Adjustable Knife Grinding Jig

[Adam Savage]

After a little thinking, I decided to try and make an adjustable jig, that would hold a knife blade at the correct angle (for whichever grind your knife has), so that it could be ground (or sharpened) on a bench mounted belt sander.

Here are the photos of the early stages of construction, as well as the finished jig. Sadly I didn't start taking photos until I had started...

Three 102mm tee hinges, a 250mm length of 25mm x 200mm and a 200mm length of 25mm x 50mm, redwood PSE (planed square edge)...

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0071.jpg

Add to that a smallish butt hinge...

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0072.jpg

Bend the free end of the top tee hinge, add a 125mm-150mm length of M4 threaded bar, fixed with two pairs of nuts (two nuts would work, but I wanted to be 100% sure)...

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0075.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0076.jpg

Then thread a wing nut onto the threaded bar, followed by the butt hinge, and then another wing nut, before fastening the nutt hinge to the base board...

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0078.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0077.jpg

Once I knew it all worked properly, I removed the face plate (the 25mm x 50mm piece) and drilled 5 pairs of holes for some 1/4" x 1" rare earth magnets, glued them in, and finally rebuilt the lot...

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0081.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0080.jpg

The reason I used pairs of magnets, is they seemed to have much more pulling force when doubled up.

The amount of adjustment is more than enough for any of the knives I will be grinding...

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0073.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0074.jpg

No tools are needed to adjust the jig, only an angle measure of some kind, to set it accurately.


Hope you found this thread useful.

Adam

[CanadianMike]

Nice concept. You might want to go for a larger surface area magnets though, the smaller ones will have the blade rocking (my first jig I used 1/2" and found this issue) on them.

[Adam Savage]

Nice concept. You might want to go for a larger surface area magnets though, the smaller ones will have the blade rocking (my first jig I used 1/2" and found this issue) on them.

I was thinking of chucking a couple screws in, then wind them in to the same height as the magnets. Purely for that reason. We'll find out if it works or not soon enough lol.

[CanadianMike]

Ya, that might help......

[markal17]

looks good mate would love to see a vid of it in use mate

[Adam Savage]

Should be getting some more steel delivered tomorrow, so will try and make a video (if I get round to machining the blades, that is lol)

[Realearner]

Love your ingenuity looks great, and be good to see the results, your knives already look fantastic.

[Adam Savage]

Thanks bud. I have a few "quick fixes" encase thinks need tweaking, but I shall report the results, whether they are good or bad. :)

[Solidedge]

Blinking heck that looks really cool.

Dragons Den look out

[Adam Savage]

Blinking heck that looks really cool.

Dragons Den look out

Thanks Mike, but I have a feeling Duncan and Theo would definitely be out lol.

[Adam Savage]

Just uploaded the video, or the jig in use.

Here's a photo of the result so far...

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/crazysaint22/projects%20and%20equipment/IMG_0097.jpg

And the video...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhzsiGkq8II