05-29-2018, 03:59 PM
(05-28-2018, 02:46 PM)Mark Reich Wrote: It sounded like you needed a grandmotherly pat on the head, Mr. Grepper.
My Test Media Fixture (Thank You, Gentlemen) was different than yours, Mr. Grepper. The anchor side was not flat like ours are now. Mine had another mortise down the flat side, which inset the path for the media, and the anchor screw, into the body of the TMF another .050" or so. The only recourse was backing the screw out an extra couple turns every time, which is why I ground that mortise off, and now my flat side looks like yours.
I definitely like your design, Mr. Grepper. They have knurled brass thumb nuts at the hardware store, which I would spend an hour making a copy of, if I had a lathe... Having the anchor screw/stud/nut at a 45° angle on the upper corner sure seems optimal to me.
The only other thing I still wonder about is the propensity for the media to be affected from being in direct contact with the locking screw. I bet no one would pull the media around the other side of the screw and expect it to stay tensioned, right? It seems like the same thing to me.
To my chagrin, I've found media tension makes a big difference. Since I couldn't get all my thumbs to fit around the media and the anchor screw of the TMF, I was using a hemostat to hold the media. It was so easy to pull the media taught, I was artificially lowering my scores.
I'm not sure if the media auto-tensions when tightening the anchor screw, but a little washer between the screw and the media makes sense to me, so I'm going to try it in hope my standard deviation bottoms out.
You're right, cork is easy and free, and it's like laying a fine edge on a silk pillow, no matter where you place the blade. It's much easier than having to line up the fulcrum and TMF.
I can understand the sanctity of standardization, but I also understand how critical it is to be able to test efficiently. If testing isn't quick and easy, guys are less apt to do it to the best of their ability IMHO.
Mark,
I'm replying to your last sentence. When I decided to sharpen at a gun show earlier this year, I decided to go with the test clips because they are quick and easy. I'm glad I did. As everyone is meandering around your table you have about 5 seconds to get their interest. ME:You need your knife sharpened? THEM:Nah, it's already sharp. ME:I have a sharpness tester, I'll test it for free.
About 80% of my business at the show was due to the BESS tester. Once I tested one knife, others noticed and then I tested theirs. The test clip made all the difference as there was almost no wait time between tests. Of the 30-40 knives I tested, I cannot remember one score less than 300. A few were in the high 300s and most came in between 400-600. My "sell" was that I would get the edge below 200.
If I had a TMF with Grepper's mod, I would have saved more than $20.00 as I went through more than 100 clips. I would be interested in one if they ever came available.
Ed K.