Wicked Edge small degree problem

Bigrg · Mar 14, 2012

I just got my Wicked Edge and was going to put a 15 degree (30 included) on my mini grip then 18 degree for the main bevel. When I put the knife in and started with the 100 grit I was making contact with the clamp itself or the screw not the blade. Does anyone else have this problem and if so how do I get around it? Any help would be great, Thanks.

cbr900son · Mar 14, 2012

I put a pice of leather around my knife and the combined thickness made it just enough plus it keeps from marking some of my nicer knives.

Komitadjie · Mar 14, 2012

I actually used my bench grinder to take a little bit off of the end of the top clamp screw. Not a whole bunch, just about one thread. It probably costs me a little bit in terms of opening capability, but it lets me do thinner blades without striking the screw. If you're hitting the vice jaws, about all I could suggest would be raising the blade in the jaws a bit. It doesn't take all that much surface contact to hold it solidly, and there's no particular mandate to use the depth key. You lose a bit of repeatability without it, but you can easily enough drop a spacer in to raise it up. A piece of pop-sickle stick works well for me that way, mine is about 1/8" wide, and thin enough that it doesn't interfere with the clamping.

clayallison · Mar 14, 2012

Komitadjie said:
I actually used my bench grinder to take a little bit off of the end of the top clamp screw. Not a whole bunch, just about one thread. It probably costs me a little bit in terms of opening capability, but it lets me do thinner blades without striking the screw. If you're hitting the vice jaws, about all I could suggest would be raising the blade in the jaws a bit. It doesn't take all that much surface contact to hold it solidly, and there's no particular mandate to use the depth key. You lose a bit of repeatability without it, but you can easily enough drop a spacer in to raise it up. A piece of pop-sickle stick works well for me that way, mine is about 1/8" wide, and thin enough that it doesn't interfere with the clamping.

The spacer is a great idea. I used a fine line white Sharpie to make a mark on the Vise key as an index. The spacer is more precise.

Komitadjie · Mar 14, 2012

I'll have to just take a photo of mine when I get home this evening, Clay. Stupid-simple little thing, I took the end two inches of a tongue depressor / pop-sickle stick and cut it into an elongated "L" shape. The thin portion parallel to the grain is about an eighth-inch tall and slides in so that it sits on top of the depth key. The knife blade rests on that, as it would on the key, and can easily be tightened as normal. Once it's clamped in, pull the depth key and the spacer drops free and is removed by the full-size portion that remains extending from the front of the vice. I could easily make one out of aluminum if I needed to, but so far the cheap carved-wood one has been serving just fine for me, and took ~30 seconds to make.

Bigrg · Mar 15, 2012

Thanks guys, the leather worked quite well and I did lift the knife a bit which also helped, apprieciate all the help.

holymolar · Mar 15, 2012

Komitadjie,

Is this what you did with a pop-sickle stick?

Before and after trimming a pop-sickle stick (I had to use sandpaper to thin the cut piece a little so it would be thinner than the blade).

With pop-sickle stick in place under the knife (Rough Rider 1.75" blade) but on top of the depth key

With pop-sickle stick and depth key removed

This worked well. Now I'll have to figure out how to make a metal or plastic one.

Note: In case anyone is wondering, that is a piece of black velcro on the face of the vise that I was using to help hold the base of the scope to the vise while focusing ... etc. I'll probably remove it because I have a scope stand now - that I like a little better.

lionknife · Mar 15, 2012

Bigrg said:
I just got my Wicked Edge and was going to put a 15 degree (30 included) on my mini grip then 18 degree for the main bevel. When I put the knife in and started with the 100 grit I was making contact with the clamp itself or the screw not the blade. Does anyone else have this problem and if so how do I get around it? Any help would be great, Thanks.

Had the same problem . Stone was hitting clamp screw . Took the longer screw to hardware store , matched the threads and diameter in a shorter
screw . Cost 5 cents . End of problem .

Komitadjie · Mar 16, 2012

Yup, that's exactly how I did it, Holymolar.

Making one out of aluminum or plastic would not be particularly difficult, that kind of material can commonly be had from model shops in a number of different thicknesses. "Evergreen" is the company that offers most of it around here, look for green bags on a small rack.

Another option might be to use a piece of brass from the local hardware store. Our Lowes here has a decent selection of small aluminum and brass stock, in the same section as the threaded rods and larger welding metal.

REK Knives · Mar 16, 2012

lionknife said:
Had the same problem . Stone was hitting clamp screw . Took the longer screw to hardware store , matched the threads and diameter in a shorter
screw . Cost 5 cents End of problem .

+1

i actually got about 4 or 5 different sizes so I would have much more capability. they not only matched the threads but also the alen key head!