Belt grinder sharpening jig

H

Hawks Bill

Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
43
I struggle maintaining a consistent angle while sharpening on the grinder. I have seen a few different jigs on youtube of the "clamp and guide rod" variety, but i don't really want to fabricate my own. I found this on on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Robert-Sorby-Proedge-Knife-Jig-Small/272023158487?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150313114020%26meid%3D8e445981a3d9459f95bb3dd244512a7c%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D281835013938 and thought i could easily adapt it to my KMG by drilling and tapping a single hole in the platen frame.

Thoughts?
 
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P.Brewster said:
Drop a parallelogram! https://youtu.be/u0Iu_EEyEIU
Click to expand...

I have seen this. It is genius. Have thought about making one of these but i have an issue. I tend to sharpen as the final step of my process. So if not doing removable scales i guess you would need a magnet set into the end of the rod and a flat spot on the blade large enough to place the magnet against. Maybe i am just over thinking this.
 
I am personally a fan of jigs, but as many here will admonish you to do--I did learn to grind rather proficiently freehand, but still use a jig for some grinding. I don't like the Sorby jig, and I even had the Sorby belt grinder system for a time--I bought it to do my woodturning tool sharpening, and it worked well for that specific duty--but I ended up with the One Way Wolverine sharpening system for my woodturning tools, the knife jig did ok for sharpening but it was a PITA IMO for grinding. I will tell you that this jig: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blade-Flat-...309834?hash=item41be2a2f0a:g:6jMAAOSwU~FWCvDD
and those by DD work rest are very good. Speaking from experience....I really like the first one I linked to because it has a methodology for anchoring the blade and having it protrude from the jig so you don't need a super long work table to utilize it--lot's of jigs have a lot of the blade behind the jig, and you need a lengthened work table almost always to have enough room to slide the jig past the blade length to get it ground to the end. I would actually like it if DD and others include a magnet type fixation for your blade, I have one that has a magnet type attachment and you bottom the blade out against your work table to level it, and for me this promotes consistency. DD offers a multiple angle adjustable jig and it is sweet--check them out.

Good Luck to you--Don
 
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Fish30114 said:
I am personally a fan of jigs, but as many here will admonish you to do--I did learn to grind rather proficiently freehand, but still use a jig for some grinding. I will tell you that this jig: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blade-Flat-...309834?hash=item41be2a2f0a:g:6jMAAOSwU~FWCvDD
and those by DD work rest are very good. Speaking from experience....I really like the first one I linked to because it has a methodology for anchoring the blade and having it protrude from the jig so you don't need a super long work table to utilize it--lot's of jigs have a lot of the blade behind the jig, and you need a lengthened work table almost always to have enough room to slide the jig past the blade length to get it ground to the end. I would actually like it if DD and others include a magnet type fixation for your blade, I have one that has a magnet type attachment and you bottom the blade out against your work table to level it, and for me this promotes consistency. DD offers a multiple angle adjustable jig and it is sweet--check them out.

Good Luck to you--Don
Click to expand...

I am to the point now where i can free hand bevels somewhat consistently but when it comes to the edge the margin for error decreases significantly. I have thought about getting the type of jig you suggested but assumed it would be hard to sharpen with it. Also, all the ones i have seen use screws to attach the blade to the jig. So if i am sharpening with scales already attached this wouldn't work.
 
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Fish30114 said:
I am personally a fan of jigs, but as many here will admonish you to do--I did learn to grind rather proficiently freehand, but still use a jig for some grinding. I don't like the Sorby jig, and I even had the Sorby belt grinder system for a time--I bought it to do my woodturning tool sharpening, and it worked well for that specific duty--but I ended up with the One Way Wolverine sharpening system for my woodturning tools, the knife jig did ok for sharpening but it was a PITA IMO for grinding. I will tell you that this jig: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blade-Flat-...309834?hash=item41be2a2f0a:g:6jMAAOSwU~FWCvDD
and those by DD work rest are very good. Speaking from experience....I really like the first one I linked to because it has a methodology for anchoring the blade and having it protrude from the jig so you don't need a super long work table to utilize it--lot's of jigs have a lot of the blade behind the jig, and you need a lengthened work table almost always to have enough room to slide the jig past the blade length to get it ground to the end. I would actually like it if DD and others include a magnet type fixation for your blade, I have one that has a magnet type attachment and you bottom the blade out against your work table to level it, and for me this promotes consistency. DD offers a multiple angle adjustable jig and it is sweet--check them out.

Good Luck to you--Don
Click to expand...

Why would you make or buy so complicated jig like this one in ebay link ? You need to keep your hands on this clumsy jig to grind blade ?? Is not it much easier and simpler to do precisely adjustable angle work rest for belt grinder and jig to be fixed at 90 degrees ?
 
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To clarify what Natlek is saying, why not use the typical bevel grinding jig and cant your flat platen to your secondary bevel angle? This can even be done with permanent handled knives in a number of ways, the easiest being using a small toolmakers vise as the "jig" and clamping the handle. Or clamp on the blade and lower your work rest so that the vise or jig clears the platen.

You still have to sweep any curves, but your angle will remain consistent and you have to do that when grinding primary bevels anyway.
 
Natlek said:
Super ! But how will end user in home sharpen this knive ? Or he will get with purchase of knive parallelogram too .......... or he will need to make one to duplicate this kind of edge grind /consistent edge angle / :D
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If the end user wants to keep the edge geometry similar to the task it is designed for then they can use one of the many available commercial options to achieve this. If sharpening with stones a bit of magic marker on the edge can be a guide.
 
Hawks Bill said:
If the end user wants to keep the edge geometry similar to the task it is designed for then they can use one of the many available commercial options to achieve this. If sharpening with stones a bit of magic marker on the edge can be a guide.
Click to expand...

I do not think it's possible to keep consistent edge angle with any commercial option ........
 
I know your struggle, when I first started I had a hard time sharpening but like everything else just practice you will get it fast. I can sharpen anything from full to hair popping sharp in under 5 mins. Jigging for sharpening is burdensome with you having to change sides etc.

You should try 2 things if you are struggling:

1. Set your platen to your edge angle and focus on keeping your blade normal to the ground.
2. Sharpen the blade using the belt part between your platen and tensioning wheel. Keep your blade parallel to the ground and you can see the angle better in this position.

Those things helped me but now I just sharpen on my hollow wheel in the traditional position. It's painful but keep at it and it becomes easy.
 
Pittknife said:
I know your struggle, when I first started I had a hard time sharpening but like everything else just practice you will get it fast. I can sharpen anything from full to hair popping sharp in under 5 mins. Jigging for sharpening is burdensome with you having to change sides etc.

You should try 2 things if you are struggling:

1. Set your platen to your edge angle and focus on keeping your blade normal to the ground.
2. Sharpen the blade using the belt part between your platen and tensioning wheel. Keep your blade parallel to the ground and you can see the angle better in this position.

Those things helped me but now I just sharpen on my hollow wheel in the traditional position. It's painful but keep at it and it becomes easy.
Click to expand...

Appreciate the advice. I will try these techniques on my next blade.
 
I just clamp the blade in between two pieces of angle iron that sit on top of a squar of mild steel. One of the pieces of angle iron is welded to the mild steel squar base. The other piece is able to move freely, so you can clamp the blade in between the two pieces. I clamp the blade in with the edge pointing down. Then I use an angle finder to set my platen to the desired angle. The lower portion of the platen comes out towards me and the top goes backwards. That's what makes the angle as the knife is just straight up and down. Then just slide the edge acrossed the belt by sliding the ingle iron sled across the tool rest. You can add length to the top rest by clamping a long piece of steel to it. It's super easy and very accurate
 
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