Here are a couple of accessories that have become very useful to me over the past year. I use them now as a matter of course.
The angle cube is great for double checking the settings of the WEPS paddle arms.







The laser protractor will accurately tell you the edge angle of any knife that fits the v-slot of the devices cockpit. These tools become more important as you demand more and more accuracy in your sharpening.
Try these...you will like them too!

Cheers
Leo

Leo...the laser protractor..fill me in , what brand or where can i find one..
thanks Jeff

Hammer, You can pick up the laser goniometer from CATRA at www.catra.org/pages/products/kniveslevel1/lkep.htm

They have all kinds of neat toys.

Mark

You beat me to the draw Mark! Yes that is where it can be obtained. Even though it is in the UK, the delivery was made within a week once the order was filled. It is a great tool to have. You can tell the number of degrees in an unknown knife edge or you can double check the edge you just ground.

Leo

Someone asked me how the laser protractor works...it is really simple. The protractor fires a perfectly straight laser beam that strikes 0 degrees on the scale when no knife is inserted. When a knife edge is inserted in both back and front v-slots and the laser is triggered, the shiny edges of the edge bevel each reflect that beam at the angle at which it has been ground (the angle of reflection will equal the angle of incidence). A 20 degree bevel will reflect to the 20 degree scale (from both sides). If the beveled edges are not the same the difference will be shown on the protractors scale...e.g. 20 degrees/ 19 degrees on the protractor's scale.This neat device works best in slightly subdued light in order to prevent false readings caused by bright ambient light also bouncing off the shiny edge.
If the knife is canted all th way to one side in the v-slots, lying flat on the sames sides back and front, when the laser is fired it will read you the sum of the two edge bevels on the protractor's scale. It is simplicity itself and a wonderful help when you don't know the edge angle on an unknown knife or to confirm the angles you have just developed.
I hope this helps to understand the basic use of the laser goniometer/protractor.

Leo

Just received my iGAGING Angle Cube. Looks well-made and the included screwdriver is a nice touch. I'll take it to work and evaluate the claimed specifications on Monday (to satisfy my personal curiosity).

I did find, however, that the battery included with the gage did not properly fit the compartment. It was an extremely tight fit and my perception was that there was potential to distort the base and top surfaces. It also protruded above the back such that the backplate would not fit.
I had some 9V batteries on hand and tried an Energizer, which fit just fine. The substandard batery was definitely oversized.

I think you will like having this tool. The battery that came with nine fit with no problem.
I will be interested to see the results of your test of the cube's accuracy. What do you have at work that can do this Don?

Best regards
Leo

Hi, Leo,

I'll use a granite surface plate, angle blocks, and a master precision level, all calibrated, of course. Should be able to verify squareness, linearity, and repeatability.

This won't make me better at sharpening, but I'll know with great precision that my edges are all equally dull...!

dongriffith wrote:


Hee hee hee! A good laugh with my morning coffee.
What is it that you work at that they have such precision angle finding stuff Don? If you don't mind me asking.

Cheers
Leo

leomitch wrote:

Well, I usually don't say so I don't embarrass them, but just for you, Leo, I work for NASA. We used to be the go-to-space people....

by the way, I (embarrassing example follows...) can't seem to activate my profile. I can get there and select EDIT, but everything is grey'd out.