Theories and Principals Behind Adjusting the Blade Wheel
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- This is my best attempt to address a viewers comment of lack of good information regarding adjusting the blade. Not sure if I added anything but I do give my opinion and recommendations on how to adjust the blade. I have decided to break it up into two videos.
The first video will be more on basic theories and principals regarding adjusting the blade wheel. I will discuss variables that effect how the blade bits into the ice. The second video play off the first and will contain some on ice instruction along with some tips on my to set the blade. I will include a link when I go that ready.
Basically, given the overall ice thickness is where you want it, all the ice maintenance has been done, and the blade has been set properly for the ice conditions, you should not be moving the wheel very much. Perhaps one turn over the creases and your overlap points. I would only recommend to raise the blade up over trouble area if the ice is real thin. The better practice is to keep a consistent scrape across the sheet and lay more water to build ice up.
I am not sure if driving much slower will pull up more ice. I think you can lay more water than you can take up in snow (water expands when it freezes and shaved ice picks up air). So slowing down to lay more water to controlled your ice thickness more ideal than raising the blade up.
I did not address is driving too fast. Driving too fast with the blade biting into the ice you could cause the blade chatter making ripples in the ice.
I hope to spark general discussion about this topic.
Special thanks to wolvbill for bringing up this topic.
Making these videos has caused me to reflect even more on my own practices and challenged the way I think and how I do things. Trying to present good accurate information is a challenge. Editing the videos has been the greatest challenge.
Questions and comments are much appreciated.
Thank you for Watching!
Your Local Ice Man
🍺 Tip Jar: paypal.me/icer...
** DISCLAIMER** I do not represent the Sportsplex, Whatcom Sports and Recreation, nor The City of Bellingham, Bellingham Parks & Recreation, Bellingham Blazers, Bellingham United, WCAHA, WSSA, ABC, XYZ, Zamboni or anyone or anybody but myself and the United States of America! My videos are not intended for kids or the easily offended. This is just a hobby***
Thanks for the video, you have a lot of passion for the craft
We have a slot on our cut log to write in how many turns up you went before your exit. I always do three but everyone has their own. It’s all for nothing because I do a test cut mid ice before my first cut of the day. I really enjoy your videos man! Thanks for the knowledge!
I tell my guys to always be adjusting the blade. Take less snow with little kids and more when bigger kids or adults. Kinda evens out more with some less with others. Take the least amount of snow. To still make it look fresh. Sometimes that's a full load. You need to learn how to adjust properly. I can tell with the tension on the wheel and sound machines making. Different groups require deeper cuts. Public skate is the worst. You can get full load of snow. Just from power snow on the ice. I run thicker ice 1.5 to 2in. 24 to 26 degrees normal operations. 21 23 at night morning. Glycol refrigeration system. 30% relative humidity. Edge 3 days week. Blade changes once week. Cross cuts, figure 8 once a week. 2 rinks all yr.
Right on, appreciate a different perspective from another rink. Seems like pretty good rules of thumb to me.
My name is Pete and I’m from Canada Markstay-Warren Ontario I thank you for responding quickly on testing the blade on the Zamboni.
I didn’t mean testing I meant adjusting the blade yes
What’s your opinion on this............I was taught, that when you back the Zam on the ice, before you turn your water on, you put the conditioner down and start both augers, and look behind and see if you have 3 to 4 inches of space on either side of your cut. At least that way you know if you have a good start on your ice make, of course you can make adjustments during your cut, but at least you arent cutting too much and fill your bucket up after one or two laps. I’m a perfectionist and I want my ice to look damn good when I’m done.............thanks in advance for your reply, you know your stuff man!!
Yes that is a good practice. To verify the shave lines before starting the water. Ensure they run the full width of the conditioner.
We don’t do much blade changing while on the ice, at least as far as moving it while going over overlap points, we just pay attention to the snow coming out of the auger into the tank and look at the ice and maybe we will adjust it depending on that. Generally we try to do most of the adjusting blade before cuts depending on the group that’s out there and how much the ice has been used.
I manage the ice at an ODR with a roof and one wall (facing south). It’s located in Pennsylvania and we run late October through early March. I like to try and keep our ice around 17-20 degrees. Do you have any suggestion ice thickness? I try to keep it between 1.25” and 1.75’ but sometimes the corners get up to 2 or even 2.25’ before I have a chance to get out there with the edger and bring those corners down.
One thing I do to keep the level down where the Zam comes off the ice is shave it down with the edger like you do but I also keep a big blow your h right by the door that runs off a 5g propane tank and at the end of the night I just melt it down a bit and squeegee off the water. That has seemed to work well and leaves it really clean, as opposed to going at it with an ice chipper.
Took me 8 years to find out you can set the speed like that with the pedal all the way down hahah. Never went back to the old way
My last 3 blade changes I have had a high spot in the middle of the blade. Everything looks good and set properly on the wedge tool and the angle sticker but when I go out there the high spot in the middle is always there. I’ve tried bringing bringing the side flairs up and down but I can’t seem to get it perfectly flat. Do you have any advice on which direction I should go in the adjustments?
Bad sharpening
@@chrisgough4518 could be.
We send them out to get sharpened so I have no control over that
Either bad sharpening, though for the same spot to be happening on all three blades it might be scale build-up on the blade holder or even potentially damage done to the blade holder itself. If someone hit the blade or sandwich it on the concrete or hard surface it could have bent the blade holder
what do you mean "setting the clutch" on the zam so that your foot is to the floor? im super green to driving the machine (like 2 weeks)
With fuel powered machines, I will check if this applies to electric models, but first perhaps clutch was not the right word to use. It is recommended that once the throttle / RPM's are set then adjust the foward / reverse lever called the "Transmission Control Lever" so that when the foot pedal is floored it is the speed you want to drive and make ice. You do not want the transmission control lever all the way forward because then you would have to back off the foot pedal to reach the desired speed. Which is harder to maintain a consistent speed. Going into the corners you can slow down by backing off the pedal. Then pressing the pedal down again as you come out of the corner with the foot pedal all the way down for the passes up the middle. Great question as I did not explain that well. Perhaps I will do a separate video clarifying it.
@@YourLocalIceMan thanks for the reply, I've been watching all your videos and it's all been very helpful! I get what you mean I didn't know that that lever would control my speed, I'll mess around with that on my Graveyard shift tonight!
My ice is 16 degrees and used mainly for hockey. We do have public skating, and I know what you mean about them skating in circles.
With a fresh blade, I can’t set the blade using the Zamboni tool. I’ll fill my hopper about half way through a resurfacing.
Why would an unlevelled concrete floor have any affect on what you do to your blade? The ice would level itself out with hose floods. The only reason the floor would be an issue is during ice maintenance an having low spots in your ice.
If you have a high spot in your concrete at times you may have to raise your blade up. Just something to be considered. As I said if you keep on your ice maintenance it should not be an issue. I think I explain it better in the concrete elevation video. But you are right, it is nothing to worry about if your ice is think and beefy.
Fair points. Thank you.
Edit: I am guessing your are the thumbs down. Ouch