a new Extended Universal Support Bar

[Ken S]

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

[SharpenADullWitt]

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)

[Ken S]

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

[SharpenADullWitt]

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.

[Herman Trivilino]

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?

[Ken S]

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

[SharpenADullWitt]

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.

[Ken S]

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

[Herman Trivilino]

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.

[Ken S]

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

[jeffs55]

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.

[Herman Trivilino]

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.

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!

[Ken S]

Ax reply under handtools ax video topic

Ken

[robincbailey]

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

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.

[wootz]

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?