Double chipper failure...what are the chances!

[Bermie]

I have a fair sized job on, and I subbed out the scrub cutting and chipping to my mate who has lots of staff, trucks and a big chipper.

Well the first day, after chipping for about an hour...slam, bang rattle clank....the chipper ate both its blades (Vermeer 6" drum chipper) both destroyed, several bolts sheared off way in the socket...no injuries thank God!

So he quickly phones up another company and arranges to have their chipper, same model, and an operator on site this week to finish the chipping...one hour in, slam, bang rattle clank....the same thing happens to that one too!! The operator got struck on the arm, not badly, from a piece of the shredded blade...

I mean, what!!! I can't wait for this job to be over, I almost didn't take it, but there was some climbing which I did, and I decided to sub the rest...what a headache...

 

[pdqdl]

Did anybody check the wood for iron or rocks? I would suspect something going into the chipper that shouldn't.


Maybe a roundman might be feeding them the wrong things?

 

[Bermie]

I cut a lot of the wood myself, watched and helped stack a lot of the rest...absolutely no rocks...anyway Bda stone is a lot softer than a lot of wood! Very, very small chance of any metal, it would have wrecked the saws first.

Digression...we made building sand for our house by chucking stone chunks through an old chipper...yup, really.

 

[treemandan]

Chipper knife retaining bolts are only meant to be torqued about half a dozen times. After that all bets are off.

 

[Beast12]

Really? Why isn't that in any manual I have ever read?

-Matt

 

[tomtrees58]

Chipper knife retaining bolts are only meant to be torqued about half a dozen times. After that all bets are off.

that new on me but sounds like the bolts no Turk down tom trees

 

[treemandan]

I just flipped my anvil today and read the specs today for my Bandit, that is what I quote from it. Not only that it stands to reason that any retainer like that would be subject to a service life.

 

[TreEmergencyB]

I have a fair sized job on, and I subbed out the scrub cutting and chipping to my mate who has lots of staff, trucks and a big chipper.
Well the first day, after chipping for about an hour...slam, bang rattle clank....the chipper ate both its blades (Vermeer 6" drum chipper) both destroyed, several bolts sheared off way in the socket...no injuries thank God!

So he quickly phones up another company and arranges to have their chipper, same model, and an operator on site this week to finish the chipping...one hour in, slam, bang rattle clank....the same thing happens to that one too!! The operator got struck on the arm, not badly, from a piece of the shredded blade...

I mean, what!!! I can't wait for this job to be over, I almost didn't take it, but there was some climbing which I did, and I decided to sub the rest...what a headache...

so why didnt they bring the big chipper??

 

[outofmytree]

I have a fair sized job on, and I subbed out the scrub cutting and chipping to my mate who has lots of staff, trucks and a big chipper.
Well the first day, after chipping for about an hour...slam, bang rattle clank....the chipper ate both its blades (Vermeer 6" drum chipper) both destroyed, several bolts sheared off way in the socket...no injuries thank God!

So he quickly phones up another company and arranges to have their chipper, same model, and an operator on site this week to finish the chipping...one hour in, slam, bang rattle clank....the same thing happens to that one too!! The operator got struck on the arm, not badly, from a piece of the shredded blade...

I mean, what!!! I can't wait for this job to be over, I almost didn't take it, but there was some climbing which I did, and I decided to sub the rest...what a headache...

This is a oxymoron Bermie! Big chipper and 6" Vermeer!

Bad luck on the double break down. I would guess that the poor babies are just working too hard.

Chipper knife retaining bolts are only meant to be torqued about half a dozen times. After that all bets are off.

Amen.

Any bolt, in any high energy machine, that is repeatedly torqued down will stretch. New bolts cost a pittance compared to new knives,anvils,chutes and, God forbid, new hands.

 

[Marty B]

Nuts and Bolts

We always change nuts and bolts after one complete knife rotation . We have a 12" Woodchuck, and most of the wood we chip is 6" or less. So one complete knife rotation is (remember the knifes were torqued once on installation) swapping inside with out side knives, using same cutting surface (2nd time torqued). Next is to flip knives over to the fresh side (3rd time). Then swap inside/outside (4th time torqued). Change the nuts and bolts with the next set of knives. Equipment damage and down time are alot more expensive than a few nuts and bolts.

Bermie, I know you didn't have any control of the chipper maintenance but, two chippers in one day has to be getting near to some kind of record!!!