My new Extended Universal Support Bar arrived this week . It is a well designed, solid tool which does its intended job very well.
Robin Bailey of this forum first proposed the idea for sharpening cleavers and had a prototype made in 2010. He offered them for sale to forum members if he could get a minimum of ten orders to cover machining expenses. At that time, sadly, he only received one order (from me).
During the intervening years Robin has been successfully been using his extended universal support bar in his sharpening business in Bath, England. Recently he took the plunge and had some made up for sale.
The Extended Universal Support Bar really is extended. The two legs are one hundred milllimeters (four inches) longer than the standard issue Tormek Universal Support. The long arm is eighty millimeters (three inches) longer. The extra height easily handles cleavers with plenty of reserve. Robin says the extra length handles log carvery knives. I don't have any carver knives, so I will take Robin's word for it. We finally have a way to sharpen cleavers with the nice crisp, even bevel for which Tormek knife jigs are noted.
I see Robin's universal support bar and Tormek's as complementary. The Tormek bar has the microadjust, which is indispensable for wheel truing and planer blades, and useful for much other work. Robin's bar has the extra size which makes sharpening cleavers and long carvery knives possible.
Not everyone needs the Extended Universal Support Bar. However, for anyone who sharpens cleavers professionally or is particular, Robin's bar is indispensible.
The Extended Universal Support Bar can be ordered from Robin's website, www.sharpeningservice.uk. The price is 35 pounds sterling plus shipping. This is one of those specialty tools made in small quantities. It is a delight to use. I have some other applications beyond its original purpose in mind, which I will cover in a later topic.
Ken
Ken, between this and another post, I am wondering about it and axes. (not hatchets)
I ended up doing a dual edged ax by hand, just for speed sake, and the first ax I tried, just seemed so odd with the long handle in the ax jig. (seems to be better for hatchets, in my limited experience)
SADW,
Did you mean to put this post here or in the as topic in hand tools?
I am not the person to ask about axes. I do not own one and have never needed to sharpen one.
Ken
HERE< HERE< HERE!!!
Dual edges axes, won't work in the ax jig, and the extra height and length, I could see coming in handy.
Quote from: Ken S on February 10, 2016, 02:11:39 AM
We finally have a way to sharpen cleavers with the nice crisp, even bevel for which Tormek knife jigs are noted.
I'm surprised it's not threaded for micro adjust use.
Couldn't you use the SVD-110 Tool Rest to sharpen cleavers?
Good thoughts, Herman.
I was initially puzzled by the lack of threads. Perhaps Robin will comment. My guess is that not including Acme threads (or even regular threads) was a way of keeping the cost reasonable. I am sure these are a very small production run. Costs per unit would be much higher.
As I stated, I feel the Extended Universal Support Bar complements the Tormek Universal Support Bar. I use the micro adjust religiously when I true my grinding wheels. For most routine sharpening, I rarely use the micro adjust any more. Micro adjust is essential for some operations. I don't think I will miss it with the Extended Universal Support Bar.
Yes, Herman, a cleaver, like other knives, could be sharpened with the SVD-110 Tool Rest. However a knife jig should give crisper bevels.
Time to pick up my grandchildren. More soon.
Ken
Trying to remember if it was on this forum, or another, that a member used a die, on their original, non threaded universal bar, with good success.
I was asked and sent a link to someone who tried it on their clone, with good success. Should be doable.
It is doable; Herman did it. Do keep in mind that Herman used a standard imperial thread die. It works, but it is not the same size thread as the micro adjust nut. (it has a metric Acme thread).
My question is why would someone need to thread the larger USB? Wheel truing, where the micro adjust really helps, would logically be done with the standard USB. I view Robin's Extended Universal Support Bar as a secondary accessory, not the primary USB. For larger work, I would not find the threaded rod necessary.
Ken
I used a 12 mm die to thread the 12 mm shaft on my US. I believe it may have been Elden who did it with a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) die.
To mimic the Acme threads I ran a file across the tops of the thread ridges, and then filed partially flat the side of the rod that faces the set screw knob.
I embedded the nut in a plastic juice bottle cap with automobile bondo. It makes for a perfectly good micro adjust knob, but I did have to replace the set screw knob because the shaft is too short to clear the bottle cap. Not a problem as it's a readily available part made for one of the jigs. The sharptoolsusa web site has break down of ever part of every jig.
Herman,
I did not realize you used a metric thread die. Nice touch with the file! You get a Popular Mechanics Home Workshop Award for creative thinking.
Ken
To mimic the Acme threads I ran a file across the tops of the thread ridges, and then filed partially flat the side of the rod that faces the set screw knob.
Yeah but all that accomplished was flattening the teeth of the thread. Acme threads are flat on the top and have a flat bottom as opposed to an angular one. Didn't you just grind off some of the engaging threads and theoretically weaken the grip of the nut? Were you counting on the limited stress the adjusting nut was exposed to to enable your mimicry to work? I can easily see where that would not be a problem in this application.
Quote from: jeffs55 on February 12, 2016, 06:01:24 AMWere you counting on the limited stress the adjusting nut was exposed to to enable your mimicry to work? I can easily see where that would not be a problem in this application.
I arrived there after some trial and error. For a long time (probably years) I used just the nut on the threads. It was kind of a pain to adjust because it was hard to turn the nut with just a bare hand. Then I read posts from others who had tried filing the threads. So I tried it, too. Then I thought about improving the nut. Now it spins freely. It's definitely not a problem as there is very little load on the nut. It's not like a lug nut on a car's wheel!
Ax reply under handtools ax video topic
Ken
Hi everyone,
You can buy your extended universal support bar via this link
http://www.sharpknives.co.uk/onlineshop/prod_4360851-Tormek-T7-Extended-Universal-Support-Bar.html
(http://www.sharpknives.co.uk/onlineshop/prod_4360851-Tormek-T7-Extended-Universal-Support-Bar.html)
I decided not to bother with the micro adjust and threaded bar as this extended bar is primarily used for wide chinese cleavers and longer carvers where a micro adjustment is not required. In fact I never use the micro adjust on knives, I just move the bar up or down a little or use the adjustment on the handle.
I use the Tormek T7 everyday as I run a sharpening business and the micro adjustment is only really used on the SVH-320 Planer Jig.
I have now been using this extended bar for nearly five years and it has not made the T7 unstable and have never needed the micro adjustment, not even once.
Quote from: Herman Trivilino on February 12, 2016, 02:07:22 AM
I used a 12 mm die to thread the 12 mm shaft on my US. I believe it may have been Elden who did it with a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) die.
To mimic the Acme threads I ran a file across the tops of the thread ridges, and then filed partially flat the side of the rod that faces the set screw knob.
I embedded the nut in a plastic juice bottle cap with automobile bondo. It makes for a perfectly good micro adjust knob, but I did have to replace the set screw knob because the shaft is too short to clear the bottle cap. Not a problem as it's a readily available part made for one of the jigs. The sharptoolsusa web site has break down of ever part of every jig.
That this extended support is not threaded for micro adjust is what stopping me from ordering it.
And for me it is not about cleavers, as you raise the standard US you can feel it plays, meaning you can't be sure it is parallel to the wheel surface, and I thought an extended support could make it more stable.
Microadjust is a must when you work with more than one wheel, to quickly compensate for diameter difference as you change them.
Herman, did you die-thread this extended support, or the older US?
Quote from: wootz on February 13, 2016, 09:14:07 PM
Herman, did you die-thread this extended support, or the older US?
I threaded the shaft of the US that came with my Tormek back in 2002. I did it soon after I became aware of Tormek introducing the innovation.
Thanks, Herman
I only raised the idea, because it could be done, and I think when enough of them get out there, we may find other uses where a threaded rod could be needed.
Heck, if enough people needed it, Robin wouldn't have had to come up with it, as Tormek would be selling them.
Every new Tormek since sometime in 2003 comes with a threaded universal support bar. For those without a microadjust usb (universal support bar), those with the mechanical wherewithall can thread their own, just like Herman and Elden have done. For those who have neither thread dies nor expertise in using them, a replacement usb is not costly.
I believe the microadjust is essential for truing the grinding wheel. It can be a convenient part of adjusting the usb height for those who do not use wooden blocks. Every Tormek user should have a threaded usb and the updated TT-50 Truing Tool.
The question is how useful is the microadjust with an oversize usb? For setting up a cleaver in the knife jig, the anglemaster, black marker or, ideally, a gage block (kenjig) makes quick work of the task. Following the kenjig construction modifying it for a cleaver eliminates the need for other tools with a cleaver. Only the cleaver, knife jig and a kenjig are needed. Results will be consistent and repeatable.
When I first examined the Extended Universal Support Bar, the first thing I saw was a solution to a longtime project. I have been wanting to be able to use the grinding wheel with the usb in horizontal mode with the wheel coming into the blade. The longer legs of the eusb can be mounted in the horizontal sleeves from the far side, thus making horizontal position grinding into the blade possible. This would be useful when a lower mounting of the Tormek was not convenient.
I removed most of this idea. It does not w ork. The problem was water pouring out the front. My bad idea. Robin never suggested this use. He made it to provide longer space between the grinding wheel and the support bar. It does this very well. I recommend Robin's tool.
Ken
Why would you want to swap wheels whilst doing a cleaver or long carving knife? Remember this support is a supplement not a replacement, and I only use it for extra height or width when required.
You lost me, Robin. Where did changing grinding wheels pop up in this discussion? You are absolutely correct in that your support is a supplement, not a replacement. It is a useful supplement.
Ken
Micro adjustment was in reply to Wootz on the first page as he said that no having the thread was stopping him from buying one. Shame really as they are well worth it, and makes what was a hard job sharpening cleavers very easy.
Quote from: robincbailey on February 16, 2016, 08:03:30 PM
Why would you want to swap wheels whilst doing a cleaver or long carving knife? Remember this support is a supplement not a replacement, and I only use it for extra height or width when required.
Regrading the stone to 1000 and then ungrading it back to 220 is kinda a PITA and slows you down, not to mention the unprodutive waste of the stone. Instead I have a dedicated fine stone. But as the two stones hardly ever are of the same diameter, I match them with the US microadjust.
Wootz, if I understand you well, you have two universal supports, one for the Tormek grindstone and the other for your dedicated fine grindstone. When the diameters of these grindstones are different than also the positions of the micro adjusts are different, despite the fact that both set the same bevel angle.
Jan
Wootz,
I understand your thoughts about the stone grader and using two different grinding wheels, one dedicated to coarse and one to fine, however, I believe there is an easier way to accomplish this than by using the micro adjust.
Before discussing that thought, I would like to state that the Extended Universal Support Bar was not intended as a universal replacement for the Tormek model. It was designed to handle a specific situation beyond the scope of the Tormek usb, specifically sharpening cleavers. Cleavers are too large to be sharpened with the Tormek knife jigs in Tormek's usb. It will not extend high enough to handle these knives.
That leaves two other choices; 1) freehand sharpening, as recommended by Tormek or 2) using Herman's HK-50 small knife tool. Admittedly, a cleaver is not a small knife, however, it works well in the HK-50.
The extended usb allows the job to be done with the precision and simplicity of a Tormek knife jig. Even a very experience knife sharpening expert like Steve Bottorff has stated that the Tormek knife jigs are the key to consistently obtaining even bevels. That stated, I will state that I believe a very skilled Tormeker with an KH-50 may be able to come close with care.
As to using two grinding wheels, I have also considered that. Ideally I would use separate grinding wheels in separate Tormeks. I don't see using the stone grader as being any more of a hassle than continually changing grinding wheels. Keep in mind that the stone grader was invented long before the EZYlock shaft. Also, the economy of only needing one grinding wheel has been a foundation point with the Tormek.
In his knife sharpening you tube, Jeff Farris recommended generally using only the fine graded stone except when the knife is damaged. Even if this required slightly more grinding time, it would be quicker than either using the stone grader or changing wheels. I don't know how much regrading is really necessary, especially with Chinese cleavers, which are rarely damaged.
My preference over either using the micro adjust or two usbs would be to use two kenjigs. I would set the groove for one to the diameter of the coarse wheel and one to the diameter of the fine wheel. Over time, both of these grooves will need to be gradually lengthened. This is a very slow process. This could be done with two kenjigs, or, as Jan has suggested, with one double ended tool.
I believe the amount of stone wear due to using the stone grader has been overstated. I have found keeping the wheel trued causes more wear. I look upon stone wear as an inevitable "cost of doing business" with any abrasive material.
I stand behind my statement that Robin's Extended Universal Support Bar is a useful adjunct to the Tormek USB and that it does not require threading or a micro adjust.
Ken
Quote from: Ken S on February 23, 2016, 09:40:39 PM
Wootz,
Even a very experience knife sharpening expert like Steve Bottorff has stated that the Tormek knife jigs are the key to consistently obtaining even bevels. That stated, I will state that I believe a very skilled Tormeker with an KH-50 may be able to come close with care.
As to using two grinding wheels, I have also considered that. Ideally I would use separate grinding wheels in separate Tormeks.
Ken
Well Ken, I must disagree on the obtaining even bevels by using the Tormek jigs. It has been shown that on thick bladed knives using a Tormek jig, the bevels will not be even from one side to the other. Of course, they are not even on thin bladed knives but the human eye finds it harder to detect the difference. One bevel is going to be obviously wider on one side of the thick blade than the other. You know of course that the two Tormeks with two different stones is my method of choice. All this stuff about different angles due to the curvature of the earth and the phase of the moon can be easily addressed by the judicious use a magic marker on the blade edge. The human eye can discern variances to thousandths of an inch faster than the angle tool.
Jeff, you are correct, the knife jig provides perfectly even bevels for blade thickness of 2.5 mm (some 0.1"). There is surely some margin around this thickness, but beyond that our eye starts to detect some difference in the width of the bevels. I think the margin is at least +/- 0.5 mm (0.02").
Because cleavers are usually significantly thicker than 3 mm (0.12"), they require setting of the bevel angle individually for each side. Even the kenjig cannot set the cleaver bevel angle for both sides correctly.
Ken, just the need for an individual bevel angle setting for each side of the cleaver is an argument for a micro adjust on the extended universal support. This can make the knife jig flipping there and back much easier.
Jan
Jeff and Jan,
I see your points, and agree with you. However, I think we need to differentiate between variations in the two bevels due to thickness of the knife and differentiations in a single bevel due to holding technique. It is these holding technique variations I am talking about with recommending the knife jigs.
My cleaver happens to be a Chinese Cleaver, not the heavier traditional western cleaver. In either case, I believe thickness adjustments can easily be made using the kenjig in combination with thickness gages (feeler gages). These could be applied with the knife on one side in the clamp or placed between the kenjig and the grinding wheel or universal support when setting the distance.
Caveat" I have not yet actually tried this. When I do, I will report the results, positive or negative.
Ken
OK Ken, congrats, you are very inventive! :)
Adding feeler gages in the knife jig clamp can symmetrise the jig behaviour only for thin knifes, so it is not an option for cleavers.
Placing the feeler gages between the kenjig and the grinding wheel can compensate for the side bias of the bevel angles similarly as the micro adjust.
Jan
P.S.: Just out of curiosity, the spine thickness of my old hand-forged cleaver is 9 mm (3/8").
(http://img21.rajce.idnes.cz/d2102/11/11771/11771137_37021e568ec44478b9ce7dc74d286378/images/SEKACEK_2_640DPI.jpg?ver=0)
(http://img21.rajce.idnes.cz/d2102/11/11771/11771137_37021e568ec44478b9ce7dc74d286378/images/SEKACEK_1_640DPI.jpg?ver=0)
Jan,
Quite a solid knife! My Chinese cleaver is a lightweight by comparison, only two millimeters thick.
Ken
OK Ken, although it is incredible to me, your cleaver is so thin, that you could symmetrize the knife jig behavior using a 0.25 mm spacer. For practical reasons it is of course not necessary, because it does not cause a visible difference in bevel angle/width. :)
Jan
The Chinese style cleavers are so thin, because of how they are used. They are the only knife used in some kitchens. Where our western cleavers were more of a butchering tool. The cleaver Jan shown, while homemade (how a lot of cleavers were, seen some video's on making them from old saw blades), also looks to me to be closer to a butchers knife as well. (maybe a multiuse design by the maker?)
That suits me perfectly. I am almost exclusively vegetarian and have no use for butchers' knives. My Chinese cleaver works very well for vegetables.
Ken
Quote from: Ken S on February 25, 2016, 06:47:50 PM
That suits me perfectly. I am almost exclusively vegetarian and have no use for butchers' knives. My Chinese cleaver works very well for vegetables.
Ken
Then you might have no use for your cleaver, either.....
There is a Youtube video on how to use a Chinese Cleaver (or as the gal calls it, a Chinese cleaver knife), and they also use it for meat (from filleting to mincing).
One other difference between the two styles that dawned on me, the thickness of the cutting board needed. (mass of the western style cleaver, needs a thicker board. When I looked for one, several reviews talked about splitting the boards in two)
Good comments, SADW and Ken! :)
In my mother language (Czech) the name for a cleaver is derived from the same root as an axe. This is the reason why people in this country would not use the name "cleaver knife" for a traditional western style thick cleaver. In our minds cleaver is a heavy duty tool, a butcher's chopper, used to separate ribs or chop through the chicken bones.
The cleaver I have shown here is not quite a typical one, it resembles a heavy santoku knife. The traditional cleavers used here have a rectangular blade, some 5 to 6 mm thick. Their use in modern contemporary kitchen is quite rare. The edge angle is usually between 45 and 50°, not sharp enough for easy cutting.
Jan
P.S.: From my youth I remember that in many urban households, where there was no hatchet at hand, cleavers or bayonets of the World War were (mis)used to split dry wood for stove igniting. The batoning technique often damaged the spine of the cleaver.
(http://img21.rajce.idnes.cz/d2102/11/11771/11771137_37021e568ec44478b9ce7dc74d286378/images/SEKACEK_3_640DPI.jpg?ver=0)
Recently I have found a bayonet blade among my aunt's garden tools. Its spine is OK. I think it is cast iron not forged steel.
(http://img21.rajce.idnes.cz/d2102/11/11771/11771137_37021e568ec44478b9ce7dc74d286378/images/Bayonet_640_DPI.jpg?ver=0)
Jan,
Very interesting history and tools! Thanks for posting them. I believe my diminutive cleaver is better at stir fry than combat......
Ken
Quote from: Jan on February 23, 2016, 06:19:32 PM
Wootz, if I understand you well, you have two universal supports, one for the Tormek grindstone and the other for your dedicated fine grindstone. When the diameters of these grindstones are different than also the positions of the micro adjusts are different, despite the fact that both set the same bevel angle.
Jan
Sorry Jan, somehow I missed your question.
I use 3 stones: 220, 800 and 4000 grit. And one universal support.
Before i start sharpening, I drop universal support on the first stone, anchor its position with microadjust, then change to the second stone and note down how many revolutions/digits of microadjust wheel is needed for the US to rest on its surface, then change to the third stone and again note down the number of microadjust revolutions.
With the knife in the jig, I set angle on the first stone only.
As I change stones, I change height of the universal support with microadjust wheel by the number of revolutions I got in the very beginning for the stones.
This speeds up sharpening cycle compared to the same stone regrading or setting angle on each stone.
When a fellow walks up and empties 4 or 5 knives out of his pockets, you appreciate the advantage.
Wootz,
Your very useful technique reminds me of my favorite Mark Twain quote, "Man is the only creature with the one true religion, all seven of them!" Fortunately the Tormek is versatile enough to work well with our varying techniques.
Thanks for posting, and, I agree, speed is much appreciates when the fellow pulls four or five knives out of his pocket!
Ken
Quote from: wootz on March 25, 2016, 06:34:14 AM
I use 3 stones: 220, 800 and 4000 grit. And one universal support.
Before i start sharpening, I drop universal support on the first stone, anchor its position with microadjust, then change to the second stone and note down how many revolutions/digits of microadjust wheel is needed for the US to rest on its surface, then change to the third stone and again note down the number of microadjust revolutions.
With the knife in the jig, I set angle on the first stone only.
As I change stones, I change height of the universal support with microadjust wheel by the number of revolutions I got in the very beginning for the stones.
This speeds up sharpening cycle compared to the same stone regrading or setting angle on each stone.
Wootz, your answer arrived as Easter food for my thought, thank you. :)
When I have read about your setting procedure, I remained to sit sheepishly for a while because I have never thought anything like this. After a while Mr. Euclid told me, that perhaps it may be applicable for small differences in diameters of grinding wheels.
Then I asked Mr. Autocad what will happen when I set a bevel angle of 15
o on a stone with a diameter of 200 mm and transfer it by your procedure to a stone with 250 mm diameter. The answer was following: on the 250 mm stone the bevel angle will be some 21
o.
Wootz, please be so kind and reassure me that you use this procedure only for stones with slightly different diameters. Otherwise, I will not have a quiet sleep.
Have a happy Easter!Jan
;D
Appreciate your humor, guys.
Well, Jan, the aftermarket #800 wheel diameter is 254mm and takes about 3 full revolutions of microadjust from the SG-250.
Is Euclid whispering you I may be loosing the bevel angle set on 250mm wheel as I change to 254mm wheel and just raise the US by 3 revolutions?
I eager to hear harsh criticism, honestly. Or minim. Anything to improve.
Though when I was trying this for the first time, I marked the bevel between stones and couldn't see wrong with this approach.
Jan, i just read Mr Autocad notion above.
Might I ask you to estimate angle change from diameter 250mm to 254mm, please?
Thank you very much indeed.
Thanks Wootz, you really calm me down because you use your setting procedure only for grindstones with very similar diameters. :D
When you set a bevel angle of 15o on a grindstone with a diameter 250 mm and transfer it by your procedure to a grindstone with 254 mm diameter the bevel angle will change to 15.3o. That is really negligible difference and justification of your unique support setting procedure. :)
Jan
Happy me, passed Jan's QA check. :D
But you know, this explains subtle inconsistencies I am getting when I perfect edge on knives in my collection, and I am really grateful for your explanation.
You are welcome, Wootz. I rejoice with you! :)
Jan
P.S.: Appreciated wise and an adequate notion regarding "subtle inconsistencies" because they can easily grow to a larger size.
Wootz, 3 full revolutions of microadjust from the SG-250 to the #800 should correspond to a larger difference between the stone diameters than the 4 mm mentioned by you. Based on my simplified Autocad model the difference in diameters could by some 8 mm. Precise diameter estimation can be done by measuring the wheel circumference.
Your setting procedure can be modified also for grindstones with arbitrary diameters. If you use the TTS-100 modified for knifes* to estimate how many revolutions of the microadjust are necessary for each grindstone, you will get reliable figures for your setting procedure.
* http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=2639.30 (http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=2639.30) and
http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=2639.45 (http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=2639.45)
However, as I have mentioned earlier, I think the best is to have dedicated universal support for each frequently used grindstone/wheel. I have two universal supports, one for SG-250 and the other for the honing wheel, by default both are set for 15o bevel angle and kenjig projection length 139 mm. :)
Jan
Appreciate your thoughts, Jan.
Just what I am looking for as I sometimes get a few 14 inch carvers to sharpen.
I am on to Robins site now and will order one.
God Bless the Forum.
Bob
( The Knife Grinder )
Be sure to check out Robin's sharpening school! Knowledge is power.
Ken :)
Funny enough only after two years of using T7, I came across the Tormek's extended Universal Support US-400 for long knives.
It comes as a standard support with Tormek SuperGrind 4000 (designed for professional knife sharpening), and is also available by itself in Europe; costs near the same as the regular support - I just ordered one for myself from Italy.
US-400 has one leg threaded with microadjust, and fits T3, T4, T7, T8 and of course T4000.
I hope it is also taller than the regular support, allowing for cleavers sharpening, but can't tell for sure till it arrives.
Pictured is the US-400 on Tormek 4000.
(http://home.exetel.com.au/dropbox/US400.jpg)
Interesting, Wootz.
I wonder how useful the short horizontal leg really is. I am open for thoughts on this.
By the way, Robin Bailey's extended support bar is taller as well as longer.
Ken
Don't you see, Ken?
With the short leg, the horizontal bar is over the stone exactly at its middle.
As is the regular universal support; compared to the regular support, the US-400 is extended by the length of the short leg in each direction.
This ensures even for very long knives the knife jig can travel all the way bolster to tip both left-to-right, and right-to-left.
While Robin's is extended only in one direction; you see its limitation as soon as you flip the jig with the long knife in it.
Robin's is good for cleavers, but not as good for long knives as the US-400.
Wootz,
Thank you for clarifying this for me. I can now see the logic in this design. I was looking at the shorter horizontal leg as an independent part, rather than as an extension of the longer leg. Now it makes sense to me.
This thinking reminds me of the original discussion of the short knife jig concept which has become Herman's jig. The idea was to make the platform narrow enough so that the blade could be placed right up to the handle in either direction. This seems the same thought process, but in the other direction. The universal support bar is extended to provide full coverage for long knives in either direction.
It is a clever idea. I wonder if this support bar is available in the US.
Ken
Wootz,
Does this extended support bar allow clearance when using the leather honing wheel? The photo indicates a greater separation between the sleeves and the honing wheel on the 4000 than on the standard Tormek's. This might be a constraint for freehand honing, but no problem for jig honing.
Ken
Quote from: Ken S on November 10, 2016, 03:50:19 PM
It is a clever idea. I wonder if this support bar is available in the US.
Ken
Of course I originally read the above as it is a cleaver solution. ::) I looked a while back, when looking for the restaurant, via JF old parts site, and it wasn't. My understanding from some old posts here, was it was never imported across the pond. (and now replaced with a different model, also not available here)
Here is the US400 compared to the regular US-105:
(http://home.exetel.com.au/dropbox/US400_.JPG)
US400 horizontal bar length is 43cm (~ 17"), with the short arm of 6cm.
The legs are of the same length of 15cm in both the US400 and US-105.
Interesting. Thanks for posting it, Wootz.
Ken
Bad news.
Checking with Tormek, last US400 that they had in stock was sold out a month ago and no new production is in plans.
If you really need this either get the last you can find on the market (maybe even used once) or...
manufacture yourself.
An idea is to get a round SS rod and glue it on top of the US-105.