Thread: veritas sliding bevel problem

Gday Mic

My Veritas sliding bevel has the same "feature". And I have been caught a couple of times....now I just remember to make sure the blade is proud of the handle before I lock the cam thingy.

The only reason i can think of for the extra play in the blade is to make sure it alway moves easy and doesnt bind up

cheers
BD

Originally Posted by Brown Dog

Gday Mic

My Veritas sliding bevel has the same "feature". And I have been caught a couple of times....now I just remember to make sure the blade is proud of the handle before I lock the cam thingy.

The only reason i can think of for the extra play in the blade is to make sure it alway moves easy and doesnt bind up

cheers
BD

G'day BD, glad to hear I'm not the only one who's been caught out

I think they could manufacture it with a little less slop and keep the blade proud or unable to fall below the timber, or even make it with no slop - after all we're talking about Veritas. We pay good money for a tool from a good maker - we shouldn't have to compensate for poor design every time we use it. The cam lock IS a very nice feature though.

Cheers
Michael

Well I 'spose this is a bit of blatent advertising on my part here, but being a toolmaker that happens to make and sell very successful sliding bevels I reckon I can throw my two bob into the ring...

The special 'feature' that you have discovered is nothing less than poor design and manufacture. I don't find it too hard to get it right from my point of view as a maker, it was in fact one of the three main design features I set out to put into my flush locking bevels, and all my customers love them for that, and as you have found it's not terribly fun when it isn't right.

Check them out on my website if you wish. Link below....

Cheers,
Chris.

While it is true there is slop, it is just a little bit more than my vintage Starretts and a less than my vintage Stanleys.

As for comparing the LV offering and Chris' magnificant tools? Sort of a different price, eh? More cost allows for greater attention to not only the technical details, but also the aesthetics.

But the LV as poor design and manufacture? Nah. Just different price points which dictate a different level of precision and aesthetics.

Take care, Mike

Originally Posted by MikeW

But the LV as poor design and manufacture? Nah. Just different price points which dictate a different level of precision and aesthetics.

Take care, Mike

Well, NO. It seems that all Veritas sliding bevels have this slop and a consistent amount of it, so it's very clear that they ARE made with PRECISION and ACCURACY (they are just precisely and accurately sloppy). It wouldn't cost much to adjust the parameters of manufacture and make them precisely and accurately non-sloppy!

Cheers
Michael

Originally Posted by Chris Vesper

Well I 'spose this is a bit of blatent advertising on my part here, but being a toolmaker that happens to make and sell very successful sliding bevels I reckon I can throw my two bob into the ring...

The special 'feature' that you have discovered is nothing less than poor design and manufacture. I don't find it too hard to get it right from my point of view as a maker, it was in fact one of the three main design features I set out to put into my flush locking bevels, and all my customers love them for that, and as you have found it's not terribly fun when it isn't right.

Check them out on my website if you wish. Link below....

Cheers,
Chris.

Hi Chris, would you consider a trade-in Veritas bevel?

Cheers
Michael

some nice tools there Chris, they look like real fine craftmanship but damn the price! The joinery kit is tempting but just too much out of my fnancial reach. I think they will always be on my wish list.

This problem with their sliding bevels was noted in at least 2 separate trade reviews and I sent them a copy of one of the reviews before I ordered my 10" sliding bevel. My query to Lee Valley was, "For your 10" sliding bevel, it has been noted in several reviews (see sample attached) that the end of the stock could protrude past the blade and cause errors. Are you aware of this problem and if so, has it been rectified in the current version of your sliding bevel?"

Their response was, "We see no problem listed for the 10" sliding bevel like described in the article and no changes being made to the product"!

So to LV, the sky is falling yet there is no problems with their sliding bevel, a disappointing response from a supplier who have a very good reputation for reasonably priced innovative tools and otherwise excellent customer service.

Thanks for all the nice comments on my tools. I put a lot of work into them so I do appreciate it.

Sorry guys, not taking trade-ins this week on the LV bevels...

Mic-d has touched on an absolute gem of a saying in the manufacturing world that I live by.... "If you can make something consistently incorrect, you can easily make it consistantly correct."

For anyone who thinks its a question of economics of cheap bevels versus expensive ones... Well you would probably use less material because you have shaved 2mm off the end of every stock you make and ditto on the blade. Though not really an issue as far as I'm concerned.

For those that want to spend a little on an inferior product then I say that is why the product is on the market, which I have no problems with, otherwise you know where to come to get a decent one.