sharpening ?

Re: sharpening ?

Alan Bierbaum

>I don't have that guide; so can not comment on its' use.

It is best to get the blades as close to square as possible ( saves problems later when they get further out of square) so that the lateral adjuster is not cranked all the way to one side. If the lateral adjustment will correct your out-of-square condition; the plane is certainly usable.

registration suggestion

bill tindall

>All this presumes the edge is right angles to the slot to begin with..........

I find it hard to get jigs to perfectly index the iron. then I found that it doesn't matter with a slight adjustment of technique. I just use the jig to establish the bevel angle, and not how the edge sits on the stone. I put my thumbs under the iron and index fingers just above the bevel. By pressing down with these fingers I press the existing bevel flat against the stone. often this rocks the jig a bit because I didn't get everything just right. But that doesn't matter because the bevel is pressed flat against the stone. I keep the jig on the stone to maintain the correct bevel, like training wheels.

If the edge is not at right angles I press a little more on the "high" side to cut it down.

After you master this technique it is but a small step to abandon the training wheels all together and free hand sharpening.

Re: sharpening ?

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>"I'm having trouble getting the irons to sit square in the guide. I'm guessing the registration jig is out of square".

Rocky

Although possible, it is unlikely that the registration guide is out-of-square.

There are a few possibile reasons why you end up with a skew bevel.

1. The most obvious is that the blade sides are not parallel.

2. Particularly narrow blades, it is possible to tighten one hold down screw more that the other side, with the result that the blade will be canted over slightly. In my experience, this is extremely difficult to do with plane blades if you are even moderately careful.

3. If the blade you are using is not uniform in thickness (that is, has a high point), the blade may rotate on this point. Make sure the blade has a flat back.

It must be stated that my own observations on honing chisel blades revealed mixed results with narrow blades (see review, about 10 days or so ago). Mine was a pre-production version. LV were onto this very quickly and made a modofication to the design (so subtle that you would not notice unless looking for it specifically). It made a significant difference and addressed all my concerns (a final review is forthcoming). All production versions went out with the final design. So I very much doubt that the problem lies with the Mk II. But you may have a dud - these things exist everywhere. So if all fails, contact LV.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: sharpening ?

rocky

>Derek

Thanks for the reply. The plane irons I have been sharpening are the ones for the LA Jack and smoother. They are 2 1/4 inches wide so I know width isn't a factor. I've flattened the backs on all three and have been careful about not tightening the irons down too much. I figured I must be doing something wrong since everything else I have purchased from Lee Valley has been superb.

Rocky

Re: sharpening ?

MikeW

>Hi Rocky,

In my testing of the LV honing guide, I found most brands of plane irons did not have perfectly parallel sides. This applies to the LV LA irons as well.

Depending on the degree that the sides are not parallel, placing one of these sides against the fence will allow you to hone out of square.

I look at the fence as a means of determining the length of projection for setting the angle, but do not rely soley upon it for ensuring the iron will be honed square.

So what to do? What I do is not very technical as I simply adjust by eye if the iron looks slightly askew.

If I am honing an iron that I know is square, after plcing the jig/iron on the stone and taking a couple swipes I look at the scratch pattern on the bevel and if needed adjust from there before proceeding.

If I am doing an iron for the first time I look at how the iron in the plane is in relation to taking an even cut and the lateral adjuster.

In other words, if the plane is cutting even and the lateral adjuster is significantly to one side (there's some slop in an lat. adj.) I mark the tip of the blade with a marker that indicates it is the one that is most forward and compensate somewhat when clamping the blade down.

Mike

Re: sharpening ?

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(

>I simply adjust by eye if the iron looks slightly askew.

that sentence is in my opinion is the end all sentence. In order to properly grind bevels you must use the human hand and eye. Trying to get this done correctly by jig/machine is I beleive a fools folly as there is simply to many varibles. True the varibles are minute, but they are there none the less nad will show up in exagerated form when exposed to a jig/machine AND not to mention the variables of the machine/jig itself thrown into the mix .

Todd O.