The sharpness you need in your mixer blade will tend to affect how efficiently your mixer operates. The duller your blade, the more time it will tend to take to pulp everything up. It also may take more power.
Of course... with a tow mixer, you have 100hp or more in your car engine, so you have lots of extra muscle to spare.
If someone is trying to power their mixer with a smaller engine, or perhaps from an electric motor, the effects of a dull blade can become a lot more noticable.
I notice this the most when doing buckets. If I have a thick mix and a full bucket... I will usually double check my blade to see that it's nice and sharp. If it's a thin mix and a half bucket... it won't matter how dull my blade is.
(I sharpen the blade but dull the corners... I don't want to repeat the close call I had 2 years ago...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/papercreters/message/1509 )
The closer you are to the limits of your power source, the more important blade sharpening tends to become.
I like Spaceman's idea of examining the fibers under a microscope to compare sharp blade vs dull blade to see what the differences might be, if any. I wish I had a nice scope. Too many other tools/toys are a higher priority right now.
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, JUDITH WILLIAMS <williams_judith@...> wrote:
>
>
> Just a quick question, something fundamental that I should already know.
>
> How important is it to keep the mixer blade sharp? I know some use a metal fence stake and in that case I guess it isn't very sharp. It just mushes the paper up but doesn't necessarily cut it. Am I right?
>
> Sincerely, Judith
>
> Check out my new Squidoo Lens at http://www.squidoo.com/papercretebyjudith
>
>
>
>
> EMAILING FOR THE GREATER GOOD
> Join me
>
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