Homemade Knife Rest (HK-50)

[arnman]

Herman,

I am a new Tormek owner, as of this past weekend.  I read through this thread and watched your video, which was very informative.  My head is full of new information I am trying to keep track of at this point!

You may have already answered this, but is there a reason why the SVD-110 could not serve as the home made knife rest?  Also, did you list the dimensions of your steel plate somewhere?

Thanks.

Steve

[Ken S]

Steve,

If I may, I will add my two cents. I do believe the SVD-110 can be modified into a knife jig. However, you may go through several jigs before you get one to work well. I know; I cut mine roughly in half. Neither half works well. The platform of the scissors jig sits lower.

I have not completely given up on the project. I have all the Tormek knife jigs. The few very small knives which do not fit the small knife jig well can usuallu be sharpened on the Tormek freehand.

Herman has also sharpened a machete with his jig. If I ever need to sharpen machetes, I will follow Herman's lead and build one of his jigs.

I recommend you start with the regular Tormek knife jig and build some experience.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

You may have already answered this, but is there a reason why the SVD-110 could not serve as the home made knife rest?

Look at Reply #57 in this thread. The platform is too far from the US support rod.

Also, did you list the dimensions of your steel plate somewhere?

13 mm thick, 50 mm wide, and 120 mm long.

[arnman]

Ken and Herman,

Thanks for the explanations.  After studying the pictures a bit more and re-reading #57, I can understand the limitations of the SVD-110 for the HK-50.

[Ken S]

Looking at Herman's jig again, I thing using the scissors jig as the foundation makes more sense than using the higher center of gravity Torlock platform.

Ken

[Ken S]

I happened to stop at my new local Tormek dealer on Friday. Just outside the door was the half off display. I love a bargain as much as the next person, and spotted a half off scissors jig. Thinking of Herman's HK-50, I thought I had a "find". Twenty five dollars US for a scissors jig. This particular jig was made for a Tormek clone. Not my first choice, but I only needed an extra platform.

The jig lacked Tormek's patented Torlock. it didnot have a solid appearance, but I thought it might be good enough. I went in the store and tried the jig on the universal support of the demo Tormek. With some force it slid part way until it stopped by where the locking screw was located. The price was no bargain if it did not work. The packaging had been opened before, no doubt purchased and returned.

For only a few dollars more, I can order just the Tormek scissors jig platform. (I already have a scissors jig.) I will put the platform on the list for my next future parts order from sharptoolsusa. I do think Herman's lower center of gravity plan works better than mine. However, intil My parts list gets long enough to warrant the shipping cost, my version will auffice.

Always examine a "bargain" very carefully!

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

Ken, you don't need a dedicated scissors base for the HK-50. Just attach the HK-50 to your existing scissors base, then remove it when you want to sharpen scissors.

If I had a bargain scissors base dedicated for HK-50 use I would probably cut it down like you did with one of your Tool Rest jigs. There must be used platforms out there whose scissors clamp has been lost, and are therefore excellent candidates for modification as a tool rest such as the HK-50. I use mine to sharpen a lot more things than just knives.

Did the knock-off scissors jig have teflon surfaces?

[Ken S]

Good points, Herman.

Yes, I know I could disassemble the HK jigs from the scissors platform. I guess I'm a little lazy; I like "plug and play".

I have been looking for an inexpensive scissors jig or platform. I have thought about cutting it to fit both an HK40 and 50. It is easy to do with a bandsaw and a 1/8" blade. Drilling and tapping for metric 6 thread is no big deal. (It wouldn't even have to be metric.)

The clone jig had the teflon surface like the Tormek. In fact, it isn't a bad looking jig; it just didn't look as solid as the Torlock.

I know the HK can be used for lots of purposes; it's a very versatile jig.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

I have been looking for an inexpensive scissors jig or platform. I have thought about cutting it to fit both an HK40 and 50.

There may be a way to further modify the Tool Rest jig that you've trimmed so that the platform is closer to the universal support rod. Tormek could make this a permanent modification for that jig. It would improve its usefulness. I don't see a disadvantage to that modification.

[Ken S]

Herman,
I believe the original function of the flat platform jig was to sharpen turning scrapers. Knives which were too small for the standard knife jig were traditionally sharpened free hand. Then, in response to a forum question about sharpening small knives, Ionut, you and I "jailbroke" a couple jigs to devise workable platforms for small knives. The Tormek engineers must have been working on their small knife tool at the same time.

I do not expect to see a factory modified platform jig. The scissors jig platform is a better starting point. I do not expect to see factory modified scissors platforms, either. One of the Tormek philosophies is using jig controlled sharpening for minimum steel removal. The HK platforms also remove minimal steel. However, they require more hand skill.

Personally, I like having the choice. I have devised a knife setting tool to simplify knife set up. This tool works best when used with Tormek's small knife tool. Other times I prefer the simpler HK.
Choice is good.

Ken

[sharpening_weasel]

Been experimenting with this idea- made the rest out of lexan, and thinned front to back. When used for wider knives, a stair gauge for a framing square clamped on to the back of the knife greatly helps in pivoting.

[aquataur]

This content fits here nicely.
Just for the record...

If anybody toys with the idea of making such a device but lacks a suitable platform... maybe you have the DBS-22, which has Tor-Lock and all.

This hack is non-invasive (I have however made the recommended mod for the DBS-22).

It uses two big steel washers that have their sides trimmed off slightly to grip into the guide slot. The cylinder screws lock eventually; one may weld them or use glue if desired. Two M6 knurled nuts on the top.

The board is some phenolic resin whose name I don´t know, 10mm thick, similar to the coatings of kitchen boards. Unfortunately the surface is very brittle and does not survive the circular saw.

Mid-ways I realized that what I had planned, does not work, so I did not pursue the idea any longer (for now) and the jig is unfinished.

In the side view you see that the DBS-22´s guide groove is recessed. The add-on board locks perfectly this way, but it is not in parallel to the platform. To have any alleged angle calculations correct, I would next time extend the board towards the upper end, so that it covers the top black plastic slider too.

Tailored for a T-3, it is more aptly called the HK-40

Take a second to behold my moon-shine FVB and the rock-hard felt-wheel.

[RickKrung]

Nice idea, if one has the DBS-22 and no other tool rest/platform.  I think it would work if you used an aluminum plate instead of the phenolic plate.  Looks like the knurled knobs will block use of anything very wide or that needs to extend beyond the back/top of the platform.  I would dispense with the knurled knobs in favor of flathead screws which would produce a fully flat platform surface, such as pictured below. 

Rick

[aquataur]

I think it would work if you used an aluminum plate instead of the phenolic plate.

The phenolic plate appears very rigid, given its thickness of 10mm.

The thickness appeared appropriate because of:

So we want the platform as thin as we can get it, but not so thin that knife handles hit the US or the scissors jig base.

If I could get a slab of aluminum about 3/8" or 1/2" I'd be very happy. 

Aluminium was the first thing that came to mind, but I thought why be perfectionistic for something that may have to be revised anyway...

Looks like the knurled knobs will block use of anything very wide or that needs to extend beyond the back/top of the platform.  I would dispense with the knurled knobs in favor of flathead screws which would produce a fully flat platform surface, such as pictured below.

Yes indeed, this would eventually have arisen. The above design is unfinished and just meant to demonstrate the principle.

The picture you are posting: is this your rendering of a HK-50?
If yes, it appears to me that the jig is mounted 180° reversed on the platform. As Herman states here the HK-50 should be as close to the USB as possible, as depicted in this posting. In other words: the jig´s flange should protrude towards the operator. This way the motherload of downwards pressure goes onto the USB directly rather than translate into a rotation at the tor-lock.

In this respect the drill jig behaves much like the scissors jig. You can ram it right up to the stone.

The board could by the way be much broader upwards, to provide a wider rest for some big object-to-be-sharpened, if that were needed. Only down at the stone it would need to be confined to the stone in order to sharpen small knifes.

Edit: I just realize that a plain alumnium plate mounted on the drill jig´s base plate this way would probably make for a formidable universal tool rest. An (almost) bargain tool rest if you buy the expensive drill jig...

[RickKrung]

...snip...
The picture you are posting: is this your rendering of a HK-50?
...snip...

The only purpose of the photo was to show the "flush" surface using flathead screws.