"dave in fairfax" wrote in message
...
Alan Van Art wrote:
I'm trying to get five cuts separated by the width of the tool in about
1-1/2 inches. So far, I've only gotten 4 cuts. Should I be looking for a
parting tool that's thinner yet?

I use a hacksaw blade to make the grooves between the beads. I
tried using a beading tool, even made some thinner ones to narrow
the grooves, but a hacksaw blade seems to work best and if you buy
them by the 100 pack they're dirt cheap.
====================================
Instead of a hacksaw blade, I prefer a blade for a reciprocating saw.
They're more rigid, and the high speed steel ones can stand the high heat of
parting. I grind them in the Cris Stott style, and either use a pair of
wooden handles epoxyed onto the blade or wrap it in duct tape to give it
"grip" and to protect the hands. They're not as cheap initially as hacksaw
blades, but since they can be sharpened llike regular parting tools, they
last a long time.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX