Morbark Chipper Won't Start

[Altissimus]

Not that I'd know but wonder if that flips to a new edge like the knives do ....

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

You should get four edges to work from. I have a hex-shaped rod for an anvil, 6 turns.

Bolts for bandit knives are recommended to be used only a certain number of times, and always torqued to spec. Something about cycles to failure under extreme conditions. Bolts and nuts actually stretch under loading--effectively a spring, IIRC. Too tight overstresses the bolt and nut, then its put to work. Too loose, and there isn't enough spring tension to keep it locked down.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Nick, are you touching up the knives between knife changes? http://www.baileysonline.com/shop.axd/Search?keywords=sharpener Third item "chipper knife sharpener".

 

[Cobleskill]

It looks like you can only flip it once. the hole you can see isn't centered.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

yep, I see what you mean.

 

[Merle Nelson]

New steel, a thing of beauty. Nick did say only two usable edges on his anvil.

Bandit recommends bolts to be torqued/used only 5 times. The dealer suggests 3 would be safer.

I use that knife dresser after a day of chipping or at a break if it is slowing down because I have been chipping branches from trees near the ocean that have wind blown sand glued to them. It works great. Back to sharp and cutting well in 15 to 20 strokes per knife. 89 hours on this new set of knives and still cutting well. Thought I might go up to 100 hours or it starts raining hard and I use the down time to change out knives and full service. (My knives have a bit of a C shape or concave leading edge to the eye as a result of wear along with this tools removal of metal in sharpening.)

 

[FireFighterZero]

Whats a knife dresser? A stone or a file?

 

[cory]

 

[Pelorus]

that accusharp thing sharpens both sides if the knife, doesn't it?
I know a small (micro?) back bevel is ok, but the fellow who sharpens my knives really doesn't like the extra grinding time required to get a factory edge back on the blades after repeated touch ups with that sharpener.
Replacing the bolts every three or five blade changes seems ridiculous. I'm on my second set of bolts & nuts, with around 1500 hours on my Bandit. No torque wrench either, btw, and zero issues. But, to each his own.
Do the lug nuts and studs on your vehicles get replaced periodically as a form of preventative maintenance?


Al

 

[treebilly]

There is a safety factor in their figuring on the bolt changes. Manufacturers are going to recommend such things as to CTA if something goes wrong. That and to sell parts. Vermeer told us every knife change. You can flip them once.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Jim that knife dresser Cory pictured uses carbide. You scrape off small amounts of steel.

If you tilt it correctly you can only sharpen the face of the blade - almost. Sherrill has one that looks like it would be easy to tilt to proper angle.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

My pro sharpener is $1/ inch of blade, $64/ set. They just come back sharp and true. I seem to get knicks that always get sharpened all the way out, significantly deeper than what I can freshen-up with that hand sharpener.

Merle, I've never noticed a concave shape, but I know what you mean. Is yours visible to the eye, when installed on the machine.

Al/ Pelorus, locally a loose anvil or knife blew through the housing, and landed in the road. Torqueing is cheap insurance. As you say, to each their own.

 

[NickfromWI]

I send mine to Treestuff for sharpening.


love
nick

 

[sotc]

I don't sharpen them. Flip and replace.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Lordy! Do you do the same with saw chain?

I've always had em sharpened at a machine shop.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

I don't see how that can be economical. Aren't knives over $200/ set. I haven't used up my two sets, yet.

 

[MasterBlaster]

They can be sharpened many times, it just has to be done by a professional.

And, you have to adjust the cutter bar.

 

[sotc]

Lordy! Do you do the same with saw chain?

I've always had em sharpened at a machine shop.

I do not, sharpen chains all the time.

I don't see how that can be economical. Aren't knives over $200/ set. I haven't used up my two sets, yet.

Under a hundred bucks a set.

They can be sharpened many times, it just has to be done by a professional.

And, you have to adjust the cutter bar.

Yes, that's the catch. Adjusting the anvil to .040 clearance on both sides is a pain. I can change knives in 20 minutes if I don't have to adjust anvil. Not worth my time.

 

[MasterBlaster]

You must be reach!

 

[sotc]

Right, that's it, too much money, should've realized that myself.

 

[FJR]

Where are you getting knives so cheap Willie? Even from tree stuff, one of our knives is $80, and there are four to a set on our machine.

 

[woodworkingboy]

A different animal, but it would e nice if they could come up with a way to introduce disposable knives, like they have for woodworking machines. Knives just slip into a permanently fastened insert carrier, and with no change in knife dimension, no settings need to be altered. It saves a heck of a lot of time.

 

[Cobleskill]

When you rebuild an engine they recommend you replace the connecting rod bolts. Not cheap to do but I did have one break when I was torqing it and I was way under the torque spec when it broke. Catastrophic failure would be way more expensive. A lot of head bolts are one time use these days. Throw them away and put new ones in.

 

[sotc]

Where are you getting knives so cheap Willie? Even from tree stuff, one of our knives is $80, and there are four to a set on our machine.

My dealer. Bout $50 a knife. 2 Knives on the drum.

 

[treebilly]

I don't sharpen them. Flip and replace.

What chipper do you have?