Rick's "Pin Pivot Clamp Collar"... 1st Impressions

[cbwx34]

I received one of Rick's "Pin Pivot Clamp Collar" for testing and feedback...



... as has been talked about in other threads...

Knife Tip Grinding - To Pivot or Not To Pivot
The One Change You Should Make to the Tormek

... the purpose of using a "pivot point" as opposed to the standard collar, is to do just what it states, move the pivot down to a point, as opposed to the wide collar, which changes the pivot point as you rotate the collar.  This also allows the sharpener more control to better follow the shape of a variety of blades.  (All my opinion).

It's hard to review something that I already know is going to work.  Several examples have already been tested, and the concept is pretty simple.

What Rick has done, is make a quality product, and by adding a pin welded to the collar, eliminates pretty much any chance of the collar "slipping over" the USB, while still maintaining the single point concept.

Rick does quality work.  The Collar I received has nice weld points, and the pins are even and straight...



... and of course, works "as advertised" ...



Rick has angled the edges of the collar, and I couldn't find a knife around that it wouldn't work on.  The collar fits on either the new or older model Tormek Knife Jig without issue.

Anyway, great job.  Is currently my "go to" setup.  Goes without saying, but you can use it with any of the "angle calculators"... no different than the regular collar in that regard.  I think the only issue some might have... if you're used to moving the standard Stop Collar in or out during sharpening, this won't be as easy to do... it's more of a "set it and forget it" setup.

If you have any questions... feel free! 

[Hogdog6]

I'm very new to this forum and I'm wondering if I can obtain one of these pivot collars?  If so how do I go about doing so?  It looks like a fantastic idea.

[wootz]

I'm very new to this forum and I'm wondering if I can obtain one of these pivot collars?  If so how do I go about doing so?  It looks like a fantastic idea.

PM RickKrung- he made a few for forum members, and may have some spare.

[cbwx34]

Yup... Rick is the person to contact. 

Works great!  Use it almost exclusively now, (if not using the "4 Stop Collar" setup).



If he's not making them, you can get a spare collar and cut it down, to get a similar result.  (It's how the idea got started). . Here's a couple for an idea (Rick did these, but can be done yourself)...

[Hogdog6]

Thanks I've messaged him in hopes of obtaining one.

[RickKrung]

I'll have more available soon.  They are the welder's.  I have a little work to do on them when I get them back.  I'll set a price when I find out how much the welding costs and how much more work there is to do.  I think the price will be around $50.

Please PM me if you are interested. 

Rick

[troflog]

I'll have more available soon.  They are the welder's.  I have a little work to do on them when I get them back.  I'll set a price when I find out how much the welding costs and how much more work there is to do.  I think the price will be around $50.

Please PM me if you are interested. 

Rick

Hello
This is great work. Where did you get the parts you have used. Is it possible to buy them at ebay. I live in Norway so not everything is aviable.

[Ken S]

I can't seem to locate CB's censored photo of the collar he damaged with the high speed Dremal tool.

I had a similar situation with an adaptor ring for my shop vacuum. It was just a very little bit too big to fit. First attempts with a belt grinder started to melt the plastic. At the same time, I was converting my belt grinder to variable speed. The "dead slow" end of the speed control of the new motor did the job of thinning the ring without melting the plastic.

With the jig collar, I would suggest a very fine tooth model or dovetail saw followed by careful hand sanding or filing with a smooth grit file.

Ken

[RickKrung]

I'll have more available soon.  They are the welder's.  I have a little work to do on them when I get them back.  I'll set a price when I find out how much the welding costs and how much more work there is to do.  I think the price will be around $50.

Please PM me if you are interested. 

Rick

Hello
This is great work. Where did you get the parts you have used. Is it possible to buy them at ebay. I live in Norway so not everything is aviable.

I have some available.  $40 USD plus shipping.  Shipping to Norway could be a bit, but if you are interested, send a PM with your shipping address and I'll see what it is.  Within the US, I have used Priority Mail and the cost has been around $7. 

The collar is a "split clamp-on collar".  I got them from McMaster-Carr, part no. 9616T21:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#clamp-on-collars/=1e47ewd

Click on the second option: "Shaft Collars" and scroll down to the stainless steel ones, 12mm ID.  These of course do not have the pins, which make a huge difference.  The pins are welded in place, in a groove that I milled. 


I also turn an angled relief on the front edge (not shown in the photo above) to allow the collar to pivot further on the pins without the collar contacting the USB. 

Shafts of the knife jig are cast and so are not precisely 12mm.  Ridges and high spots must be filed down so the shafts fit smoothly.  This is not a shortcoming of the collars, but rather a simple reality of castings.  The collars are precisely 12mm ID and do not "open up" or expand to slip over the unavoidable high spots on the shafts. 

They do clamp very tightly, once you get them positioned and initially snugged up.  I have found getting them in position in the loose condition and trying to tighten them to be an awkward task.  An internal "O" ring would be the trick to keeping them in position for that initial snugging, but the additional cost of adding an "O" ring groove may not be tolerated. 

I have thought of making a projection setting jig, similar to Wootz's, with a recess in the wood block to capture the lower side pin for that initial snugging/tightening.  I think such a jig, with the pin recess would work perfectly as well for setting the projection with the stock collar, so I would serve dual/all purposes. 

Rick

[Ken S]

Whenever I have the opportunity to obtain a custom made accessory from another member, or something like the now out of production again US-400 support bar, I always jump at the chance. With most of these tools, I have no immediate need, however, as I have found with the US-400, needs change. I now use it a lot. As it is at least temporarily unavailable, I am glad I purchased it when I did.

Rick does good work; you won't regret having his modified collar.

Ken

[Hogdog6]

Ricks collar is very well built and is a IMHO is a Tormek knife sharpening game changer.

[troflog]

I'll have more available soon.  They are the welder's.  I have a little work to do on them when I get them back.  I'll set a price when I find out how much the welding costs and how much more work there is to do.  I think the price will be around $50.

Please PM me if you are interested. 

Rick

Hello
This is great work. Where did you get the parts you have used. Is it possible to buy them at ebay. I live in Norway so not everything is aviable.

I have some available.  $40 USD plus shipping.  Shipping to Norway could be a bit, but if you are interested, send a PM with your shipping address and I'll see what it is.  Within the US, I have used Priority Mail and the cost has been around $7. 

The collar is a "split clamp-on collar".  I got them from McMaster-Carr, part no. 9616T21:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#clamp-on-collars/=1e47ewd

Click on the second option: "Shaft Collars" and scroll down to the stainless steel ones, 12mm ID.  These of course do not have the pins, which make a huge difference.  The pins are welded in place, in a groove that I milled. 


I also turn an angled relief on the front edge (not shown in the photo above) to allow the collar to pivot further on the pins without the collar contacting the USB. 

Shafts of the knife jig are cast and so are not precisely 12mm.  Ridges and high spots must be filed down so the shafts fit smoothly.  This is not a shortcoming of the collars, but rather a simple reality of castings.  The collars are precisely 12mm ID and do not "open up" or expand to slip over the unavoidable high spots on the shafts. 

They do clamp very tightly, once you get them positioned and initially snugged up.  I have found getting them in position in the loose condition and trying to tighten them to be an awkward task.  An internal "O" ring would be the trick to keeping them in position for that initial snugging, but the additional cost of adding an "O" ring groove may not be tolerated. 

I have thought of making a projection setting jig, similar to Wootz's, with a recess in the wood block to capture the lower side pin for that initial snugging/tightening.  I think such a jig, with the pin recess would work perfectly as well for setting the projection with the stock collar, so I would serve dual/all purposes. 

Rick

Hello
Have done some reasearch. Trying to find some local machine shop which can make this part for me, but I have not found any yet. Most of them do not take small projects like this. It is impossible for me to do this on my own since I do not have a welder or the other power tools needed. Place is also an issue since my working place is a 40x40 cm "working station" in an unisolated shed (temperature in the winter can reach -15 C).

My conclusion is that buying this part will not get my closer to a finish jig. So the only thing I can do is to hope that you in the future make more jigs for sale and is willing to send to Norway. I the meantime I will try to find somebody willing to make this for me.

The first thing I will to is to grind down the existing jig.

[RickKrung]

...snip...

My conclusion is that buying this part will not get my closer to a finish jig. So the only thing I can do is to hope that you in the future make more jigs for sale and is willing to send to Norway. I the meantime I will try to find somebody willing to make this for me.
...snip...

troflog,

Sorry if I wasn't clear.  I DO have some available and I am willing to send them to Norway.  The cost of shipping is the only unknown, which is why I suggested you PM to me your shipping address so I could determine the cost. 

Rick

[cbwx34]

Ricks collar is very well built and is a IMHO is a Tormek knife sharpening game changer.

Glad you found the concept useful.

Hello
Have done some reasearch. Trying to find some local machine shop which can make this part for me, but I have not found any yet. Most of them do not take small projects like this. It is impossible for me to do this on my own since I do not have a welder or the other power tools needed. Place is also an issue since my working place is a 40x40 cm "working station" in an unisolated shed (temperature in the winter can reach -15 C).

My conclusion is that buying this part will not get my closer to a finish jig. So the only thing I can do is to hope that you in the future make more jigs for sale and is willing to send to Norway. I the meantime I will try to find somebody willing to make this for me.

The first thing I will to is to grind down the existing jig.

I found out the same thing you did... no local shop would take on a small job... and also learned that welding a small part like this takes more skill to come out as good as the ones that Rick did.

So, hope it works out that you can get one from Rick... I think it will be worth the effort if you have the need for it.

[RickKrung]

...snip...
I found out the same thing you did... no local shop would take on a small job... and also learned that welding a small part like this takes more skill to come out as good as the ones that Rick did.

So, hope it works out that you can get one from Rick... I think it will be worth the effort if you have the need for it.

He has ordered one, but I'm in France and won't be home for a week so can't send it until I return. 

To be clear, I did not do the welding.  I had a friend, who is quite good at it, do it for me (at no monetary cost to me).  That option may not be available when I need more welding done as he has severe arthritis in his hands due to so much welding over the years.  I can still get it done, but will have to pay for it in the future, which will change the price.  So if someone wants one at the current price ($40), you might want to do it soon as I only have a few left. 

Rick