Pancho07 Posted March 10, 2017 Posted March 10, 2017 As those who have read my wild fire thread in the prayer list know we lost all of our grass and will be feeding a lot of hay bales over the coming weeks. This first semi load that we got all have net wrap instead of twine. For those of you who don't know it's ... a net, similar to an orange or halo/cuties bag only bigger and thinner plastic. It cuts or tears fairly easily but the bale will kill a knife edge fairly quickly and tearing just turns into a mess. Does anyone know of a design that would make these things easier to cut without having to sharpen a knife everyday? Quote
Glenn Posted March 10, 2017 Posted March 10, 2017 Can you build a frame holding a mowing sickle bar, teeth up, and the length of the bale. While the bale is in the air, slide the bale across the sickle bar and the teeth could both cut and or tear the wrap. Once the wrap has been cut, lay the bale down and pull off the wrap. YMMV. Quote
Pancho07 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Posted March 10, 2017 I think we may have something similar to what your thinking only smaller. Dad got the idea for basically a hatchet using a sickle blade and old hammer handle. It didn't work very well with our twine wrapped bales but may work here, we forgot it at the shop when we were distributing today. I'm not discounting it yet but I want a back up plan. We have a couple of these laying around that work great for cutting ear tags out and thought of them but I'm afraid they may bend and break if they get caught in straw. We may just be limited to sharpening often and carrying more than one knife. Quote
Glenn Posted March 10, 2017 Posted March 10, 2017 What I had in mind was basically a huge hacksaw blade, several feet long, mounted teeth up, _/\_/\_/\_/\_. Have the sickle bar and teeth on a frame and off the ground. If you have the bale on the end of a loader, use the loader to move forward and slide the bale along the blade, cutting and or tearing the wrap with each tooth. Place the bale on the ground and remove the wrap by hand or with the aid of the loader. The frame and bar support would have to be built heavy enough to support the sickle bar, and the assembly may need to be anchored so it does not skid. Another option: You may need to fabricate a sharp tooth assemble (think 45* triangle cutter) so the teeth only cut on the push stroke. ---> __/|___/|___/|___/|__ Another option would be just a horizontal blade to slide the bale across. Maybe a scraper blade. Quote
Alan Evans Posted March 10, 2017 Posted March 10, 2017 A concave blade with a ball point like a tripe knife cutting outwards? The "unzip" gralloching knife used by deer stalkers or the larger butchers' tripe knife cut from the inside out and avoid having to cut through the contents. Alan ps You can use the inside/outward cutting technique with any blade shape, but a concave one makes it easier to make a continuous cut and keep your hand clear of the packaging and contents...hay being so abrasive can skin your knuckles...I have used the technique with some success on Haylage bales...they only have had the multi layer plastic wrap rather than your net, and on other shrink-wrapped pallet loads. Alan Quote
Pancho07 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Posted March 10, 2017 Glenn, I see what your saying now, it's a possibility. Alan, that is a good idea too. Thanks Quote
SLAG Posted March 10, 2017 Posted March 10, 2017 Señor Pancho, I suggest that you look into a sharpening tool that shoe makers use. It is a long narrow sharpening stone about 12 or 14 inches long. About 1¾ inches wide.. And it has a handle that is cylinder-like and is about 1¾ inches long. I got one of these beauties at a shoemakers supply store. (yes I am cheap enough to repair my own shoe repairs. I do a much better job too & have done so for years.) You carry the sharpening tool with you, and give the blade several swipes with the stone to sharpen it up in the field. If there is no shoe maker supply store near you, do a net search of sharpening manufacturers, like Norton Corp or perhaps King inc. Hang in there Bunkie, the grass should be starting to grow back about now. Sincerely, SLAG. ( L.L.P.) Quote
ThomasPowers Posted March 10, 2017 Posted March 10, 2017 My first thought was a gut hook too, second would be using one of the extremely hard bladed knifes that require sharpening with a diamond hone as they would resist abrasion a lot longer---Buck knives used to be like that; I don't have any modern experience with them... If I was making my own I would use one of the high alloy steels designed for lots of carbides; or if all I had to hand was plain carbon steels dow a differential quench/differential temper to leave a very hard edge but with the mass of the blade soft to prevent breaking. Quote
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted March 10, 2017 Posted March 10, 2017 18V 4.5" grinder with an abrasive cutting disc in it? Quote
arkie Posted March 11, 2017 Posted March 11, 2017 KISS!!! Why not just keep it simple....a folding knife and a pocket whetstone. Any of the fancy stuff is gonna have to be sharpened sooner or later anyway!! 7 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: 18V 4.5" grinder with an abrasive cutting disc in it? I can just see all that bale wrapping getting tangled in that grinder at 10,000 to 12,000 RPM and jerking it out of your hand and who knows what else???? Trip to the ER from out in the pasture! Quote
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted March 11, 2017 Posted March 11, 2017 Wraps are usually under tension so they would tend to pull away after being sliced. Quote
Frosty Posted March 12, 2017 Posted March 12, 2017 How is the wrap closed? If it's laced closed cut the lace. If it's a bag with a draw string cut the string. A cordless soldering bun with a flat tip like you use to smooth plastic will go through plastic net like it's not there and NO it doesn't need to be hot enough to be a fire hazard, 300f is plenty. Keep a little piece of wax in your pocket and touch the tip to it now and then. When you can smell wax smoke release the trigger. Utility knives and packs of blades are cheap. Frosty The Lucky. Quote
Alan Evans Posted March 12, 2017 Posted March 12, 2017 I was just looking up a tool shop catalogue for some Carver Clamps for another thread and found this...Reminded me of Frosty's suggestion....Presumably a clip on lead to the tractor battery would be possible... Alan http://www.axminster.co.uk/proxxon-thermocut-12-e-hot-wire-cutting-device-12v-dc-211076 Quote
WoodnMetalGuy Posted March 13, 2017 Posted March 13, 2017 On 3/11/2017 at 7:10 PM, Frosty said: How is the wrap closed? If it's laced closed cut the lace. If it's a bag with a draw string cut the string. The ones used around here are a continuous wrap, maybe 3 or 4 times around the bale, and not tied or laced. So a knife would need to cut through several layers of net. -- Dave Quote
JHCC Posted March 13, 2017 Posted March 13, 2017 6 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: The answer is simple----Katana! Tameshigiri on steroids. Quote
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2017 Posted March 13, 2017 Cue the shade of John Belushi: Samurai Rancher! Quote
Ranchmanben Posted March 14, 2017 Posted March 14, 2017 Howdy Pancho, I'm really sorry to here about the loss of grass. I hope all your livestock survived. I put out round bales daily and have quit using a regular knife because I got tired of sharpening. The folding utility knives might not be the most glamorous but they're the best tool for the job. Hope y'all get some rain soon. Quote
Frosty Posted March 14, 2017 Posted March 14, 2017 On 3/12/2017 at 3:57 PM, Alan Evans said: I was just looking up a tool shop catalogue for some Carver Clamps for another thread and found this...Reminded me of Frosty's suggestion....Presumably a clip on lead to the tractor battery would be possible... Alan http://www.axminster.co.uk/proxxon-thermocut-12-e-hot-wire-cutting-device-12v-dc-211076 And there one is! I didn't think of an inverter and soldering gun till later and didn't think of a 12v version at all. I'm just so out of the loop. <sigh> Frosty The Lucky. Quote
Pancho07 Posted March 14, 2017 Author Posted March 14, 2017 Thanks for all the replies, dad says he doesn't mind the sharpening or changing utility knife blades so I say good on him. Quote
John in Oly, WA Posted March 14, 2017 Posted March 14, 2017 Then there's these Milwaukee hook utility knife blades - pack of 100 for about $10-$11 on eBay. Quote
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