Anyone got the new LV honing guide?

[David]

If you've gotten one already, please share your "first on your block" experiences with us.

Dave

[Scrub]

Being one of many who wasted their money on the original, poor design I won't use LV for my next honing guide. Here's where I'll go:

[BillyBob]

of them will handle a #8 jointer blade (2 5/8" wide) with a 1" thick waterstone. That's why I ended up making my own guide.

Bob

[AAvK]

economics?) to buy an Alisam at that cost. So, I'll try and make one myself out of hardwood. Wheels to the sides of the stone. I simply cannot stand the idea of rolling a wheel through the slurry and mashing it into the grit and muddying up the inside of the wheel's spindle. Rediculous. The new Mk II is perfect for scary sharpening though. Someone argue back, please!

[AAvK]

Would you show us a shot of it?

[Scrub]

[Rob Fargher]

I tried to buy one yesterday at the local LV retail store. Unfortunately, they weren't in stock yet. I have my name on one, for when they come in later this week. I also picked up a Norton 4000/8000 waterstone while I was there.

[gregg]

IT also shares a major defect of the LV design - the iron holding mechanism being downward pressure applied by a disk. Doesn't prevent the iron form rotating even while you are tightening it or while you are honding.

I really like the side clamps for holding.

The wide wheel et of this guide does solve one major defect of the LV guide.

[AAvK]

I know that about the Alisam. I was talking about any guide that has a central single wheel to ride on, which is rediculous for water stones. You and me are the ones with the right idea.

[Hax Planx]

This article makes a strong case for sharpening by hand and not using a guide at all:

[Ken Vaughn]

I made a couple of honing guides from hardwood designed to provide a wide and stable footing for "scary sharp" honing. The main design criteria was that the guide should be self-aligning. Here are some pics -- complete description on the sharpening page on my website.

Vaughn Visit My Workshop:

[Patriarch]

"Ken Vaughn" wrote in news:Pj6re.3596$ [e-mail]:

This is another instance where, whenever I think I have begun to learn something, someone comes along, and quietly, simply, reminds me that I am but a grasshopper in this craft.

Patriarch

[Hax Planx]

What, you don't have six marking gauges and 26 chisels and two table saws?

[Jeff Gorman]

"AAvK" wrote

You might like to try my version that costs very little. Please go to Sharpening Notes - A Honing Jig for Plane Irons.

Jeff G

[Andy Dingley]

I've found the Stanley guide (with a wide roller) to be acceptable on water stones. The Eclipse guide though (with a narrow roller) puts a tramline into the stone within one chisel's use.

[AAvK]

Yes Mr. Gorman, and I do have a spare lever cap. I also have the plastic General brand honing guide which is th same idea, but I despise it. So thank you for the reminder. And as usual, you don't have to reply.

[Tim]

The Alisam guide will handle a 2 5/8" blade on a 1" stone. The metal alignment clip can be removed on the older version or the latest models have a Delrin ring that act as an alignment "slide", (using the circumference of the round barrel to index off to square the blade), which can easily be slipped on and off to accommodate the #8 jointer blade. The other two models (SS2, SS3) will accept up to a 3 inch wide blade with the slide in place. You can buy one of these and build a simple hardwood frame around the stone to raise the SS3 for 1 inch stone use OR build a platform to raise the stone for use with the SS2. Of course another option is to buy either of these models and purchase the side supports only of the SS1, (actually this will give the SS1 the bevel honing range of the other two models, from 5 to 60 degrees but only the

15 to 45 degree marks are lasered in so you just keep track of the clicks past 45 or before 15). As far as the round toggle foot clamp allowing the blade to move while tightening, we are providing a PSA strip of sandpaper that adheres to the bottom of the blade slot. This prevents all movement of the blade.

" Rolling a wheel through the slurry and mashing it into the grit and muddying up the inside of the wheel's spindle. Rediculous." The wheels of the Sharpening Sled are hardened, double rubber sealed, industrial roller bearings and are press fit onto their "spindles". Therefore the slurry does not enter into the bearing or ''spindle" to bearing contact area.

The LV honing guide WAS the best guide out there. I believe we have come up with improvements on it and all the other guides available. The Sharpening Sled is the next generation of honing guides. Pricey? Well it's made in the USA, supporting your neighbor next door, a quality product, (mainly anodized aluminum, brass and steel, even the labels/index marks are precision lasered in, not stick on labels) and it does what it is supposed to do better than the competition. If you feel the cost is an issue, by all means buy the next best guide from Lee Valley. It is a proven, older design that has worked well for years within it's limitations. By the way I just came back from a presentation given by Mr. Robin Lee. He was just terrific. His talk on the history of Lee Valley/Veritas, their current products, on production methods and new products was exceptional! What a great company with beautifully designed tools that will be around for generations. Robin, thanks again. Tim Queeno

[Tim]

The Alisam guide will handle a 2 5/8" blade on a 1" stone. The metal alignment clip can be removed on the older version or the latest models have a Delrin ring that act as an alignment "slide", (using the circumference of the round barrel to index off to square the blade), which can easily be slipped on and off to accommodate the #8 jointer blade. The other two models (SS2, SS3) will accept up to a 3 inch wide blade with the slide in place. You can buy one of these and build a simple hardwood frame around the stone to raise the SS3 for 1 inch stone use OR build a platform to raise the stone for use with the SS2. Of course another option is to buy either of these models and purchase the side supports only of the SS1, (actually this will give the SS1 the bevel honing range of the other two models, from 5 to 60 degrees but only the

15 to 45 degree marks are lasered in so you just keep track of the clicks past 45 or before 15). As far as the round toggle foot clamp allowing the blade to move while tightening, we are providing a PSA strip of sandpaper that adheres to the bottom of the blade slot. This prevents all movement of the blade.

" Rolling a wheel through the slurry and mashing it into the grit and muddying up the inside of the wheel's spindle. Rediculous." The wheels of the Sharpening Sled are hardened, double rubber sealed, industrial roller bearings and are press fit onto their "spindles". Therefore the slurry does not enter into the bearing or ''spindle" to bearing contact area.

The LV honing guide WAS the best guide out there. I believe we have come up with improvements on it and all the other guides available. The Sharpening Sled is the next generation of honing guides. Pricey? Well it's made in the USA, supporting your neighbor next door, a quality product, (mainly anodized aluminum, brass and steel, even the labels/index marks are precision lasered in, not stick on labels) and it does what it is supposed to do better than the competition. If you feel the cost is an issue, by all means buy the next best guide from Lee Valley. It is a proven, older design that has worked well for years within it's limitations. By the way I just came back from a presentation given by Mr. Robin Lee. He was just terrific. His talk on the history of Lee Valley/Veritas, their current products, on production methods and new products was exceptional! What a great company with beautifully designed tools that will be around for generations. Robin, thanks again. Tim Queeno

[Lee Michaels]

"Tim" wrote

Just a comment about Robin Lee and Veritas.

I used to teach basic marketing classes and do some consulting now and then. I always used Lee Valley and Veritas as an example of what I referred to as "excellence marketing". Basically the quality of the product and servie became the primary mareting vehicle. A rare event in today's business environment.

Years later I came across Robin Lee on this forum. So I asked a number of questions about veritas. Robin wrote right back and told me he was traveling for a few days. But he would get back to me when he got back into town. Which is exactly what he did.

He proceeded to tell me more about their design philosophy. And it exceeded all my expectations and confirmed everything I used to teach in my classes. And he took the time to explain it to me. An anomymous poster on this forum. I felt honored,

Yes, Robin Lee is a class act. I will endorse that both professionally and personally. He has built a company based on some very high ideals. And we all benefit from it.

I understand that some big money folks have offered to buy him out too. And he did not take the bait. So the quality tools and service will continue.

Thanks Robin, for everything.

Lee Michaels

[Patriarch]

Hax Planx wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Yes, in fact I do. And two lathes, and 5 routers, and maybe 25 handplanes, and a bunch of other stuff.

I have golf clubs, too. Still can't break 90, after 25 years.

You truly cannot buy a game.

Patriarch