Chipper WC8 Feeding problems

[DeeDubya]

If the chipping blades are sharp and adjusted and it's still not feeding then check the bed blade. The top sharp 90 degree corner will eventually become rounded. It's function is not to cut but to hold the material in place and not allow it to pull down. I removed mine and refinished it on a belt sander, or just replace it. It made a big difference.

 

[deedplot]

Thanks for the help, I will remove it and double check the edge. I noticed one reply on this thread suggested setting the gap between bed blade and cutting blade to the thickness of a dime. Does that work well for you?

 

[DeeDubya]

Thanks for the help, I will remove it and double check the edge. I noticed one reply on this thread suggested setting the gap between bed blade and cutting blade to the thickness of a dime. Does that work well for you?

Mine came with a feeler gauge, but I think a dime is very close to that. A misconception is that the chip size is determined by the gap between the knives and bed blade. Not so, chip size is determined by the distance from the flywheel to the edge of the knives. As material is fed it bumps against the spinning flywheel and that is as far as it can go. When a knife comes around it shaves away a chip then allowing the material to once again move against the flywheel. Sharpening the knives will work once or twice, but once they are shortened too much, chip size will be smaller and performance will diminish. The reason for adjusting the knife to bed blade gap is to keep it very close but not touching. Obviously you don't want them hitting each other but neither do you want them too far apart as this will reduce the scissor effect creating drag and stringy chips, especially with green material.