Jewelers saw blades---Wondering.

[Mark Herman]

Another tool with some hidden dangers. Seems like a simple easy to use item until you exert a little to much pressure. A blade broke and went through my grandson's thumb. Pretty sharp little buggers.

 

[BadDaditood]

Wish I could get my grandson to do the hazardous tasks!

 

[Mark Herman]

These are some of the things my grandson does. These were early on.

 

[Brokennock]

These are some of the things my grandson does. These were early on.View attachment 89664View attachment 89665View attachment 89666View attachment 89667

Wow!
Love the 1st one.

 

[Mark Herman]

He is self taught and does all the windings and settings by hand. As nice as these are they pale by what he does now. He now works for a major jewellery chain and does these on his own time.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Mark, your grandson sure has talent!
I have several jewelers saws, and buy blades by the gross once a year. I get them from Rio Grande jewelry supply.
Although I have a few #8 (largest) blades, and a few #0-5 (smallest), I generally stick with a #0-2 for fine stuff, and #3 for thicker material.
ALWAYS install the blade so as to cut on the "pull" stroke. This lets you have more control of where you are going with the saw. And tighten it as said above, get that little musical note. And after a bit of sawing, tighten it again, as the blade will "stretch" just a bit.
For most work I use my 5" Knew Concept sawframe. This allows you to tighten the blade a bit while it is still in the work, a big benefit when cutting inside a perimeter. The 5" part, by the way, is the clearance between the blade and the back of the saw frame. They come from 3" to, I believe, 8" for the throat depth. All the blades are 5.5" in length.
Cut into a block of beeswax or "Bur Life" from Rio, this will lube the blade for you. The Bur Life is a great lube for drill bits also.

 

[Vaino]

M y first experience w/ a jeweler's saw was when I started my tool and diemaker apprenticeship and soon wondered why these saws weren't used more often. The reason was that they were too time consuming w/ replacing all the broken blades and the slow going to avoid blade breakage. As a toolmaker, each job I built had estimated hours to complete and the jeweler's saw when used, took too much time.

So when I started building LRs, the only time I used a jeweler's saw was for piercings in the sheet brass used for Pboxes. For other work that a jeweler's saw could be used, I opted for a hacksaw and rasps and files....much faster. The only area on the Pbox shown below where a jeweler's saw was used, was for the piercing.....Fred

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

I admire the way we do things in our hobby - many paths to the same end.
I believe that if we are comfortable doing things a certain way, then we stick to that road. All the while aware that other people are each doing things their way, and happy with that.

 

[JCKelly]

"German Style" means t was made in China or Pakistan. Best thing to do is immediately drop it in the trash. Asian tools are nothing but pain (except Japanese - different culture).
Forget Amazon.com
Get your jewelers saw made - MADE, not "designed" in Germany or Switzerland.
Now, it only cuts one way, insert the blade so it cuts when pulled on. Then please don't cut with it by pushing and pulling. When a blade breaks pay attention to what it was you did, to break it.
I used mine to cut out patch-box designs taken from original guns. I also made a few miniatures.

Pistol made for Dad in his last year of life,

Rifle below is a !/3 scale Frederick Sell, copied from a full-scale original, page 75 in The Kentucky Rifle . . . a True American Heritage in Pictures, KRA 1967.

Yes, I did use a jeweller's saw a bit. Replaced the odd blade now & again.

 

[Crow Choker]

All good info posted. Learned alot just with what posts were added. Very informative post 'Wildcat'. JC Kelly as you posted ref the German Style--I suspected as you posted it is a con game with words as I've read reviews of disappointed buyers on Amazon of receiving a tool and it was poor quality look-a-like of a better tool. In fact I myself got suckered on a buy off Amazon. Anyone know if Track/Wolf's offering is the real deal or cheap version made wherever? Did check out Rio Grande Jewelers Supply site---have to check it out fully later. Think I'll pay a visit to a nearby Jewelry store where I've done alot of business ($$$$) over the years and t/w the owner, friendly guy, get some insight from him.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Crow Choker, my old HS friend took up jewelry making as his career; most of what I learned about saws, soldering, etc., from helping out in his goldsmith business.
You gotta watch those guys tho: I was repairing a music box once, working through a 1/2" hole in the base with a pair of bent-neck pliers. Couldn't quite reach a part inside, told Bobby that I needed "more degrees" in those 90* pliers. He told me to wait a minute. My back was to him as I worked at "my bench".
A minute later, he said, "Here ya go", and I reached over my shoulder, my eyes still on the little part I was trying to fix.
I can still feel my fingers touch those pliers, which, indeed, had "more degrees". He had used his torch to bring them to about 500*!
So be careful what you ask of your friend...

 

[Celticstoneman]

I made this patchbox design on graph paper, glued the paper to sheet brass and cut it out with a jewelers saw.

View attachment 89391

Fine work there !

 

[Crow Choker]

As of the time of this posting (09/01 1354 hrs), Brownells has a German made Jewelers Saw on sale for $16 ($39 reg), plus saw blades also on sale. Saw this several days ago, received today.

 

[SDSmlf]

As of the time of this posting (09/01 1354 hrs), Brownells has a German made Jewelers Saw on sale for $16 ($39 reg), plus saw blades also on sale. Saw this several days ago, received today.

Looks similar to, if not the same saw TOW offers. Jeweler's Saw, Blades & Instruction Book - Track of the Wolf

As far as blades, 100% agree with @JCKelly about avoiding the Swiss style ones from Amazon sourced from unknown origins. As an FYI, TOW blades are labeled as made in Germany. A Swiss made brand that seems to work very well is ‘ Super Pike’.