Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Ah. Good to know, thank you.
Bevel buddy
- Thread starter Wilson Tree Care
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evo
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- My Island, WA
I’ve had all the same questions too. We use to take a cut off disk on a variable speed drill. As slow as possible run it back and forth a few times.
It wasn’t about getting the knives sharp per say but just enough of a touch up to extend their life.
I’d think creating a back bevel to be ground off when professionally sharpened would add to the MEAT removed thus getting less service life from the knife.
It wasn’t about getting the knives sharp per say but just enough of a touch up to extend their life.
I’d think creating a back bevel to be ground off when professionally sharpened would add to the MEAT removed thus getting less service life from the knife.
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Yes it does. So, if you're happy with three sharpens from Bevel Buddy and toss the knives that problem is solved.
I'll do a little more testing and calculating to see what works for me. Previously using an Accusharp type knife sharpener did have knives come back from being ground with some backbevel damage still on them. Reduced performance? Not sure.
Now having found the Accusharp garden tool sharpener that only dresses the cutting edge I will anticipate no added knife material loss. I'll see about performance.
I'll do a little more testing and calculating to see what works for me. Previously using an Accusharp type knife sharpener did have knives come back from being ground with some backbevel damage still on them. Reduced performance? Not sure.
Now having found the Accusharp garden tool sharpener that only dresses the cutting edge I will anticipate no added knife material loss. I'll see about performance.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
Meaning new or professionally sharpened?
VenasNursery
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Michigan
Definitely not as good as a factory edge, but last us 30 days. We chip a minimum of 25 yds a day. Always machine feed. So unfortunately more rocks and dirt go through then more than we like to admit. We have a large chipper so we can run our knives pretty dull. Brand new set of knives we get 3 months out of.
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I’m ready for a thrashing for this, but in a pinch I’ve used a cordless angle grinder with a flap disk. I’m careful not to overheat and discolor the metal by using light pressure and even motion.
The local sharpening service knows the proper angle and restores anything I’ve given them, field sharpened or not.
The local sharpening service knows the proper angle and restores anything I’ve given them, field sharpened or not.
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Fortunately I'm cured from any such temptation as I couldn't get an angle grinder into my disk chipper if I wanted to. That and the last chipper drum I priced was half the price of a chipper. (I'm anal about not munging things up.)
evo
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- My Island, WA
We used a drill with custom angle grinder mount in the chuck. Variable speed and right angle gives more control.
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Man...I've been getting great results with this new Garden Sharp tool previously mentioned. When the chippers pulling and chipping performance is dropping off a bit I dress the knives 25 strokes and it is only taking material off the face of the knife. Close it up and it's chipping great again. I'll look later at how many hours since last knife change. I usually get something approaching a hundred hours on an edge - all chipping time.
Thanks for the real life test results!
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
I can imagine this might be better.
I SUSPECT that the micro double bevel is insignificant.
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
It affects chipping in a meaningful way in pretty short order - maybe in a few dressings. A picture I previously posted in this thread post #16 show it somewhat. When having them ground by my Bandit dealer I asked them to make sure they ground past the backbevel - no such luck. I'm looking forward to not having that come back from proper sharpenings with that still on them.
Just looked and I have 55 hours on these knives. No noticeable degradation of chipping efficiency, so I'm sure I'll run them to 100 hours maybe more now.
Just looked and I have 55 hours on these knives. No noticeable degradation of chipping efficiency, so I'm sure I'll run them to 100 hours maybe more now.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
I can't make out what you're showing in post 16.
My back-bevel is very small, as best I can surmise from seeing how much comes of the 'front' bevel.
The middle of the cutting edge of the blade gets ever so slightly concave, therefore not as tight to the anvil.
There is the blade angle and the anvil gap compounding performance.
i would expect a noticeable improvement with a fully razor sharp, new blade with a 100% correct gap.
My back-bevel is very small, as best I can surmise from seeing how much comes of the 'front' bevel.
The middle of the cutting edge of the blade gets ever so slightly concave, therefore not as tight to the anvil.
There is the blade angle and the anvil gap compounding performance.
i would expect a noticeable improvement with a fully razor sharp, new blade with a 100% correct gap.
Lumberjack
Branched out member
The scale is a bit different, but I feel good to get 15-20 hours out of a cutting edge with no touchups.
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Yeah Carl we all run different businesses and different equipment needs. If I had a 15 or 18 inch chipper like I would also like I'm sure I would be handling knife needs differently for that unit.
Yes, bad photo really Sean.
Yes, bad photo really Sean.
Lumberjack
Branched out member
For sure, I thought 100 hours sounds remarkably great!
I was thinking about getting the garden sharpener based on your results, but decided it would likely be a lot of work for us.
I’ve thought about using a grinder and flap wheel, the knives are accessible, but so far I haven’t.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
Can you mention what you saw?
I see 2 lines parellelling the edges. Guessing the non cutting edge of the tool rubbing it.
One dished section of damage on the lower right.
I never take knives out to touch up. Is that so, for you, Merle?
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Yes, I only remove knives to swap out with fresh edge that is new or has been ground sharp by a oil grind sharpening machine.
What I've seen in the past and that picture in post #16 would show if pictured well is that a normal carbide "knife" dressing tool will scrape steel off the cutting face of the chipper knife as well as the back flat surface. It will fairly quickly end up with that flat side of the knife having a backbevel that is noticeable - I would guess a 32nd of an inch to a sixteenth of an inch by the time I pull them off the chipper. Post #16 is showing that backside bevel as two seperate lines along the back surface of the knife.
The "Garden Sharp" version of that tool and it's results of only dressing one side by carbide scraping is pictured back in #12, #14, and #15. It dresses the cutting edge only.
I'll just make sure that it's clear here, I don't care what the knives look like or exactly getting every possible hour out of them. Performance and chipping efficiency are my main focus. When I dress them with this garden version of the dressing tool I get back to near new performance levels. This shows in speed of chipping woody parts, pulling in performance, and chipping small flexible twiggy greens rather than letting the ball up or pass through unchipped.
What I've seen in the past and that picture in post #16 would show if pictured well is that a normal carbide "knife" dressing tool will scrape steel off the cutting face of the chipper knife as well as the back flat surface. It will fairly quickly end up with that flat side of the knife having a backbevel that is noticeable - I would guess a 32nd of an inch to a sixteenth of an inch by the time I pull them off the chipper. Post #16 is showing that backside bevel as two seperate lines along the back surface of the knife.
The "Garden Sharp" version of that tool and it's results of only dressing one side by carbide scraping is pictured back in #12, #14, and #15. It dresses the cutting edge only.
I'll just make sure that it's clear here, I don't care what the knives look like or exactly getting every possible hour out of them. Performance and chipping efficiency are my main focus. When I dress them with this garden version of the dressing tool I get back to near new performance levels. This shows in speed of chipping woody parts, pulling in performance, and chipping small flexible twiggy greens rather than letting the ball up or pass through unchipped.
Reach
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Atglen, PA
We use a grinder a flap wheel to touch up once between knife changes, it works well but you do have to be careful not to take to much off the edge itself. I do the touchups myself, and make sure the wheel rotates towards the edge, so it cuts the flat before running off the edge. Grind the other direction and you’ll make convex knives in a hurry, and convex knives don’t cut!
evo
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- My Island, WA
It’s very significant. The more bevel on the side that is supposed to be flat, the more out of adjustment your making the anvil.
Try it on a pair of handsnips. The tiniest little secondary bevel is beneficial (which is a subject of debate), but too much ruins the tool.
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