What is the blade thickness of a typical guillotine?

[blackfeetmageet]

Nice! I'm going to build a larger version of that, and no wooden blade. I laughed when I saw that. No, my blade will be made out of CPM M4, maybe I'll try 3/32" thickness and harden it to hrc 62.



Right, using stainless steel would not be historically accurate.

Awesome!:thumbup:

 

[A_Blade_Afficionado]

I suggest a set of lead fishing weights to help assist in the drop force, otherwise it won't weigh enough to chop. Have fun!

 

[missin_hobo]

Right, using stainless steel would not be historically accurate.

As opposed to M4.

ROFL.

 

[viking252200]

As always Google is your friend, but here's a of link to get you started.
http://boisdejustice.com/Home/Home.html

 

[SPXTrader]

Hmmmmm...all of them are PE. Do they offer them with serrations?

 

[hwpaintballer]

Hammer, super glue, and disposable razor blade. Thats is about as effective and cheap as I can suggest.

 

[antonio_luiz]

No no that's not the idea. I want to test what kinds of edges cut better at what momentum, based on the laws of physics. I already have kitchen knives, that's not the point! I want to construct a high performance guillotine.

I admire your spirit but do you have any idea how many variables you're dealing with here? Guillotines worked because they had a very heavy blade angled at 45º and travelling at a relatively high speed. They didn't even have to be particularly sharp to do their job.

Vegetables are too inconsistent for you to get accurate data - you would have to use a homogenous material like ballistic gel. You will also get random variables from friction and binding to the guillotine sides as the blade drops.

Since you are testing push cuts only (ie blade goes up and down vertically with no sideways slicing action) a better option is to use an inverted kitchen scale with a stepper motor drive to see how much force is required for your different blade angles. That way blade weight & speed and most other variables will be eliminated - but building a scale guillotine sounds fun! Good luck

 

[Raymond1000]

For a scientific control you can also make a Halifax Gibbet. This English precursor to the French aristocrat-lopper had an axe shaped blade more or less at a right angle to the chopper’s line of descent.

It’s the angled cutting edge that distinguishes the true Guillotine.

 

[jonnyt16]

Hmmmmm...all of them are PE. Do they offer them with serrations?

Rofl. A nice TiNi finish would be great as well.

 

[Slidetechnik]

This question made me laugh. Pictures when finished?

 

[Ebbtide]

Carrots and tomatoes?!

Let them eat cake.

 

[Hateman]

Rofl. A nice TiNi finish would be great as well.

I believe that will be on the Benchmade Gold Class 1 of 240 M4 version available later this year.

 

[highvoltage]

Carrots and tomatoes?!

Let them eat cake.

carrot cake?

 

[Tony8179]

You're going to need some serious weight added to the top of the blade to cut through your chosen test subjects. The blade angle is quite important as well. Old world guillotines never had a sharp edge but the weight was enough that a very dull bevel would shear a head clean off. I'd love to see this in action once you're done though.

Check out these two clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r17jVg8Li7w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiNPHIx34L8

And my personal favorite... Just watch until the end because it's great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXnL4XE_GB8&feature=related

 

[J.Mattson]

Right, using stainless steel would not be historically accurate.

I think historical accuracy went out the window when you started talking about vegetables

 

[din]

they used the same bevel that can be found on the modern smatchet.

 

[Inoxophile]

I've used a rat guillotine that worked well. It used two opposing blades with the lower blade having a V shape and the upper blade having an inverted V shape. The upper blade's movement was controlled by a handle and provided a fair amount of leverage. Very effective, if somewhat messy. You hold the animal in position with one hand and operate the lever with your other hand. You have to be quick because when you put their neck on the lower blade, they seem to sense that something is not right and start squirming quite a bit. The real trick is being fast on the lever while keeping your fingers out of the way of the blades. Would work well for slicing carrots, but tomatoes would be difficult.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Historical note: Guillotines were originally invented for the comparatively rapid slaughter of sheep.

 

[cotdt]

I've used a rat guillotine that worked well. It used two opposing blades with the lower blade having a V shape and the upper blade having an inverted V shape. The upper blade's movement was controlled by a handle and provided a fair amount of leverage. Very effective, if somewhat messy. You hold the animal in position with one hand and operate the lever with your other hand. You have to be quick because when you put their neck on the lower blade, they seem to sense that something is not right and start squirming quite a bit. The real trick is being fast on the lever while keeping your fingers out of the way of the blades. Would work well for slicing carrots, but tomatoes would be difficult.

Nice.

 

[Wtfyuhax]

I've used a rat guillotine that worked well. It used two opposing blades with the lower blade having a V shape and the upper blade having an inverted V shape. The upper blade's movement was controlled by a handle and provided a fair amount of leverage. Very effective, if somewhat messy. You hold the animal in position with one hand and operate the lever with your other hand. You have to be quick because when you put their neck on the lower blade, they seem to sense that something is not right and start squirming quite a bit. The real trick is being fast on the lever while keeping your fingers out of the way of the blades. Would work well for slicing carrots, but tomatoes would be difficult.

I don't think he has to worry about carrots squirming around because they sense death approaching... they're just a tuber.