"Mike Henry" wrote in message
...
"Boris Beizer" wrote in message
hlink.net...
"Mike Henry" wrote in message
...
I'm looking for recommendations on good brands or sources for
jeweler's
saws.
Thanks for the input Boris. The problematic saw is a cheap import bought
at
NAMES a few years ago from one of the vendors there. It's at work now,
but
AIR it is made of stamped steel that is poorly chromed and I'd rather
spend
a few bucks on a quality saw than an hour or so fixing a POS.
IAC, I've looked at the Gesswein site and would appreciate a
recommendation
on the saw frames listed he
http://www.gesswein.com/catalog/cata...TOKEN=82164763
I'm inclined toward an adjustable frame and those all seem to fall in the
$10-20 range, but there's a fixed frame listed for $50. Is the extra
money
for the $50 frame justified?
You don't want a "fixed" frame for reasons I'll give below. The one I like
best is the German, "flat" sawframe, # 187-1095 for about 10$. That looks
like the closest to a traditional sawframe and happens also to be the
cheapest.
I can't understand why any one would by a so-called "fixed" saw
frame -- especially since it costs about 4 times the regular adjustable saw
frame. The "deluxe" saw frame, for $56 has several things going against it.
For one, you can't adjust the frame size. This is important when you
consider just how expensive saw blades are. It will be a very long time
(years) before you acquire enough skill with a jeweler's saw before you wear
out your blades instead of breaking them. A very long time. With blades
at about 18 to 20 cents each, the money piles up. When you're learning, it
is nice to be able to shorten the frame and put in a half length, broken
off, blade. The shorter blade is also less likely to break.
Another thing I don't like about the so-called deluxe frame is its
size. It is heavy. And the big throat doesn't balance well. The narrow,
2.5 " frame is what you will use 99% of the time -- at least I do. Once in
a rare while, I'll take out my deep (5" throat") frame. Get the smaller,
cheaper, traditional frame for 10 bucks.
Learn with thick blades. E.g., #1 or #2 -- you'll break plenty of
those and it will take a long time to work up to being able to use 5-0 or
finer blades. The most common reasons for breaking blades is that the
stroke is not perfectly vertical -- that is, you tend to twist your wrist as
you stroke. This pinches the blade between the work and snaps it off. Here
are some more lessons in jeweler's saw 101.
1. You have to use a bench-pin to hold the work. Or some other fairly
rigid method. Bench pins are the best -- we've learned that after about
1000 years.
2. Both the work and the saw must be held very firmly. That is quickly
very tiring. The secret is to hold both loosely but securely with both
hands relaxed during the up stroke and to clamp down with your work-holding
hand on the dowstroke.
3. The stroke must be absolutely in line with the sawblade. Any wrist
rotation is deadly -- until you learn how far you can really go.
4. Blade should be tight. It should give a nice, high-pitched "ping" when
you pluck it. Second most common reason for breaking blades is that they
were not put in properly. See below.
5. Lubricate the blade with beeswax. This is usually kept as a melted
about the size of a dime on the right side of the bench pin -- lubricate
every two or three dozen strokes, depending on the metal. None for wood,
hardly ever for silver, more for gold, more yet for platinum. The blades
are really not designed for steel, so expect to break and wear out lots of
them.
6. Ask the women about it -- it's like sex, long, full-length, slow strokes
are best. Beginners sound like jackrabbits with their tiny, frenetic,
little strokes. Wears the blade out at only one spot. You'll find that
the full-length stroke actually cuts faster. Once you've mastered it slow,
you will speed up and then you'll be doing full-length, fast strokes -- even
better. But it takes time.
7. Eventually you learn that the jeweler's saw is often used on its edge as
if it were a file -- cutting with the protruding kerf -- gets in tight
spaces that no file can reach.
8. You tighten the blade as follows. It takes longer to describe than to
do. Some people tighten the bottom first, some the top first. I'll
describe it using the bottom-up method because it's the way I was taught.
I don't think it makes much difference which you do. I've described as a
right-handed sawframe (the clamp screws on the right side of the frame as
you look at the blade.) I've never seen a left-handed frame. The whole
process takes less than two second.
a. Loosen both the top and bottom clamps.
b. Place the blade between the clamps. That assures that there is no
bend to it.
c. Tighten the bottom clamp and see to it that in tightening, that you
have not induced any twist -- that is the blade should still be straight.
d. Put the top of the frame against the bench pin with the blade facing
you and the handle on your chest and push in just the right amount -- about
1/8" is all you need. Holding it place, tighten the top clamp.
e. Test the tension for a nice ping.
f. One swipe through the beeswax.
g. Go.
Boris
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Boris Beizer Ph.D. Seminars and Consulting
1232 Glenbrook Road on Software Testing and
Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006 Quality Assurance
TEL: 215-572-5580
FAX: 215-886-0144
Email bsquare "at" sprintmail.com
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