vharrison2
Member
How do you store your knives(blades)
Storage for chipper knives
- Thread starter vharrison2
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Stumper
One Man Band
In a small plastic toolbox. It holds several sets knives, extra bolts, Anti-sieze compound and one of those carbide sharpeners.
My Asplundh chipper came with a blade box mounted between the drum and fender. It's handy because it can be reached while changing blades. Plenty of room for a few sets of blades, and everything else needed for blade changes.
Tree Machine
Addicted to ArboristSite
I store mine in the garage. If I'm going to swap out knives, it's going to be at home with air tools, not in the field.
vharrison2
Member
ORclimber said:
I would love to see a picture of the box
vharrison2
Member
Thanks
Frans
ArboristSite Operative
The metallurgy of Chipper knives is extremly important to the performance of this critical component. Knive storage MUST follow specific protocols in order to preserve this hybrid technology.
Step 1: On receipt (and inspection) of your new knives you must first wipe them throughly using steralized cotton gauze saturated with organic olive oil. This step is critical in order to acclimate this high tech steel to the rigerous cutting environment of the chipper.
Step 2: Wrap the knives individually with non printed (no inks) food grade butcher paper or simply, (what I do) order sterile surgical grade, wrapping paper. Tie the wrapping with Zing-it cord or other high quality cord that will not 'relax' or come loose over time.
Step 3: Insert individually wrapped knives into heavy duty 'dry sacks' these are used by the outdoor kayaking/boating industry to keep items dry in a wet environment.
Step 4: And this step is the most important: Fill these sacks with Nitrogen. DONT USE OXYGEN! Oxygen is corrosive and will actually seperate the molecules and decrease the Rockwell hardness level of the knives.
Nitrogen can be special ordered from a welding shop. But now that most automotive shops fill the tires with Nitrogen it can be bought at those places as well.
Step 5: Store your knives in a climate controlled environment such as your home freezer. Temp changes will also affect the metallugy of your knives. I like to place one chipper knife on the bottom shelf, then a tray of ice cubes then another knife, tray of ice cubes, etc, etc, Note: you can also use frozen veggis instead of ice cubes.
Frans
ps: Just throw the damm things into your shop, you -------!
Step 1: On receipt (and inspection) of your new knives you must first wipe them throughly using steralized cotton gauze saturated with organic olive oil. This step is critical in order to acclimate this high tech steel to the rigerous cutting environment of the chipper.
Step 2: Wrap the knives individually with non printed (no inks) food grade butcher paper or simply, (what I do) order sterile surgical grade, wrapping paper. Tie the wrapping with Zing-it cord or other high quality cord that will not 'relax' or come loose over time.
Step 3: Insert individually wrapped knives into heavy duty 'dry sacks' these are used by the outdoor kayaking/boating industry to keep items dry in a wet environment.
Step 4: And this step is the most important: Fill these sacks with Nitrogen. DONT USE OXYGEN! Oxygen is corrosive and will actually seperate the molecules and decrease the Rockwell hardness level of the knives.
Nitrogen can be special ordered from a welding shop. But now that most automotive shops fill the tires with Nitrogen it can be bought at those places as well.
Step 5: Store your knives in a climate controlled environment such as your home freezer. Temp changes will also affect the metallugy of your knives. I like to place one chipper knife on the bottom shelf, then a tray of ice cubes then another knife, tray of ice cubes, etc, etc, Note: you can also use frozen veggis instead of ice cubes.
Frans
ps: Just throw the damm things into your shop, you -------!
Treeman14
Addicted to ArboristSite
Frans,
I know you are trying to be helpful, however there are a couple of important items you failed to consider.
Firstly, the temperature of the freezer must be between twenty degrees and thirty degrees F.
Secondly, you did not even mention the barometric pressure of the storage facility. Ideally, the wrapped knives should be placed in a hyperbaric chamber at an ambient pressure of 3 to 5 atmospheres. This will be sufficient to slow the molecular decay of the carbon atoms, thereby substantially increasing the effective useful life of the knives.
Check it out: http://search.ebay.com/hyperbaric-chamber_W0QQfclZ4QQfnuZ1
I sure hope this helps.
I know you are trying to be helpful, however there are a couple of important items you failed to consider.
Firstly, the temperature of the freezer must be between twenty degrees and thirty degrees F.
Secondly, you did not even mention the barometric pressure of the storage facility. Ideally, the wrapped knives should be placed in a hyperbaric chamber at an ambient pressure of 3 to 5 atmospheres. This will be sufficient to slow the molecular decay of the carbon atoms, thereby substantially increasing the effective useful life of the knives.
Check it out: http://search.ebay.com/hyperbaric-chamber_W0QQfclZ4QQfnuZ1
I sure hope this helps.
Newfie
Addicted to ArboristSite
Frans said:The metallurgy of Chipper knives is extremly important to the performance of this critical component. Knive storage MUST follow specific protocols in order to preserve this hybrid technology.
Step 1: On receipt (and inspection) of your new knives you must first wipe them throughly using steralized cotton gauze saturated with organic olive oil. This step is critical in order to acclimate this high tech steel to the rigerous cutting environment of the chipper.
Step 2: Wrap the knives individually with non printed (no inks) food grade butcher paper or simply, (what I do) order sterile surgical grade, wrapping paper. Tie the wrapping with Zing-it cord or other high quality cord that will not 'relax' or come loose over time.
Step 3: Insert individually wrapped knives into heavy duty 'dry sacks' these are used by the outdoor kayaking/boating industry to keep items dry in a wet environment.
Step 4: And this step is the most important: Fill these sacks with Nitrogen. DONT USE OXYGEN! Oxygen is corrosive and will actually seperate the molecules and decrease the Rockwell hardness level of the knives.
Nitrogen can be special ordered from a welding shop. But now that most automotive shops fill the tires with Nitrogen it can be bought at those places as well.
Step 5: Store your knives in a climate controlled environment such as your home freezer. Temp changes will also affect the metallugy of your knives. I like to place one chipper knife on the bottom shelf, then a tray of ice cubes then another knife, tray of ice cubes, etc, etc, Note: you can also use frozen veggis instead of ice cubes.
Frans
ps: Just throw the damm things into your shop, you -------!
Make sure to remove the knives from the chipper every night, right?
vharrison2
Member
The reason I ask is I am wondering if anyone has custom made boxes to store your blades. We do. Old fellow in the upper keys makes them and they fit the blade perfect. We have an 1890 and 2 280 xp's which have different knives. The boxes are trick, beautiful, we give him the wood and he goes to town. The little boxes make it easier to transport the knives to get sharpened and keeps them sharp till we are ready to use. A little added safety also I think. Put the knives in there and they are heavy but he really makes them nice, has a rope going through the top for carrying.
Frans
ArboristSite Operative
vharrison2 said:
I tip my hat to you sir!
Frans
vharrison2
Member
To the Old Fellow in the upper keys.....
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
When I was running a crew for a large company, our new mechanic opened up the newspaper wrapped blades and said "oo these look sharp!" (ala Homer Simpson, no really) then ran a finger over the edge.
From then on I started stowing them in an old tool box with bolts in thatI could secure the 2 sets it w/o any movement.
We kept 3 sets so that I would allways have on sharp one in the shop, in case the new guy rand a shovel load of rocks through.
Man, I'm glad I don't have to worry about that stuff any more!
From then on I started stowing them in an old tool box with bolts in thatI could secure the 2 sets it w/o any movement.
We kept 3 sets so that I would allways have on sharp one in the shop, in case the new guy rand a shovel load of rocks through.
Man, I'm glad I don't have to worry about that stuff any more!
Tom Dunlap
Addicted to ArboristSite
Vharrison,
How about a picture of the box?
How about a picture of the box?
vharrison2
Member
Here are some pictures
Last edited:
MasterBlaster
TreeHouse Elder
John Paul Sanborn said:
Roger that.
Cool box, Gigi!
