WackySteep Angles on DMT Aligner

redsquid2

redsquid2

Free-Range Cheese Baby
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
3,078
I got one of these things yesterday. I set a new edge on one of my knives, using the "5" setting. According to the instruction booklet, setting "5" + 1" blade width = 24 degrees. Problem is, it doesn't say if that is the inclusive angle, or just half of it.

The only device I have to actually measure the angles, is a Swanson Speed Square. Not very precise.

There are four additional settings, that are even steeper.

The chart in the instruction booklet, together with the recommendations beneath it, are a confusing bunch of information to me.

For example, setting "1", with a 1" wide blade, yields a 40 - degree bevel (per side?!!??)



It says that setting "3" is for "fixed blade hunting knives." Assuming a 1" wide blade, and if they are only talking about half the inclusive angle, that would be 32 degrees per side, or 64 degrees inclusive. On the other hand, if the number in the chart is the inclusive angle, that is only 16 degrees per side, which seems a bit flimsy to me.

Has anyone made sense of all this?
 
Those angles are per side. So lets say you use the 7 setting with a 1in blade it be 16degree per side or 32degree total. I use the lowest setting possible for my knives, I haven't had any issues with it for my uses. I recommend you ignore the recommended settings and go with the lowest angle you can for what you use your knife for to maximize cutting performance.

The lowest setting isn't anything crazy either angle wise so don't worry about it.
 
Since the chart is giving degrees per side, I would have to disagree with their recommendations. They are recommending 40 per side on a hunting knife. I never heard of that. I would think 20 was more like it, depending on how hard you push your knife.

Bob6794, thanks. What you are saying makes sense.
 
bdmicarta said:
If I go to the lowest setting the stones hit the upper screw on the clamp.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I noticed that, too. I guess you just have to do one side, then un-clamp the blade and flip it over to do the other side.
 
I had to dig the Aligner out and look, the angles are per side. :eek:

You can hit the lowest setting on a 1" wide blade if you play with the screws a bit. I did it by setting the front screw so it just barely clamped, then loosening it ½ turn. Then when the back screw was tightened, it goes lower, which gives enough clearance. It's close, but it clears. You can also clamp the blade so it sticks out farther which will help, as well as find a smaller screw for the back (I didn't have one handy, but that should help a lot.). Or even trim it a little?... the back screw is plastic so if needed, that could also work, (although I didn't actually test this).

The actual angle on the blade doing some of the above might change slightly, but it would be easily repeatable, so no biggie.
 
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