Jeweler's saw woes under the microscope

[pilkguns]

Is there any good way to use a jewelers saw under a scope? Any design beyond the traditional one that is easier to use?

I'm doing some really fine sawing under the scope and there has to be a better way. Even cutting out the outline with graver before hand is still a pain

 

[Sam]

I've done quite a bit of sawing under the scope, Scott. It's kind of awkward, but once you get everything angled right it's quite good. One thing I do is attach a piece of really thin air hose to the auxiliary air port on the Gravermach and the other is attached to my saw blade with a bread tie. This serves as a chip blower and makes it really easy to do accurate sawing. For best performance I slice half way through about 3/4" of the end of the hose (lengthwise) and wrap it around the blade so the blade is coming from inside the hose. This really blows the dust away as you cut. I'm sure the jewelers are getting a good laugh from this silly setup, but it really does work! / ~Sam

 

[Bill Tokyo]

Electric jewelers saw

Here's a question for you all: I recently ended up being given a electic jewelers saw. It looks like a electric jig
like you do fret work with, but it takes jeweler's saw blade and the construction is much, much more sturdy.
Blades can also be quick changed, and although I haven't fired it up, it seems to be built so that the
blade moves perfectly up and down in a straight line. All told its a very professional looking machine,
but I've never heard of one or ever heard of one being used.

Without saying that it is something capable of being used under a microscope, it strikes me that
ones hands would be free of driving the saw and would only be necessary for guiding the metal.

Any comments on these?

Bill

 

[pilkguns]

Sam, I have thought about doing the air hose thing, that would help for sure.

Bill, I have been thinking the last few days that something like that might be the berries, wish I had one here to try it out, it would be great to feed the gold in as you wanted with a set of hemostats. Where does one get such? hmmmm where is my Swest catalogs

 

[Brian Hochstrat]

Scott, I am not sure if this is any better than what you already use. Simply slide the turntable out and slide the bench pin in. I also use the aux air to blow away dust, it is taped to the lamp, pretty hi-tech. The pipes have a bolt lock like on goose neck trailer hitches and the pipe bolts to the floor. Its a different approach anyway. Brian
ps It would have been false advertisement to clean off my bench, it usually looks like that

 

[Mike Cirelli]

You can affix a tassel type thing or brush bristles you can use your imagination, at the front of the saw. This way when you come down on your stoke once and a while you draw it way down to hit the bristles. This will clean the cuttings away somewhat.

 

[rhenrichs]

Off the subject - looks like you have a lot of clearance between the scope and vise. Are you using a .3 barlow lense?

Roger

 

[Raul Hinz]

Scott if the problem is the clearance from the scope to the work,
a all friend told me to cut the blade in half and to use #7 which is a finer cut
Raul

 

[lesholmes]

Scott and Sam,

I don't understand the need to blow away chips. The conventional way to use a jewelers saw is to put the blade in the frame so that you cut on the down stroke. That gives the best control and ensures that the sawdust falls down into your catch pan.The blade should not touch the metal on the upstroke because it will not cut in that direction but may dull from being dragged backwards.

Does this comment help, or did I misunderstand something?

Lester

 

[SharpGraver]

I've seen some pretty weird stuff in my time but attaching a hose to a saw with a bread tie has got to be right up there in the top three. You wouldn't have a picture of this setup would you? The visual that I'm getting has brought tears to my eyes

 

[pilkguns]

Thanks for the input guys, I am still struggling through cutting pieces of green and pink gold

Les,

yes, I am cuttin the right way, but when cutting out an object roughly a 1/4 inch in size, that is supported by a peice of wood since the gold is appromately .011-.015, you do get plenty of chips that obscure the fine lines you are trying to trace.

Raul,
I normally break my blades in half, one, to get better movement under the scope, and two, they are going to break anyway, so I might as well start with them broke in the most economical place. ;^)
I don't know about a #7. The finest blades I have are 4/0. Is there something finer out there? I would love to have it if there is.

AtDhVaAnNkCsE
Scott

 

[pkasnes]

Don`t know the shop, but you find sawblades here at least. 8/0 is the finest/thinest.

http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/CTGY/jeweler-saw

 

[Haraga.com]

You will need 8/0 blades and buy the best ones available. If they cost 3 times as much as the others they will be worth it.

 

[SharpGraver]

Scott any of the jeweler supply companies have 8/0 sawblades. i.e. Stuller, Gesswein, Rio Grande

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Ok Here you go Scott. Jett sett or thermo lock on the end with a camel hair brush. Works fine. I use this when cutting platinum, palladium or when needed. Use a full blade though you will feel less confinded, just don't tighten it to tight.

 

[jimzim75]

Hi all,
Sam was wondering if the Jewellers were chuckling. Well no, we take sawing thing out
fairly seriously, since we seem to have to do it a lot. A novel way of making the job go
easier is paid attention to. I started by using one of the newer style jig saws to make
long curved cuts less a pain to have to do. With new style saw holders and variable speed
control with a better tension setting device. It has speeded up the process. Not to mention
the cuts are at 90° or what ever you want to set them at.

Still for fine work just cutting the sheet with a steady hand and optivisor, is what I do.
Using bur life or any stick lubricate is good in small amounts. Finishing with fine files and
gravers.

Really for fine cuts though, doing a wax is better and then casting. Healing a mistake is
a lot easier in wax than metal. Not to mention the cut that can be made with a knife
making a sharp corner that can come to a 5° or less angle. The only draw back is the
metal is mushy and need to be burnished.

If your trying to inlay 24k, casting isn't really something that you want to do. It could be interesting
for everything else.

 

[Karl Stubenvoll]

Thanks for the input guys, I am still struggling through cutting pieces of green and pink gold

Les,

yes, I am cuttin the right way, but when cutting out an object roughly a 1/4 inch in size, that is supported by a peice of wood since the gold is appromately .011-.015, you do get plenty of chips that obscure the fine lines you are trying to trace.

Scott

You might try epoxy or superglue to attach the thin gold to a heavier piece of brass sheet for support. Sawing will be much easier since the gold won't have a chance to bend. A little heat (epoxy) or a soak in acetone (superglue) will release the pieces after cutting.

 

[Dave London]

Scott
I like Karls idea so far, another way may be to place the gold on a hard wood block and use super sharp wood chisles to cut the metal instead of sawing. Yes they make tools that small

 

[pilkguns]

Dave,
I typically used small dental burrs set in squarestock, ala like the John Barraclough gravers, like mini wood chisels to cut out 24k gold sheet. You can't use those effectively though with the harder green and pink golds thus I am having to use the jewelers saw to get the preciseness I want.

Karl, these sheets are thick enough, I have a layer of copper silver soldered to the pink gold, to make it inlayable. But i like this idea, I may try it on something else.

 

[Marrinan]

Scott,
I got some 16 gauge copper cut 2" sq and contact cement (glue of choice) my rough cut gold in the center. I can then drill for saw blade close to the gold and have a piece I can hold onto. Give it a try-works well for filigree on small things, drilling etc. as well. Got to be big enough to hold if you want to do decent work.Fred