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Thanks for the additional info.

I actually do have a drill press... but have had some issues with it... so haven't used it... resorting to the ol' hand drill.  I think you have a good point though... and may see if I can get it up and running again before I tackle this.

CB,

What sort of issues have you had with your drill press?  I restored my Delta floor model, including changing out the spindle, repairing the push button switches and other stuff.  Plus I restored a 1941 Rivett 1020 lathe, which involved a lot of reworking of parts and making whole new parts by making patterns and having them cast in metal and then machining.  I want to convert the Delta drill press from single phase 110 AC to three phase by installing a VFD (variable frequency drive). I have the three phase motor but not the VFD.  I've installed VFDs on my Rivett lathe and my 6x26 vertical knee mill, as well as on two of someone else's Bridgeport mills and a radial arm drill press (Jan, I'll be asking you about yours).

If you would like to talk about it, we should probably PM each other personal emails so as to take it off the Tormek forum. 

Rick

If I turn the stop of the jig instead of the Micro Adjust to change the 2 degrees, is the difference in the bevel angles of the belly & tip compared to when using Micro Adjust?

This is an interesting question.  Initially, I would think there's no difference, until I thought of the pivot distance changing.

I did a bit of a dry run, just to see what popped up.  I set an angle of a knife at 17 deg. (all angles set/checked with the AngleMaster), and drew a LOC (Line of Contact) on the stone.  Then I adjusted the angle to 20 deg with both methods (3 turns with the MicroAdjust / 2 turns with the Jig Stop adjust), and drew a 2nd LOC for each.

With both methods the AngleMaster showed 20 deg.  But, there was about a 4mm difference between the 2 LOC drawn at the 2 20 deg. settings.  I could also see a slight difference in how the knife tracked in relation to their respective LOCs.

My thought is, it's not significant.  A good check would be to compare Sharpie marker removal, (but ran out of time... you might consider giving it a try).

Practically, probably not going to matter much.   

This makes sense to me.  By changing the stop or microadjust, you are changing the orientation and position of the USB and jig, but maintaining the bevel angle.  It makes sense that the LOC would change on the wheel.  If it didn't, you wouldn't have the same bevel angle.

Rick

My oldest granddaughter understands the BESS sharpness scale quite well, she knows that the device displays values in grams but that in fact measures force necessary to cut the test medium....her Lego sharpness tester model.

Isaiah 11:6
.... a little child shall lead them

When I first read about the Bess testor, I made a comment about it had the appearance that one ought to be able to fabricate one. Leave  it to the ingenuity of youth to show us old people!

What is the test medium and could we see a couple/few photos of the actuall BESS testing machine, please.

Rick

Rick, in my understanding obsession is in intimate relationship with creativity which is now considered to be extremely important for future development.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Jan

Rick, in my understanding obsession is in intimate relationship with creativity which is now considered to be extremely important for future development.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Jan

Thank you, I get that, but....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

OOOO  MMMM  Fricking GGGG!  What a wonderful and powerful message. I posted the link on my FaceBook timeline. 

I see it in my granddaughter.  She loves music and dancing and I can so see how that could be "taught" out of her. She loves to have music played while we are driving.  She wants to have control of what is played (on the car stereo - bluetooth).  So, I hand her my phone and she plays what she wants.  She loves "The Bug" by Dire Straits (sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug - splat).  So another song came on "Calling Elvis" and she asked "what is this song called".  I told her and she asked "what is an Elvis".  So, I downloaded some Elvis songs, and some Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis and now we are dancing our fool feet off to these classic rock n roll tunes.  I hope to be part of parenting that encourages her creativity. 

In another vein, so few children learn how to use tools and make things.  This is another area where I hope to create a learning environment for my granddaughter (Holly).  I am always making or fixing things.  When Holly was only about 9 months, my daughter made me promise to teach Holly all about tools and making things.  That was a no brainer.  I was already planning to do that, so making the promise was easy. Not yet 4, she knows how to use a cordless drill, a disk sander and has even "played" at grinding on the Tormek (actually just rubbing a dummy blade on the leather wheel, but she didn't know the difference).  She has safety glasses and ear protection.

Rick

Rick and CB, I follow with interest and satisfaction your progress in the construction of the extension jig. It reminds me of my efforts some two years ago.

Rick, do not be afraid about squarness too much. The extension jig is intended to work with the knife jig and here the squarness/accuracy requirements are not as big as for the square edge jig for chisels sharpening. (USB used for square edge jig has to be perfectly aligned with the grind stone axis otherwise it is hardly possible to ground a square bevel.)

Jan

P.S.: CB, drill press would be a suitable Christmas present for you! Write a letter to Father Christmas. Three years ago I have donated my old drill press and bench grinder to my brother, who is a woodworker, and he told me that it has changed his life. I bought larger radial drill press with cross vise which I use for timber mortising.

I understand and agree that squareness for the extension jig is not the same as for the square edge jig and maybe some others.  I just can't help myself.  Somewhere in the 1990s, my daughter correctly labelled my affliction as far as hobbies go: serial obsessions.  In that same time frame, she gave me a birthday card with this: "Happy Birthday to my serially obsessed, adolescent at heart Father". I still have that card. 

Drill press - YES!  I have three. A 1940 era bench top Delta (needs a motor), a restored floor model 1954 Delta and my small knee mill, which I use as a drill press, as well as for milling.  It has a DRO, so drilling holes in precise locations is a dream.  Latter has not been set up again since my move so I could not use it for drilling the XB-100 hole pattern. 

Rick

[many times]

I am a bit 'concerned' about getting the 12mm holes lined up right (I just have simple hand tools).  It'll definitely be a measure twice many times before drilling.       (Accuracy not always my strong suit).   

I think you'll do fine.  Establishing a good horizontal centerline is key as it will help keep the jig and USB square and horizontal (I checked the squareness of the USBs using a machinist's square... very impressive).  I aligned the 12 mm holes in the tube with those of the XB100, more for the aesthetics.  I don't think that matters as far as function goes, so focus your attention on getting those holes on the same horizontal plane. 

But, if that doesn't happen, you can always open the holes up a bit and shift the threaded rods up or down when tightening the nuts. There is a lot of wiggle room with nuts and washers that size.  I'd do that wiggling and final tightening with everything mounted on the machine and checking squareness in reference to straight surfaces on the machine.  Not sure how much it matters, but I'm fussy that way sometimes (most of the time )

Rick

Rick, your interest pleases me! 
It is an inexpensive and very versatile adaptor.

Jan

I have previously measured the spacing between the USB holes, and came up with 90mm also... so can at least confirm that.

Thanks to both of you for the info... I'll be building one... as soon as the parts come in.   

My implementation of Jan's extension jig is shown below.  I already had the XB-100 Horizontal Base and the 1"x2"x1/8" thick steel tubing, so I was able to get this far.  While I measured and posted the Base hole mount dimensions, I opted to clamp the base to the tube and spot drill the hole locations.  I tried clamping it square but something didn't work out and the jig was not square once mounted, so I opened up the jig holes and now it does. 

I also precision clamped the Base to the backside and spot drilled the first 12mm hole and then center drilled it.  Then took out the layout blue and tools and carefully layed out and center punched the location of the second 12mm hole.  Existing USBs slide in just fine. 

I used to live in Portland, OR, USA (a medium sized city) and could just run out and get things like M12-1.5 threaded rod and nuts.  But, a little over a year ago, I move to a tiny town in far NE Oregon with a population of 300, but it is in ranching country so it has two hardware stores.  Still, I had to order the threaded rod and nuts.  Will have to wait for them to finish the project. 

Rick

I believe I am one of the nine who spoke for one, but just to be sure, I want one.

Thanks,

Rick

Thank you, Sheang, you are welcome! 
Sorry for prioritizing users of the imperial system. My apology goes especially to you in France, which was the cradle of the Système International d'Unités.

The material table in metric system is following:
1.    Hollow steel profile 35 x 55 x 162 mm, mat. thickness 2 mm
2.   Two threated rods M12 x 165 mm
3.   Four nuts M12 with washers
4.   One low nut M12 as a micro adjust
5.   Base for universal support and four screws M5 x 16 mm with washers (BGM – 100)

Ad 1) I used steel profile, which I got for free at a local hardware store. Don't search after the same profile cross-section, it is not important.
I cut the maximum length (162 mm), which fits with the T7 housing. My intention was to have enough place for future optional mounting of the universal support base closer to the grinding wheel.

Ad 2) This length of the threated rods will enable to sharpen 10 cm (4") wide cleavers. This is enough for the largest Chinese choppers I sharpened.

Jan

Jan's post included dimensions of the stock used and fasteners, but did not include dimensions of the holes, probably for good reason.  He can't know the spacing of the 12 mm USB mount holes of other's machines, or the spacing of the holes on the Horizontal Base adapter (XB-100 for the T-7).  I took to my calipers and measured the sizes of the holes of all, and measured the distances between the holes, both the outer dimension as well as the inside dimension of the distance between sets of holes. 

Interestingly, I found the USB holes on the machine case to be different (I have a T-8).  The ones closest to the grinding wheel were fairly consistent, 0.477" (12.12mm).  But the USB holes away from the grinding wheel were larger, closer to 0.5" (12.5mm) and much less consistent. (These were measured using a machinist telescoping gage, so it is as precise as I can get without resorting to gage pins, which I have.)

Then, adding or subtracting respective hole radii to distances between outer edges or inner edges of the holes, I came up with an approximation of the distance between the CENTERS of the USB holes: 3.5375" which equals 89.9mm.  So, my guess is that Tormek uses a center distance of 90mm, which equals 3.543"  That is what I'll use for drilling the USB support holes in the 1" x 2" x 1/8" thick rectangular steel tube that I"ll use for mounting the XB-100 (T-7) Horizontal Base. 

Using similar procedures measuring the 5 mm hole spacings on the XB-100, I came up with 59mm (2.323") for the wide side spacing and 36mm (1.417") for the narrow hole spacing.

Your miles (KM) may vary.  Verify all dimensions on what you have and are using.

Rick

And there is more to it -- the lower or "fixed" blade. 

It is mounted in the paper platform and is the other blade in the shearing operation.  It has two bevels, a main one and a much thinner one right at the shearing interface (first photo).  Second photo shows the two blades as the contact at the cutting surfaces.  Third photo shows the what instructions were provided.  Nothing about sharpening.  Fourth photo shows the wear pattern on the upper/moving blade.  Faint and hard to see.  This looks like a likely place for sharpening. 

Rick

My daughter had not been very impressed with my new sharpening machine (just another of Dad's toys), until I sharpened some scissors, a couple stamped Fiskars and a beat up old Farr that I'd used in my shop for years (even cut carborundum paper).  She used the Farr for cutting my granddaughter's hair. 

So granddaughter will be four in early Dec. and they are preparing for it (first photo) - invitations.  My daughter off handedly commented that what I needed to sharpen is the paper cutter.  I said I probably could, thinking it would be like sharpening scissors.  But, in looking at it, I'm left wondering how to go about it (see photos below).

The bevel edge has not been ground like that of scissors.  It is crudely ground and appears convex.  What I thought would be the wide flat (vertical plane as mounted in the handle) is not flat or even hollow ground.  It is angled from both edges to a low point near the center.  A sort of very shallow "V", which I'm sure is meant for clearance. 

How do I sharpen this blade?  I have thought of coloring the flat part with a black marker and laying it flat on the wheel and dragging it across to see if a very light grinding would sharpen the edge without destroying much of the clearance "V". I've also though of sharpening the bevel edge just like scissors, but what that would do is create a very sharp, slightly convex bevel.  How is that going to work in cutting paper and card stock?  Improve it or ruin the blade? 

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Rick

There is nothing sacred about using twenty five degree bevels with chisels and planes. The angle may be decreased for more delicate paring or increased for heavier work. With bench stones, a more obtuse angle is generally obtained by adding a secondary or micro bevel. It should be noted that this is primarily a labor saving strategy.

With chisels and, to a lesser extent, with planes, it is common to have multiples of the same tool ground differently. In generations past, a craftsman might have different tools of the same size. In a common width, like half inch, he might have long bladed straight and/or crank neck paring chisels; bevelled bench chisels for dovetails; firmer chisels in different patterns without bevels for heavier work; and very heavy mortise chisels. He might vary the bevel angles for different widths or purposes.

Today, bevel edge bench chisels and power tools are used for most of these functions. The old guidelines for bevel bench chisels may or may not be ideal for the intended purpose. The opportunity to fine tune a tool benefits the more sophisticated sharpener. Don,t feel locked into one traditional standard degree setting.

Ken

That is all good to know.  Thanks, Ken.  I have the two chisels and don't do much woodworking that requires more.  As you pointed out, power tools do most of the work, at least in my shop. 

Rick

Very interesting.  Jan's second diagram really helped.  Thanks Jan. 

Maybe I wasn't aware about the 25 deg.  I just matched the existing angles using black marker.  One turned out about 32 deg., the other 35 deg.  They are both about 4mm thick.

Rick

Superglue is cheaper.   

And already in my toolbox. 

Rick

Welcome to the forum, Prisoner.

I suggest, if you have not already done so, watching Alan Holrham's videos on the DBS-22. He has done two. I prefer the earlier, longer version. It goes into more depth. The shorter version is also good.

Keep us posted.

Ken

The longer one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSUa1iFUzkM

The shorter one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqcMTxrIoPY