Cutting nail nick with slitting saw

J

John L

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Oct 28, 2004
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I am at a loss. I have used sevferal saws and ruined them. I am attempting to cut a nail nick with a 1/16", 3" diameter slitting saw...HSS. AM cutting annealed D2. I dull the saw immediately. What RPM should I be using? ANy recommendations? Thanks
 
I've never done it before but if I we're to do it I'd use a 1/16th cut off grinding disk instead. They can be purchased at most any Welding Supply/Tool Shop


sjdiscounttools_2013_374457710
 
From a very low tech perspective, I would also consider a cut off wheel, maybe even a dremel set up in a vice with the blade also clamped in place. I've used this very southern engineered setup to cut grooves in the spine of blades for thumb traction. Not ideal by any means, but it has worked.

--nathan
 
What tool are you using? A slitting saw can't be used in any kind of free-hand tool.
 
If you have a cross-slide vice you can chuck a cut-off wheel in the drill press and cut the nick with the blade in the vice. Otherwise I think you'd just have to take it slow by hand with the dremel or fashion something like was mentioned above. A cross-slide vise is worth every dollar anyhow, though, so I'd just buy one if you don't have one already.
 
I put a dremel cutoff wheel in my drill press or mill and set the height above the table that I desire. Then I carefully slide the knife into the wheel, letting the spine of the blade slide on the work surface. Works for me.
 
You can also use a small boring bar for a lathe that holds a single point high speed tool bit and grind the angle you want (60 degree reverse dovetail ?). Cut the bar to a length of 2" or 3". Chuck this in either your mill or drill press and slowly plunge the cut using a little cutting oil. Works great and you have the freedom of changing the length of the nick by changing the length of the pc. of high speed creating a differant cutter radius. Don't run the cutter to fast, 60-80 rpm is lots. Paul
 
Waaaay back when I made folders, I used a swedge.....

before the blade was cut/ground from the bar stock.
 
AcridSaint said:
If you have a cross-slide vice you can chuck a cut-off wheel in the drill press and cut the nick with the blade in the vice. Otherwise I think you'd just have to take it slow by hand with the dremel or fashion something like was mentioned above. A cross-slide vise is worth every dollar anyhow, though, so I'd just buy one if you don't have one already.
Click to expand...

Hey, thanks for the tip, thats a jewel there.
 
60 and 45 degree dovetail cutters are my favorites. Depends on the size of the blade which one gets used.
 
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