Question: For All You Brightwork Silversmiths and Jewelers

[John B.]

Hi Doc Mark,
A tip on cutting out small thin flat sheet items to be inlaid or pierced.
Stick the sheet to a wooden tongue depressor using two sided tape.
This does several things to help you as you cut through both the wood and metal.
It gives you a handle to turn the work, support for the metal while sawing and the wax on the tongue depressor gives you just the right amount of lube to help keep the blades from breaking.
Support is very important on any thin metal as any vibration tends to make the blade catch and break.
As others have said, right to left for a R-hander and easy strokes.
Let the blade do the cutting with a light stroke.
Bye the way......I know where you can borrow a tongue depressor. LOL.

Best,

 

[nhcowboy1961]

This has probably been asked a 1000 times, but, number 1001, does anyone use or has anyone tried using the powered jewelers saws, like Micro Mark has or the New Concept saw by Lee Marshall, or for that matter how about a wood scroll saw with a jewelers saw blade in it? Good thread.

Excellent question Soj, I use a scroll saw I bought at Lowe's Hardware often-but not for piercing silverwork (or copper, brass, nickel). I tried it with my jewlers blades, the same ones I use for hand piercing (Rio Grande laser gold2/0). The results sucked basically for that, it's too choppy and grabs a lot-great idea but the execution is far from satisfactory; I tried it once and won't try it again.

HOWEVER, no better tool could I have for cutting steel, I use it to cut the insides from my cart buckles in 12 gauge steel, and also cut fancy rowels with it-it's the best thing going for that bar none!!! I use the thickest Rio laser gold blades for that (#8?) and they do break after a bit but not too much to be a nuisance. It sure beats cutting steel by hand and with optivisors on the accuracy is keen. Here's some spur rowels I cut today on it, it works great for steel.
Paul
PS: I drilled the top of the hearts with two holes for those rowels and just cut with the scroll saw the V notch going down-took about one hour or less per rowel start to finish all polished and ready to insert.

 

[soj]

Jim, I appreciate what you said about cutting long straight lines with a power saw, I'll try it.

Paul, I really appreciate that response. I am going to give it a try, I hate sawing out these ranger buckle blanks out of steel with that jewelers saw. I'll bet I also try that on silver and nickel also, but probably won't have much luck like you say.

Thanks

 

[Powderhorn]

Doc;
Here is an article that will give you a bunch of tips on the idiosyncrasies of a jewelers saw. Link is http://www.jewelryartistmagazine.com/cooltools/saw-essentials.cfm