Help with chipper blade adjustment.

[brandoro]

I'll jump in and be the safety "advisor" here. Make sure, once you have the chipper set up and running, you wear eye protection. A face shield might be okay, I had a sore lip one day from a small branch that slapped me on the face, left a mark on my safety glasses so glad I had those on. The other thing is hearing protection. Chipping green stuff isn't too bad but chipping dry stuff, like what has been in a pile for a year or two, sounds like a jack hammer inside a water tank. Don't even think about reaching inside the chute if something besides branches goes in there. YOu can buy more gloves, safety glasses or another cell phone.
If you plug the chipper up, shut the tractor off and put the key in your pocket before digging in there to clear it out.
Other than that chipping stuff is good clean fun.

 

[wedge40]

Thanks Rod. Good advice.. I have the hearing protection and some basic eye Portection.. I'm thinking of a full face shield. Oh and lets not forget the fact that I always respect the machinary I'm working around. One time years ago, I got hit in the chest with a piece of wood from kickback on the table saw. Today my arms dont seem long enough when I use the saw. Untill I use it once or twice I will be "afraid' of the chipper, but I'm sure some of that fear will dissapear, but all of it will never go away.

Wedge

 

[brandoro]

Respect for the machinery is always good, there is a lot of power there.
The literature for my chipper said it would chip up to 4" round. Anything over about 2-1/2" looks like firewood to me but, I had to try it. I picked a small tree that looked 4" at the stump and maybe 18 feet long, zipped it off with the chainsaw and slid the big end down the chute. Seconds later it was reduced to a surprisingly small pile of chips. Something to think about if you are ever tempted to reach into that chute for any reason-unless the tractor is shut off and the key is in your pocket.

 

[Affordable]

We use a quarter to measure the gap between the blade and the anvil,make sure to align pulleys and check all the set screws.

Tommy
Affordable Tractor Sales

 

[wedge40]

Respect for the machinery is always good, there is a lot of power there.
Something to think about if you are ever tempted to reach into that chute for any reason-unless the tractor is shut off and the key is in your pocket.

Not only do I have fear and respect for machinery, but the last thing I'd ever want is to be put on the list for a darwin award.

How thick is a quarter? I'm still pretty sure I'll use a metal scraper with the handle removed.

Wedge

 

[pennwalk]

I use my chainsaw helmet when I chip and I am always glad I did when I hear the branches slapping the back of the helmet, the face screen, the ear muffs.

Chris

 

[weldingisfun]

I set the anvil to blade gap on my chipper using an old plastic ID card. I believe it is .015", if I remember correctly.

 

[wedge40]

I'm looking for something plastic or metal that can be used as a gauge, so I wont have to worry about the blades messing it up. Right now the weather is suppose to be nice this weekend, so maybe Saturday I can finish getting the chipper ready. I have the knives to adjust and the pulley's to align. since this will be done alone I'm sure it'll take a bit longer.

Wedge

 

[SPYDERLK]

I'm looking for something plastic or metal that can be used as a gauge, so I wont have to worry about the blades messing it up. Right now the weather is suppose to be nice this weekend, so maybe Saturday I can finish getting the chipper ready. I have the knives to djust and the pulley's to align. since this will be done alone I'm sure it'll take a bit longer.

Wedge

You only adjust the position of the anvil knife. The cutters are in a fixed position on the flywheel.
larry

 

[srjones]

Ok, I can't take it anymore. Could someone explain the logic around the anvil blade gap? I keep reading two different numbers with about a 10x difference. The first gap seems to be in the shavings range (0.015"-0.035"). The second gap is in the chipping range (0.25"-0.30"). I haven't adjusted the anvils on my JM-6 and they're set at .25" and they seem to work just fine.

Is this just a preference on the finished product? Nice smooth shavings vs. course chip? Smaller shavings have more surface area...dry faster...are easier on the feet of livestock?

I can't imagine it's a performance thing, considering that a 0.025" gap would need to make 10 cuts to equal the volume of 1 cut at a 0.25"

Am I just missing something here?

Thanks in advance,

-Steve