MkII Microbevel angled

[RedShirtGuy]

I've treated myself to a Veritas MkII honing guide to replace the basic Stanley one I had and have been fixing up all the old chisels I've got lying around. I'm using wet and dry paper on pieces of glass glued to a bit of 18mm MDF ala the scary sharp method.

As I've started doing the microbevels I've found that the guide wants to do them on an angle across the face and not a straight thin line.

At first I thought it was because I was doing the primary bevels and swapping out chisels for each grit before starting again on a higher grit. So I redid one chisel on 800, 1200 and 2000 without removing it from the guide then changed the guide's dial from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock to do the micro bevel on 2000 grit, but with the same result.

I'm trying to keep my hand pressure the same across the guide and keeping my fingers off the blade, but it keeps doing it.

Could I be doing something wrong or have a dud guide?

[Mr Brush]

This thread may be of interest..

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f127/v...roblem-138162/

Cheers

[RedShirtGuy]

Ta for that Some interesting info in there.

I've remembered that sometimes while doing the primary bevel I would get a burr developing slowly and starting from the side that angled micro bevel is largest at, so I've obviously got a slippage problem somewhere.

I'll start checking the squareness a few times during the process and use a bit more finesse when I'm doing up the clamp and see if that helps.

Cheers.

[snafuspyramid]

This thread may be of interest..

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f127/v...roblem-138162/

Cheers

I was the one having that problem. Essentially, the problem you're having is caused by the fact that the chisel is shifting in the clamps during use. This might be because:

-Too much pressure. You don't need much pressure using sandpaper. In fact, I'd suggest you try and use the jig as lightly as you can, for the time being, because although this will slow you down a little, it will eliminate the possibility that you're putting too much pressure on one side, causing the blade to shift.

-The chisels you are sharpening don't have parallel faces (i.e. the "top" and "bottom" of the chisel are not parallel). This is very common on old chisels. What are you sharpening precisely? Do you have the same problem with plane irons? If the faces aren't parallel, this isn't the end of the world, you just need to be more careful with clamping.

-The most likely cause; uneven clamping pressure. Simply ensure that you close both screws until you start to feel a little resistance, and then alternate between the two, tightening a half-turn each. Go by feel. Sounds tricky, but only takes a few seconds once you get the knack. You don't need to tighten the jig too much (you certainly don't need pliers!), and in fact doing so is likely to cause the blade to lose alignment.

Let us know how that goes.

[RedShirtGuy]

The chisels I've been doing are dad's and pretty old and some are horrendously rusty and pitted. I checked the squareness of the ends of the ones I've worked on already and they were out by a fair bit as expected. So I gave one a light lapping on both full faces to clean them up a bit before trying again. This time I checked the squareness to the guide as I was clamping in (doing the smaller/alternating turns you suggest) and used only enough pressure to stop the guide flipping or lifting while I was sharpening.

Much better result

I kept changing pressure and checking the squareness while I was going and it doesn't take much at all for the chisel to turn. I have some newer, cleaner, chisels of my own that I was going to do later, but I'll stick one in soon and see how something in better condition goes.

[section1]

The only solution I'v come up with the skewing problem is not to put any pressure on the blade, because no matter how hard you try to put even pressure you never will. So I just rest my fingers in the two slots and lightly press down. The only issue I am having is getting a nice camber using their roller on a 40° angle. The nut tends to dig into the stone and many times the blade does also. This is all understandable as it is a fairly high angle I think I should practice with my old stanley blade freehand.

[Mr Brush]

...or just buy a Richard Kell guide for chisels, like I did.

I only use my Veritas MkII for plane blades now, and still consider it the best on the market for this job. Don't know how I'd manage without the cambered roller though.....

[section1]

What angle deg are you sharpening your plane blade.

[Mr Brush]

I have mostly Veritas BU planes.....so any angle I feel like

Yes, I have explored the upper limits when the Mk II guide gets hard to use with higher angles, but the trick is to make the main bevel something more manageable and only put the higher angle on a tiny microbevel using just pull strokes of the honing guide.

You do reach a point where the scraper plane is a more appropriate tool....

[Mr Brush]

As posted in another thread, my efforts to get the clamping bar of the MkII to hold narrow chisels over several years use had put a noticeable bend in the bar itself, to the point that it didn't even clamp wide plane blades properly.

Typical of their excellent customer service, Lee Valley sent me a replacement clamping bar at no cost, so my MkII is back in operation.

The Kell guide is better for chisels IMHO, but the MkII is better for plane blades than the wider Kell guide he designed for this purpose. Horses for courses.

[section1]

But still it's the micro bevel which I think adds 5° which would be 45° secondary bevel that I cannot get a larger camber thhan I currently have, plus the nut on the right side keeps digging into the stone. On a 30° secondary bevel it's fine, I tell ya what I'd hate to do a 50° or higher. I think the only solution is to do it freehand. but I risk changing the angle though.

[section1]

I just got your reply so I'll add mine, for me personally I think tth MKII is great for chisels, I showed dabbler when he came over my LN chisels and how straight the bottom of the bevel is i.e no skews what so ever. The trick is not to put any pressure on the front of the chisel at all.

[snafuspyramid]

I also love the MkII but use a standard Eclipse honing guide, (which required a little shaping with a file) for very narrow chisels. It cost me $12 I think. I wouldn't suggest you buy the Richard Kell if you already have a MKII, there's really no need for both - although the Kell is admittedly a wonderful tool.

[mhewitt]

I've treated myself to a Veritas MkII honing guide to replace the basic Stanley one I had and have been fixing up all the old chisels I've got lying around. I'm using wet and dry paper on pieces of glass glued to a bit of 18mm MDF ala the scary sharp method.

As I've started doing the microbevels I've found that the guide wants to do them on an angle across the face and not a straight thin line.

At first I thought it was because I was doing the primary bevels and swapping out chisels for each grit before starting again on a higher grit. So I redid one chisel on 800, 1200 and 2000 without removing it from the guide then changed the guide's dial from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock to do the micro bevel on 2000 grit, but with the same result.

I'm trying to keep my hand pressure the same across the guide and keeping my fingers off the blade, but it keeps doing it.

Could I be doing something wrong or have a dud guide?

i also have this with my mkii

i believe it to be inherent in the design

the eccentric for the microbevel only acts on one side of the roller - so one side of the guide will be a hair hight then the other when the eccentric is engaged

i also believe it to be irrelevant...

[section1]

I used to have the same problem and realised it has nothing to do with the guide but hand pressure alone. However little pressure you are applying you will never be able to equalise that force. Most of the time I don't even touch the blade I'm sharpening which has helped considerably but if I'm creating a new primary bevel impatience always overtakes me and I apply the necessary pressure on the blade to cut quicker. If you notice it's not cutting straight then apply more pressure to the side needed so it's nice and straight but for the secondary bevel if you wish to make one it only has to be less than a mm in width just barely visibly to the eye. Here you will make a few light strokes and on your highest grits a few more very light ones and your done.

I sharpen all my chisels using the MKII and not one of them has a crooked angle it only takes practice. I first practiced on some cheap stanley ones before I moved to my good ones.