Jewlers Saw?

N

nc_cooter

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Sep 26, 2004
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Does anyone have a source for a jewlers saw? What blades do you suggest for cutting slots in guards i.e. connecting the holes?

Any input will be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Morning, Sheffield Knife supply in Florida carries thes saws. Personaly I like the diamond blades since they can be used in any direction. Fred
 
I got mine off ebay, and it came with 144 blades in different sizes :D and i found a local source where i can get a 10 pack of blades for about $3, I didn't know about the diamond blades, how much do those usually run and where can you get them?
 
Do you have a jewellry supply house in your area or close? That's where I got mine. If you do, they should have just about every size imaginable, complete with blades. Blades, generally, are fairly inexpensive. Until you learn how to use the thing, coupled with a good clamping method, you may find yourself going thru a lot of blades - mostly from breaking :D Word of advice here - get a good saw right from the beginning - you'll snap fewer blades and it'll be easier to tension and align. If I remember correctly, I paid about $45.00 CDN for each of mine. I think they are German ones - blades are about 5 inches long. I have one with a frame that goes to about 6 inches deep and another one at about 3 inches deep.

Hope this helps - gord
 
Gordunk, I found out about breakage too !! Firmly clamped work and be patient ,let the tool do the work !..I'll have to check out the diamond blades.
 
Just curious when you say jewelers saw...are you talking about what looks like a mini 'hacksaw' or a table top mounted that looks more like a 'scroll saw' with a hand crank?

Ryan
 
the best sawframe i have used was a $12 french frame. the blade size needs to be chosen for the thickness of the material being cut also. trying to cut 1/4 inch stock with a 4/0 thin blade just won't work.

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So what size blades should i use to cut 1/8", 3/16", and 1/4" stuff? Does it make a difference if it is aluminum, brass, or mild steel that is being cut?
 
a #0 or 2 would be fine for that thickness and the material really doesn't matter. a blade lube would be wise also, try beeswax or candle wax . make a cutting pass on the wax and you will know when to relube.
 
These saws work great and can even be used on steel 3/16"-1/4" thick, you just won't go very far in that size steel with a blade before it breaks due to metal fatigue (or poor form), thankfully the blades are relatively cheap. Your sawing form is important and even more so on thicker material. I cut out a stylized wave in a tsuba I am making and the side I was watching my sawing from was absolutely perfect but because I was sloppy with my form it looked like doggie doo from the other side.
 
This is the saw I bought off eBay. It's a very nice saw, far better than any I'd used before. I'm not associated with this seller in any way, just picked the first picture I saw.

As far as blades go, the coarsest I've found is #8 and to me it's ideal for cutting from 1/8" stock and up. To judge which blade to use you only have to remember to keep at least three teeth in the stock.

Guy is right that you will break a lot of blades although this weekend I managed to slot six 3/16" guards with one blade. That is a fluke, normally I'd have used several blades. For that reason you will usually buy a gross (144) at a time.

You'll also want to use some kind of blade lube. Some people just use beeswax but there are commercial products for every purpose. ;) I get all my sawing supplies from Rio Grande. They're not the cheapest place around but they seem to be one of the best. I've had excellent service and products from them.

Now I'm going to have to research the diamond blades!

Good luck!

Dave
 
I have a new one and a couple of diamond blades for cutting stone in my shop I am going to use for some stone work.I had trouble when I ordered my saw and blades from one supplier, so now I order from Dan Lopacki, WWW.LOPACKI.COM. He knows his stuff and is a good guy with easy prices. His prices are the best I have seen for lapidary supplies.
 
nc_cooter said:
Does anyone have a source for a jewlers saw? What blades do you suggest for cutting slots in guards i.e. connecting the holes?

Any input will be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'm going to save you a little headache, Skip the jewlers saw blades. Even the largest are too fine for thick stock. They are made for thin and soft gold and silver. Brass, Nickle silver and steel used in hand guards is much harder and thicker than what jewlers cut with their saws. Go to sears and look for plain end scroll saw blades. They make a twisted blade that cuts in any direction. These are tougher and will stand up to much more work than Jewlers saw blades. Even if you don't break the jewlers blades, they will dull pretty quick cutting .250 brass or NS. Look for the saw frame on ebay. They can be had fairly cheap.
 
funny, i cut out a 6 inch full tang with a 4/0 jewelers sawblade today on 3/32nds 0-1. didn't dull the blade,the cat didn't help me so i didn't break the blade. if you can't saw thicker stock with a #2 or #4 jewelers sawblade, you aren't paying attention to the task at hand and would be dangerous with any tool.as far as dulling on 1/4 inch brass or nickle silver,it won't happen. :)
 
The blades come from #8/0 which is like a hair,to #14 which is almost too coarse to cut wood with.For guards and such #0,#1,and #2 is about right.Lube the blade,Make sure the tension is tight,and make slow even strokes.Don't "saw" back and forth.Lift the blade from the metal on the back (non cutting) stroke.BTW,The blade goes in with the teeth downward,so it cuts on the down stroke (opposite of a hacksaw).Jewelers blades from a jewelery supplier will cut any normal guard material.Hobby shop blades and scroll saw blades are often tempered for wood cutting.Brass,silver ,and nickel will all clog the saw teeth if you aren't sawing properly.They don't "dull" the blade,they fill the teeth notches.The enemy of jewelers blades is sawing too fast.The friction heat destroys the temper and the blade stops cutting of snaps.
 
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