I have a 2003 BC1000XL and the maintenance manual calls for a gap between knives and anvil (bed knife) of .12" (.3048 cm).
Did not get guage with mine, was purchased used. Have hard time believing metal is best material to use for this guage? I use pieces of thin cardboard (thickness of box that loops of saw chain come in). With bed knife bolts barely finger tight, I lay the cardboard over edge of bed knife and slowly rotate cutter drum "backwards" and the knives each push bed knife back to proper position. Finger tighten bolts a bit more and check that cardboard pulls with little resistance (both sides/each knife the same) and then tighten.
Give Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa a call at 641-628-3141 or 888-837-6337 and tell them your chippers vin number and tell them you need Operator's Manual and Maintenance Manual, and they will send them free. Good to have...
NOTE: New knives measure 2 1/4" from center of holes to edge. Vermeer recommends no less than 1 3/4" (sharpener should know this).
NOTHER NOTE: Distance between bed knife and cutter knife has nothing to do with thickness of chip. Chip thickness is distance knife edge sits ABOVE surface of wheel that knife is attached to. Therefore, knives that have been sharpened a time or two will actually produce a slightly thinner chip.