's no need to take it out of the guide. The ruler I use is an old, very thin sprung steel R&C jobbie that I got from PFT some time ago. I locate it on a couple of brass pins at either end of the polishing stone so it doesn't slip and slide around :evil: when I'm doing the flat side of a plane blade...your solution for the Veritas Mk II is a neat one though :wink: - Rob

 

[gidon]

Wizer
The only purpose of the ruler trick is to ensure the area just behind the blade is polished and that any minute burr is removed. Will work on any plane blade but shouldn't be used for chisels where you want the back perfectly flat to register your cut.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Paul Chapman]

Excellent idea, Gidon - and by varying the height of the surface the guide runs on, you could go from ruler trick to full-blown back bevel.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

...and while we're looking at MrC's ruler trick...what's happened to him, he hasn't posted since before West Dean? - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Perhaps we ought to PM him - he'd enjoy all this stuff about back bevels :wink:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[gidon]

Thanks Paul - yep steeper back bevels possible too but not experimented much with that.
Rob - yes the Eclipse guide is a handy little thing - still find the clamping mechanism on the LV is far from perfect - starting to hone with the chisel or (less frequently) the plane blade askew is very very frustrating!! Think Rob Lee could improve things somewhat there if he looked at the Tormek straight jig clamping mechanism .
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Paul Chapman]

starting to hone with the chisel or (less frequently) the plane blade askew is very very frustrating!!

I still think the best way to hold chisels is so that the jig registers from the flat side while clamping the chisel at the sides - as in the David Charlesworth modified Eclipse. I think Rob has a good photo of his somewhere (I would post a photo of mine but didn't do the mod so neatly ). I would have thought it possible for Rob Lee's people to come up with a modification for chisels - particularly very narrow ones - which could be attached to the jig.

I don't get any trouble with my Veritas Mk2 and plane blades. In fact I think the clamping arrangement is great for plane blades.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

Paul - I'll post a pic of my MrC modified Eclipse clone tonight (no access to Pbucket at the moment, at work) provided and here's the big if...AOHell is working (which is wern't last night :evil: ) - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

...AOHell

Good name from my memories of it.......

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[newt]

Gidon interesting solution

 

[gidon]

Thanks Pete.
Paul - yes it's only chisels that I have a problem with clamping in the LV - and even then it's not all chisels.
Don't know the DC modification to the eclipse guide - have heard it mentioned - is it in one of his books? I have the first two - will maybe take a look.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Gidon

I'd photograph mine with a chisel in it but I haven't a camera available at the moment. However, I found a photo of Rob's

You can get the general idea from this. You fit two pieces of thin metal to the top of the jig - Rob used srews in tapped holes but I cocked up mine so used superglue You can then register the flat side of the chisel blade to the underside of those pieces of metal. It's still possible to clamp a plane blade in it the normal way.

Hope that's clear. Will try to do some more photos later.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

Gidon, thinking about this a bit more and looking at your photo again, the problem with chisels slipping in the LV Mk2 jig is down to the clamping bar. The chisel registers off the flat side - what it needs is something to replace the clamping bar so that the chisel is clamped by its sides. Perhaps we should suggest that to Rob Lee :-k

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[gidon]

Paul
Haven't seen Rob here for some time unfortunately. Even some bigger tightening knobs would help with clamping pressure. And the choice of finish on the clamping bar is a little smooth - I tried sticking some sandpaper on the clamping bar to no avail .
Thanks for the pic of the eclipse - have a couple of eclipse guards (dunno why!) - may try it on one of them
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Paul Chapman]

Paul
Haven't seen Rob here for some time unfortunately. Even some bigger tightening knobs would help with clamping pressure.

I think Rob is having some problems with his ISP.

I think the problem when clamping narrow chisels is that the knobs clamp the bar at the ends. This will cause the pressure to be at the ends and the more you tighten them, the more the bar will tend to bend and give less pressure at the centre where the chisel is. In addition, with a bevel edge chisel there is only a very narrow piece of the chisel for the clamping bar to press down on.

The Eclipse-style guide overcomes this by clamping the chisel by its sides.

The Veritas Mk2 is my first choice for plane blades, where the clamping bar works very well but for chisels, particularly bevel edge ones, I think the modified Eclipse-style jig has it beaten.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[gidon]

Agree - the eclipse is better for chisels really. Maybe the clamping bar on the LV needs to be stiffened? If you try the Tormek jig - it is able to exert far more pressure.
Was referring to Rob Lee in the above message - not seen him for a loong time.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Paul Chapman]

Was referring to Rob Lee in the above message - not seen him for a loong time.

Sorry, got the wrong one :lol:

He's been on the 'other side' a few times - might drop him a PM :-k

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Harbo]

The Eclipse mods are in David's 3rd book page 83.

I am glad somebody else is finding the Veritas holding mechanism far from perfect but don't tell Tony

The Kell Type II jig holds by the side too.

Rod