Pneumatic Chopper

[Shayla]

Have any of you attached an air cylinder to a chopper, with controls that allow it to work without manually pressing down
on the big footrest? We join dovetail routed frames with an arbor press that works this way, via a small foot control, and
are brainstorming other ways of making things easy.

We currently use two fixed miter saws, and are thinking of adding a chopper.

 

[wpfay]

Both electric and pneumatic choppers are available from Morso.
Unless you are planning on using a lot of hardwood stems, the saws may serve you better.
A pneumatic double miter saw is going to be the most versatile with compo and solid wood.

 

[artfolio]

You could probably do that but given the time, expense and effort of rigging up a pneumatic setup it would probably be cheaper and more practical to buy a used pneumatic or electric guillotine.

 

[Larry Peterson]

I got rid of my Morso in 2008 and moved to an EMN-12. Best thing I did that year. Haven't missed the morso at all. While great on hardwood, 90% of what I used is gesso'ed and the Morso s*cks at that.

And the EMN-12 does a great job on hardwoods, even the super dense walnut from LJ that I carry so nothing lost. I wonder how the pneumatic choppers do on varying degrees of hardness. Chopping a relatively soft wood vs walnut which requires a lot more pressure. How does it gauge the pressure to use on the cut or is it bombs away regardless of hardness?

 

[David Waldmann]

I wonder how the pneumatic choppers do on varying degrees of hardness. Chopping a relatively soft wood vs walnut which requires a lot more pressure. How does it gauge the pressure to use on the cut or is it bombs away regardless of hardness?
I imagine it would be the same as the hydraulic and electric ones, i.e. "bombs away" regardless. However, I do question how exactly this would work, as the electric and hydraulic (we have had both) work at a consistent, controlled rate. When I think about air, I imagine it to be less controllable since it is compressible. That is, when you open the valve it would rush out quickly, and if you had enough pressure to cut the hardest wood, it would rush out very quickly. The electric and hydraulic ones move at the pretty much same rate whether there's wood of any sort, or nothing at all.

That said, we do have one customer who has fitted pneumatics and he said it works well. IIRC he said it was something he got from Morso, so maybe there is something more to it than just a tank and a cylinder, that controls the rate.

 

[wpfay]

I would imaging that both rate of descent and force are adjustable with pneumatics.
My V-nailer has both of those features. The primary air regulator gauge controls the clamps' and driver's overall force, and there is a second dial (with no scale, so it's a guess) that adjusts the descent speed of the primary vertical clamp.
My guess is that the cutting speed should be as fast as possible.

I tested the limits of my Jyden many years ago (younger, more foolish, and about 60 lbs. heavier) with a ~2.5" wide X 1"ish ash profile. The closest I've ever come to feel what it must be like to kick-start a Harley. I got the job done and the Jyden was no worse for wear. I promised I would never do that again.

 

[Rick Granick]

That sounds like it would be pretty hard on the blades of a chopper.
Rick

 

[Ylva]

To me it sounds like a great risk to your fingers

 

[David Waldmann]

That sounds like it would be pretty hard on the blades of a chopper.
Rick

Not really. The knives are High Speed Steel (HSS) brazed to a carbon steel backing*.

HSS has been the standard for rotating cutters for decades. While we use Tungsten Carbide Tipped (TCT) for our high-use items, everything else is HSS. The cutters spin at 6000-8000 RPM with an average tip speed of around 120 MPH depending on cutter diameter.

*I will confess that we did have a run of a few (maybe 4-6?) knives about 5 years ago where the brazing was not well done and the HSS started separating from the backer. Morso (Tech-Mark) made good on them.

 

[tedh]

I’ve been using a pneumatic Morso for 30 years. No adjustments, and it works well on hardwoods. About ten years ago I had a contract for 400 pieces, and I threw everything at it. Very fast machine. When I’m going at full speed, the compressor never stops.

Built in ‘77. Only problem is I can’t find spare parts in North America, but, seeing as how it’s so young, it won’t need spare parts, lol.

 

[David Waldmann]

When I’m going at full speed, the compressor never stops.

Clearly you need a new compressor...

 

[tedh]

Clearly you need a new compressor...

The one I use is a 2 cylinder, 220 volt, belt-driven. I think the issue is the Morso uses a tremendous amount of air. When I’m at full speed, I use my right hip to move the blade block to the next cut. Somebody removed the stops, so the hip shot runs free, meaning I can cut as fast as the block moves up and down. I’ll need a really monster compressor to keep up.