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Improved drill stop collar for Edge Pro

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 6:51 am
by louisfun
I just want to share a gizmo I made that is an improvement over the drill stop collar used for the edge pro professional for catering for the differences in stone thicknesses.

The problem with a drill stop collar is that it doesn't cater for stone thickness perfectly. There is actually an error due to the differences between the angle of the vertical support shaft (between the bench and the stone rod) and the perpendicular to knife/stone angle (I can't think of a better way to word this).

That is, ideally, you'd want to offset for the thickness of the stone along the same axis perpendicular to the knife/stone angle. The drill stop collar only offsets along the shaft which is usually not be the same as the perpendicular to the knife/stone angle.

I've attached some pictures of the gizmo I created which offset the stone thickness properly.

I used a 3d printer to print two block separated by a square rod, fixed by thumb screws. The top block has hole for the stone rod. The bottom block is attached to the original vertical support shaft block.

Before swapping out any stones, I make sure I sized the distance between the blocks by loosening the top block, putting the stone between them, and then tightening top block again using the thumb screws.

I made this for my edge pro professional, but I don't see why the same design can't be used for the edgo pro apex.

Re: Improved drill stop collar for Edge Pro

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:33 pm
by Carter
I've never used an Edge Pro, so I can't fully relate to what you did, but I applaud the creativity and hi tech fix you came up with to help out....very cool!

Re: Improved drill stop collar for Edge Pro

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:04 pm
by Radar53
Hi there louisfun and welcome to the forum.

Very very cool my friend & I applaud the 3D printing side of things. Having said that there are other areas on EP's that create a larger angle variance that are worth looking at if you want to join the OCD club :lol: :lol:

Most of these problems are sorted out with what is know as the Rod Mods. You can check these out on the old forum where for the EP Professional a forum member called MadRookie designed & made some completely new rods and for the EP Apex a member called SharpKnives designed & made a similar set-up but specifically for the Apex. Both these guys were selling their hardware, but I'm not sure that they still are :?

Being OCD myself, I have gone away from the stop collar method and now set any new stone up from scratch using a Sharpie and a Loupe. For just the setting up, I use the stone dry with very, very light pressure (read less than the weight of the stone + stone arm) and adjust until the Sharpie is removed completely from just the bevel. It doesn't take long to do at all.

Very nice mod.

Re: Improved drill stop collar for Edge Pro

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:43 pm
by louisfun
Yes, I definitely belong in the OCD club. I haven't heard about the Rod Mods. I'm going to check them out!

Re: Improved drill stop collar for Edge Pro

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:54 pm
by louisfun
I just saw MadRookie's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNV8IYETyrY and now I am wanting to improve my gizmo with a rod end bearing too!

Re: Improved drill stop collar for Edge Pro

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:05 pm
by Radar53
Hi louis, as I said I'm not sure of their availability, but Mark might be able to put you in touch with MadRookie.

His mod also fixes another bevel-angle problem, being that with the old system the block that holds the stone arm is offset from the vertical rod, and when the arm rotates from side to side across the blade table, while sharpening, the block also rotates about the vertical rod, but on a slightly eccentric axis. This slightly increases or decreases the length of the stone arm and hence the grinding angle.

I did say that you had to be pretty OCD!!

I have the Rod Mods for the EP Apex and I think that they are a fantastic addition to an already great piece of kit.

Re: Improved drill stop collar for Edge Pro

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 11:43 pm
by nakneker
louisfun wrote: Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:54 pm I just saw MadRookie's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNV8IYETyrY and now I am wanting to improve my gizmo with a rod end bearing too!
If you follow through on the rod end bearing I’d buy one from you. Just PM me if you do.

Thanks, Sean