KJ-45 jig hits the universal support

[Ken S]

KJ (Knife jig) is part of a naming shift at Tormek. The new trend is based on English. The traditional three letter designations like "SWM" were German from early days at Tormek when their market was largely German. My German is now half a century rusty. SVM (Schleif Vorrichtung Messer or grinding jig for knives).

Incidentally, I originally called the kenjig the KS-150 (knife setting 150 mm). Tormek, thinking the name sounded too much like a Tormek product, requested that I change the name, hence kenjig.

Ken

[3D Anvil]

For what it's worth, I got my KJ-45 today and, with all of two knives tested, I've not had any problem with the jig hitting the USB.  I sharpened one knife using the standard bar rest, and then I sharpened another one using the front of the forward rest as a pin/pivot ... which worked really well!  For clarity, when I say "front" and "forward," I mean the parts of the jig farther away from me and closer to the blade.  Both knives were sharpened at 15° per side. 

I imagine I'll continue to use the old jig most of the time because being able to set the projection distance is a real time saver.  But it's nice to have the new jig for blades with thicker spines and/or deep bellies.  I'm sure I'll play with the convexing feature at some point, too.

[cbwx34]

I too received my KJ-45 yesterday... and while I think it will work for most knives using the front stop as a "pin pivot", I did notice some of the same restrictions that Kemrot did.  The knob can hit the support upright if the front stop is used (even without pivoting),    and will need to be replaced (or at least the black cover removed). There is also a limit to how far the knife can be rotated... it will actually hit the clamp area.  The rear stop is too restricted to pivot, and using the back side of the front stop is also (it will hit the back stop).  But, I think the front stop will work for most knives, although I'd do a "dry run" with a knife to ensure you can sharpen it before turning on the machine.  Of course, if you're not into pivoting, none of this matters, (except for the knob hitting the upright), but definitely not designed with "pivot" in mind.   

Looks like my new PD will be in the 110-120 range.

Other than that I think it's decent... probably be my "go to" clamp going forward.    The clamp itself seems solid and works well, and I actually like the feel of it vs. the SVM jig. Time will tell!

Edit:  Here's an example... a cleaver where the front stop should be used, set at 20°...



... the knob can hit the upright.  You can position the knife to avoid this, but something to be aware of.

[3D Anvil]

I've done a couple more knives now and I have run into the knob issue.  So yeah, dry run is imperative with this one.

[tgbto]

... the knob can hit the upright.  You can position the knife to avoid this, but something to be aware of.

Hey cb,

Do you have any idea what the max length of a knife would be, in order to allow repositioning ? To know if this is a theoretical issue more than a practical one ?

I also understand you need a combination of both significant blade height and high dps, which would mainly mean cleavers only...

[cbwx34]

... the knob can hit the upright.  You can position the knife to avoid this, but something to be aware of.

Hey cb,

Do you have any idea what the max length of a knife would be, in order to allow repositioning ? To know if this is a theoretical issue more than a practical one ?

I also understand you need a combination of both significant blade height and high dps, which would mainly mean cleavers only...

I do not know the max length, but I don't see it as a "theoretical issue".  The picture I believe shows the intended use of the front stop.

[Ken S]

For the record, I originally named the kenjig the KS-150 (Knife Setting tool, 150 mm long). Tormek asked me to rename it, to prevent confusion from people thinking it was an official Tormek product. It is not, and has never been a part of Tormek's lineup. In my humble opinion, the kenjig is more efficient than the traditional Tormek knife setting methods. (That's just my opinion; others may disagree.)

The jig designations beginning with SV are German, and have been around since the very early days when the majority of Tormek's business came from Germany. I don't remember the meanings of all the letters. M is for Messer, the German word for knife. Is this a surprise? (It surprised me, too.) I have not confirmed this; however, I believe KJ and some of the recent new jig designations like DBS are more English language oriented.

Ken

[WimSpi]

I am experiencing another personal problem with the 2 knobs:
I have the blade set on the back knob. I started with that too, but after changing a stone, I accidentally started using the front knob.

A moment of inattention, has caused me to have to do this sharpening phase all over again. That takes time and steel......

[Ken S]

You can also just pry the black plastic part off the screw (it's just pressed on, at least on the SVM-45)...

CB,

I think there are better ways than prying off the plastic cap. When I was experimenting with other fasteners for the SVM-45 and the horizontal sleeves, the final choice was M6 socket set screws (grub screws). Along the way, I tried using button cap screws. I actually liked these better than the grub screws. The "button" on the top of the screw provided an easier start for threading. Both types required using a metric Allen wrench, not a big deal, although the trend today leans toward toolless. I needed to grind off a little length of the screws. I happened to use my belt grinder, although I could have used my Tormek or a file. I chose the grub screws for the write up because they required no grinding.

Looking at the locking screw on the KJ-45, my eye was fooled. It looked like a smaller thread than the M6 of the SVM-45 and the sleeves. Upon close examination, it is the same M6 thread as the other screws. Only the plastic tip is smaller. That means that the same M6 x 1 (1mm thread pitch or distance between threads) x 10 (10mm screw length) socket set (grub) screw will fit either jig.

The screw of the KJ-45 jig protrudes much less than the big screw on the SVM-45. I have not tried this. I am curious to know if it would allow the SVM jig to clear the usb. If so, that would let the SVM to work "toolless".

Ken

[cbwx34]

...
I think there are better ways than prying off the plastic cap.
...

I agree(d)!

Replacing the knob with a "grub screw" that Ken suggests... may be the better option.

[HaioPaio]

A good solution could be convincing the Tormek Team to prevent such issues before selling products or fixing it after sales.
I strongly believe that Tormek is aware of the issue and just have other priorities.