First post! WE Gen. 3 clamping issue - Introducing myself -

S

sebashf

Joined
Nov 25, 2016
Messages
6
Hi guys, im Sebastian from Argentina,

I´ll been Reading this and other fórums for a long time, and this is my first post trying to help someone even a little!

I decided to get the WE Field and Sport PRO (Gen 3 Vise) from Oldawan (excellent service by the way), and i started using it a few days ago.



First of all, i would like to say that WE is an excelente system, i sharpened 3 knifes only and the learning curve is coming fast.

Said that, i would also like to say that the clamping system is not so good.

I think in a usd 600/700 system and i cant figure out how this cant hold a blade firmly.

The problem is basically the inside nubs on the inside of the vise and the thickness of the blade that may cause the issue.

I spent like 2 hours trying to find the best material for the blade not to slip.

First pictures could be nonsense but maybe someone was thinking about those materials, and thats why im posting them.

I bought last year some Dlastrong shogun series knives (i NOW know they are pure marketing, but anyway are nice point to start sharpening).



1st attempt! PIECE OF CLEANING GLOVES …… FAIL !

193HvMp.jpg


2nd attempt! 3M TAPE ….. FAIL !

YYeugme.jpg


3rd attemp! WIRE SHEATH ….. FAIL !

2hZcHEh.jpg


BXFxRiG.jpg


kxnQTN4.jpg




4th attemp! TRIMMED WEATHERSTRIP …… FAIL !

Et1CVcw.jpg


AND NOW THE ONLY MATERIAL THAT WORKS FOR ME:

CHAMOIS (cushion, firm, and rough enough)

ScpoW1C.jpg


68ZMVPg.jpg


WuIv5IH.jpg


S9itu4D.jpg




Well this is my first post, but ill be posting my questions ,experiences and future thoughts!
Now im looking for my first REALLY J KNIFE, and i will need your help!! (GYUTO)

THANKS
Ps. Sory for my poor english! Haha
ps2. I already posted this on WE Forums, just in case for anyone who thinks its spam
 
Your English is fine, and thanks for sharing what you've tried. That's quite a thick chamois compared to what I've seen.

One other thing you might try (just a suggestion; I haven't tried it) is to get a silicone baking mat (cookie sheet liner) and cut off a small patch to fold around the spine like you did with the chamois. These mats are thin (less than 1mm) and have a permanent tacky feel to them which should give some grab to both the knife and clamp surfaces.
 
THANK YOU!

Its increidble how materials behave, when i first tryed the wire seath, i tought it was just enough because of its roughness, but in a while when i clamped the blade was slipped out.
Then also the same for the cleaning gloves, was so thin that i would never imagine that it would "move" in the place (without slipping out, but "moving", not providing confident, i thing it was missing "cushion")

Ill definitely try this baking mat, the goal for me now is to find the thinner stuff to hold the blade firmly!
 
Welcome to the forums.
I place a small piece of qtip stick in the holes underneath the spine of the blade to keep it from slipping down in the clamp. I may try the baking mat.
 
whp said:
Welcome to the forums.
I place a small piece of qtip stick in the holes underneath the spine of the blade to keep it from slipping down in the clamp. I may try the baking mat.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help!

I did the same with a little piece of wood, but the problem is that the blade was slipping UP not down.
On the other side, i guess if you want to place your blade higher to achieve a lower angle the qtip stick would not be the best option? Also if you want to place the tip higher than the heel or viceverse (my case).
 
cbwx34 said:
Not sure if this applies to the issue you're having, but Wicked Edge actually makes a clamp for thinner blades...

https://www.wickededgeusa.com/product/generation-3-jaws-for-116-blades/

... (not sure why it has to be this way... I'm just passing on the info). :eek:
Click to expand...

Thanks!!
Does not apply for my issue, but i think its a good option for thin blades.
The problem is not only the thickness, but the distal taper. It slipps because of the different clamping force at the two nubs inside the clamp.
 
jalapeno said:
One other thing you might try (just a suggestion; I haven't tried it) is to get a silicone baking mat (cookie sheet liner) and cut off a small patch to fold around the spine like you did with the chamois. These mats are thin (less than 1mm) and have a permanent tacky feel to them which should give some grab to both the knife and clamp surfaces.
Click to expand...

Just thought of something that might be a substitute for the silicone baking mat, although I'm not positive that the surface is finished in the same way (with the tacky feel) as a baking mat. There is this stuff called 'silicone self-fusing tape.' Available at most hardware stores; it costs under $10 USD for a 10 foot roll of 1" wide "tape" that is about a half mm thick. You do have to stretch this stuff to activate its tackiness, and if it turns out it doesn't work for preventing slippage in the clamp, this tape can be used for all sorts of other things including emergency repair of pipe and hose leaks (see youtube videos).

For the knife, maybe cut off a 1" x 1" square of the tape, stretch and fold it over the spine of the knife, and if it stays in place and is tacky enough after stretching it, should prevent slippage when clamped.
 
jalapeno said:
Just thought of something that might be a substitute for the silicone baking mat, although I'm not positive that the surface is finished in the same way (with the tacky feel) as a baking mat. There is this stuff called 'silicone self-fusing tape.' Available at most hardware stores; it costs under $10 USD for a 10 foot roll of 1" wide "tape" that is about a half mm thick. You do have to stretch this stuff to activate its tackiness, and if it turns out it doesn't work for preventing slippage in the clamp, this tape can be used for all sorts of other things including emergency repair of pipe and hose leaks (see youtube videos).

For the knife, maybe cut off a 1" x 1" square of the tape, stretch and fold it over the spine of the knife, and if it stays in place and is tacky enough after stretching it, should prevent slippage when clamped.
Click to expand...

Thank you again!
I thouht about that stuff, there is one called "self welding", and its used for what you mentioned. I think that would be better than the baking mat, because of its roughnes, baking mat seems to be similar than the cleaning gloves material (gelly).

Ill try it at night and then post some photos!
 
sebashf said:
Thanks!!
Does not apply for my issue, but i think its a good option for thin blades.
The problem is not only the thickness, but the distal taper. It slipps because of the different clamping force at the two nubs inside the clamp.
Click to expand...

In that case, you might consider putting the padding/material just on the front half of the clamp... see if that makes any difference.
 
sebashf said:
Thank you again!
I thouht about that stuff, there is one called "self welding", and its used for what you mentioned. I think that would be better than the baking mat, because of its roughnes, baking mat seems to be similar than the cleaning gloves material (gelly).

Ill try it at night and then post some photos!
Click to expand...

The gloves (probably nitrile, or maybe latex?) are a very different material from the silicone sheet pan liners. When you plop one of these baking mats down on a cookie sheet, the tackiness I mentioned causes it to stay put. You cannot slide it at all, but that's partly because the surface contact area is large. The self-fusing tape I mentioned is silicone like the baking mats. But there must be something different about it because it will stick to itself and you cannot undo it, whereas the baking mats do not do that. So, even though they are both some formulation of silicone, there is something different about the two of them, and it might be worth trying them both if the tape (probably better to call it a wrap rather than a tape) doesn't work out.
 
kwackster said:
What worked very well for me in the past on my first generation WE was a small piece of waterproof sandpaper, folded around the back of the knife with the grit side outward.
Around grit size 400-600 was what i used.

This old thread has several pics where you can see it:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...r-Forge-VF01-Flipper?highlight=crusader+forge
Click to expand...
First of all thank you for the time posting!

OH That blade looks really great! you find better sandpaper than diamonds? at what point/grit do you switch from diamond to sandpaper? brand?
Im gonna try the self fusing tape cause i think i have one at home, but if not ill try that sandpaper for sure!

jalapeno said:
The gloves (probably nitrile, or maybe latex?) are a very different material from the silicone sheet pan liners. When you plop one of these baking mats down on a cookie sheet, the tackiness I mentioned causes it to stay put. You cannot slide it at all, but that's partly because the surface contact area is large. The self-fusing tape I mentioned is silicone like the baking mats. But there must be something different about it because it will stick to itself and you cannot undo it, whereas the baking mats do not do that. So, even though they are both some formulation of silicone, there is something different about the two of them, and it might be worth trying them both if the tape (probably better to call it a wrap rather than a tape) doesn't work out.
Click to expand...
Thank you again!
Ill try that tape/wrap and i hope it works! i would like to spend time in sharpening instead of trying to clamp de blade! :(

btw, i sharpened 4 or 5 knifes on the WE, and i cant get a good mirror polish.
Im using from 100 to 1000 diamonds, then 1200 & 1600 ceramics and to finish 1 & 0.5 micron strop. I read that ceramics are not so great for polishing, lets suppose i skip ceramics, can i go directly from 1000 diamond to the strops?
 
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