Chipper Blades Are VERRY SHARP!!!

stjawa

Familiarity does breed content.

How many times have you changed your chipper blades?I know I have done it hundreds of times.You are always aware of how sharp those new or just sharpened blades are.

Well I became so familiar with the process I became negligent and should have known better.

While tightening the bolts on the blades on our bandit 150 the allen key slipped and before you know it I'm off to my doctors for six stitches in my pointer finger on my right hand.It is times like this you see the importance of first aid training.As soon as I cut my finger the boys had the first aid kit out,the wound was flushed with sterile saline solution,strapped up to stop the bleeding and off to the doc's in under minutes.

Well guys how do you change your blades and remove the risk or hazard of the razor sharp blades?

Don't rely on gloves. I was wearing a pair all be it lightweight leather.


Steve (stjawa)

Treeson

Hope it heals up nicely! those new knives can be terrible, accidents happen when you least expect. The number of time I have wrapped my knuckles when changing knives and slipping with the wrench
I think putting a type of sheave on the knives while changing would be better then gloves as you will still have dexterity for picking up bolts etc. Just an idea?
Something like what comes with your new silky handsaws or even just a strip of garden hose cut down the length.

Brodie

I've never thought to use garden hose to cover the blades sounds like a pretty good idea, I'll give that ago this week when I change the blades.

It does sound like a problem that happens quite frequently and having done a few changes myself can see how these accidents can happen seems odd the manufactures have not tried to address this in some way, having said that I realise they cant address every issue just would not be possible and lets face it most of us would either loose guards or throw them away if they gave them to us.

It's always good to share good ideas to help us all stay safe.

Apocalypsse

Weve got one of those T bar shaped allen keys not the normal L shaped ones. Saves us from hitting our hands on things. But remember to change the actual nuts and bolts occasionally as well. We had to change knives on a job in the middle of nowhere pretty much and we stripped the thread off 3 bolts and had no spares the right size.

stjawa

Thank you for your help everyone.I'm going to try the plastic pipe over the blades in future and I'm off to the hardware to get a good set of t-bar allen keys.

Garry Brockley

the hose pipe is a good idea, i ihave an allen key attachment on a ratchet/ socket set makeslife sooo much easier.
I hope your hands ok soon.

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JohN Dee

I actually went to TAFE with a bloke the same age as myself... About half way through our climbing component he dropped out... He was changing the blades on a vermeer I think it was, and he had a major slip, cut his whole fore arm deep and vertically. Where he once had a functioning pointing finger he now just has a claw, lost all movement in it. Poor kid.

Anyways, we always use kevlar gloves. Boss tried palming me off with leather gloves and I was like piss off, it's not your hands, I want real protection for myself and the rest of the crew. Sleeves down too, oh and we use the knife saver ALOT.

Ideally you'd want a chain mesh glove with a latex glove over the top for grip.

I like the idea of the sheave for the knifes too...

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Jeff Darby

I remember that too John, but I couldn't recall how it ended up with that young fellow? ..with the knife saver?? is that the one like your kitchen knife edger.. what you use to keep an edge on the knife ? if so where I work they howl it down..??

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