DMT Aligner

T

Tomcatf14

Joined
Aug 28, 2009
Messages
14
Hi Guys,
Just wanted to tell you the DMT Alinger works GREAT.
Iwas surprised at how well it works.
I highly recommend it.

Eric
 
forthed?

Yes it is excellent!

Been using it for a couple of years on my Queen D2 slipjoints for rebeveling
It takes about 1/4 hour per blade to get it to shaving sharp
 
I can make my knives split hair on a DMT EF stone with the Aligner. It's a good system.
 
What setting are you guys using for small folders etc?

I found that if I tried to use the slots for the lower angles the rod would hit the big plastic thumb screw. Positions "5" was the lowest I could go and that is about 24 degrees per side I think. I wanted less than that so have been using the Aligner stone holder and stones with Lansky clamp.

Am I missing something obvious? Seems silly to have positions 6 and 7 if they cant be used due to the big plastic screw getting in the way.
 
I ran into the same problem with the Aligner and my Gatco system. Replacing the large high profile clamping bolt with another of identical size and pitch but smaller head let me get closer to the lower angle settings. The clamp although versatile is not ideally suited for sharpening small narrow blades at the lowest angles. I finally sprang for an EdgePro. OldDude1
 
17hmr said:
What setting are you guys using for small folders etc?

I found that if I tried to use the slots for the lower angles the rod would hit the big plastic thumb screw. Positions "5" was the lowest I could go and that is about 24 degrees per side I think. I wanted less than that so have been using the Aligner stone holder and stones with Lansky clamp.
Click to expand...

When I used to use the Aligner with my 6x2 bench stones, the lowest I could go was 4 slots down from the most obtuse angle setting (including that most obtuse one).

The only way I was ever able to use the most acute setting was to clamp my knife by the handle. And the only reason I was able to do that was because the Spyderco Spin's handle (by nature) was thin enough; I wouldn't be able to do this with a "regular" knife.
 
17hmr said:
What setting are you guys using for small folders etc?

I found that if I tried to use the slots for the lower angles the rod would hit the big plastic thumb screw. Positions "5" was the lowest I could go and that is about 24 degrees per side I think. I wanted less than that so have been using the Aligner stone holder and stones with Lansky clamp.

Am I missing something obvious? Seems silly to have positions 6 and 7 if they cant be used due to the big plastic screw getting in the way.
Click to expand...

With my DMT Aligner I can use the lowest setting with all but my smallest knives without scraping the clamp. With the 2nd to lowest setting I have no problem with my Opinel #4 (the clamp holding the knife firmly, but the blade not as far into the clamp as it can go). The #4 is 0.425" from spine to edge - I have a little slipjoint that is only 0.25" from spine to edge (1.4" from tip to end of cutting edge), that one doesn't really work in the clamp so I have to freehand sharpen it.

I am pretty sure that I could sharpen a blade the size of my Opinel #4 on the lowest setting as long as I only had the minimum of the spine into the clamp to hold it firmly enough. Most of my blades are bigger than that so I don't usually have a problem.
 
NathanP said:
Dmt is great but I must say that edge pro takes the cake.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't doubt that - but at a price obviously. The big problem I have with spending heaps on one system is that there is always the chance that you will decide to go another way (like a belt sander for convex edges). Anyway I am pretty happy with my DMT for the $46 that I paid (with 4 diamond hones & 1 diamond conical rod).
 
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