Yes, I have had this problem too. I also sometimes have the blade
slip out of the holder screw even though I thought it was tight. I
use 4/0 blades. I will try the lighter trick. Otherwise I love the
saw.
Debby
I have put the new Frame on the sidelines…students and myself don’t
like it. We are having much more success with the old fashioned
frames! Sorry! I do agree that 2/0 could be better than the smaller
blades…I am not going to all the work of annealing the end of the
blade!
Rose Marie Christison
I typically use sizes 3/0 and 4/0 blades and experience the problems, not while piercing sheet, but while cutting rods, bars and ring shanks of sterling (typically 1.5 -2.5 mm thick).
Firstly may I suggest that when cutting metals this thick you should
use thicker sawblades, I would use size 0 or size 1 when cutting 1.5
- 2.5mm thick metals. When trying to cut thick metals such as bars
and ring shanks it is common for the piercer to apply forward
pressure on the saw blade rather than the usual downward pressure as
used when cutting sheet, using a forward pressure is sure to break
your blades regularly. As Leonid says you may be safer using a
standard steel sawframe for thicker cutting and your Knew Concept saw
frame for delicate or intricate piercings, also fit your standard
frame with a larger size saw blade when using it for those thick
bars and shank cutting jobs. Also always buy the best quality
sawblades that you can as some of the cheaper blades do not have a
correct temper and are quite brittle, I have used the Glardon
Vallorbe make of sawblades for the past 20 years and can happily
reccommend them, their temper is judged so that the ends of the blade
that fit into the frame screws are of a softer temper than the actual
cutting teeth, I know this is true as I have in the past used pliers
to twist the saw blade ends, to angle the blade in the saw frame so
that I could pierce along a sixteen inch length of sheet.
I am using my Knew Concept frames regularly now, but I have not
discarded my other standard frames, I find it a benefit to have
various saw frames, each fitted with different size sawblades to
suit differet jobs, my saw frame collection now stands at eight
frames, I do not think you can ever have too many bench tools.
Peace and good health to all.
James Miller FIPG
Blade breakage at the tips can be eliminated by adjusting the
"anvil" screw about 1/4 turn closer to the center.
When we assemble the frames and adjust the stops, we have to allow
sufficient room for a #8 blade (even though it is not commonly
used).
What is happening when a small blade is used is that the blade gets
bent slightly if the anvil is not protruding into the blade area.
My apologies for causing problems.
Lee (the saw guy)
Hi Leonid,
What makes you say that the KC saw is best with 2/0 and larger
blades?
I’ve been using mine with 8/0’s and it seems to work just fine. A
little bit better, actually, as I can dial in the tension
progressively, and it’s so light that wobbles don’t snap the blades.
A friend is using 10/0 blades in hers, but that was more of an
experiment than anything else. (Tevel (Allcraft) has 10/0 blades, or
at least he did last month.)
Curious,
Brian.
I've been using mine with 8/0's and it seems to work just fine. A little bit better, actually, as I can dial in the tension
Stiff frame is fine if you make no mistakes. A bit wobbly frame is
better, because it compensates somewhat for mistakes. The thinner the
blade, the more prone for breakage it is. That is why I recommended
annealing the end to allow room for errors.
Leonid Surpin
What is happening when a small blade is used is that the blade gets bent slightly if the anvil is not protruding into the blade area.
Oh, that makes sense. I will make this adjustment. Thanks.
I am not having the constant breakage that John was having. But then
I am using the 4/0 on 24 ga silver not thick rods. Usually the blade
breaks, if it is going to, within the first few passes of the saw.
If the blade doesn’t break, it lasts practically forever so the idea
the the blades themselves weren’t so good had merit especially since
I am using a new (for me) brand.
Really, this is a superior saw and I am very glad you made it for
us.
Debby
Whew! This reminds me of the movie “My year of living dangerously”.
The response to the saw has had me working seven days a week since
the first of the year! The explosion of activity has slowed down the
flow of instructions about how to secure and tension the blade, for
example. In the midst of all of this, I was also working with a new
website designer. One of the new sections is “questions”. Here I
specifically show images and cut-aways of the blade clamps, alignment
and more than you ever wanted to know about securing and tensioning a
blade in the saw. Please take a look and let me know is I have left
anything unanswered. knewconcepts.com
Lee (the saw guy)
My saw arrived yesterday and your answer to my “ping” question was
received today when I read your entry in the Orchid Digest. Great
timing. I kept looking at this beautiful saw and how easy it was to
put the blade in…but I couldn’t make it “ping” and now I can.
On behalf of all of us who love tools and truly appreciate minds
that innovate above and beyond…many, many thanks for working seven
days a week to make us so happy. Now take a nice vacation. You’ve
earned it.
Pat Klein
Alamo, TX on the Mexican Border, just a little bit in from the
Southernmost tip of the Continental United States and home to the
biggest herd of vacationing fleas we have had in years.
On behalf of all of us who love tools and truly appreciate minds that innovate above and beyond...many, many thanks for working seven days a week to make us so happy. Now take a nice vacation. You've earned it.
Aww, shucks…it warn’t nuthin.
Thanks for the kudos. I really appreciate it when all of the hard
work is recognized. And yes, I will be taking a nice vacation that
will time out with my 75th B’day in Wales. Of course, I will be
checking in with some of the dealers and distributors in the U.K. (a
business expense, you know). I am busily working on a Titanium
version of the saw that I hope to have available in the third
quarter.
enjoy sawing.
Perhaps if you had used a small button head screw of the exact
length for the “anvil” your customers would not have an alignment
problem.
Lee, I purchased one of your saw frames and am well pleased. What
advantage do you see in making a frame of Ti?
kpk
What advantage do you see in making a frame of Ti?
Based on my experience with bicycle frames;) : You can make it light
without compromising strength and it’ll absorb vibrations better.
Jakob
Ti is a lot stiffer than aluminum makes for even more responsiveness
to the frame.
James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
If you have followed the innovations in saws for the jewelry
industry, you might expect even more new ideas.
I think this is the ultimate saw frame - a titanium saw frame with a
lever for tensioning. The titanium is slightly heavier than the
aluminum model and a fair bit more stiff. For me anyway, the bit of
weight is useful. But what I really love is the lever to tension the
blade. When you are piercing, re-tensioning has always been a
nuisance. The earlier model had a wonderful screw to tension the
blade. With this model, you release the tension by rotating the
lever, release the saw blade, insert the saw in the new location,
reattach the saw blade and then - like magic- rotate the lever and
the blade is tensioned exactly as it was for the last saw cut and it
is really fast. Because the frame is so stiff, blades don’t break.
It comes from the MJSA award winning Lee Marshall at
www.knewconcepts.com.
Just a very happy metalsmith with a new tool! I am trying to put a
picture of this up on my website - I’ll post a link shortly.
Judy Hoch
I think this is the ultimate saw frame - a titanium saw frame with a
lever for tensioning.
Glad that you like it Judy. You have one of the prototypes that is
still under development (I’m getting very close to product release).
There is nothing on the website as yet, nothing in the store, and
almost nothing on the bench. I am leaving for Wales tomorrow for
three weeks, and all progress on them is stopped until I return.
I showed them at the COMA conference, where the response was very
good although they were not for sale.
The vacation is coming at just the right time for me, as I have been
going seven days a week since the 1st of the year with the
introduction of the Aluminum saw. Margie said that it was time for a
break, and to celebrate my 75th b’day.
Cheers to all, and thank you for all of your support.
Lee (the saw guy)
I think this is the ultimate saw frame - a titanium saw frame with a lever for tensioning.
Judy, I can’t wait! I have an early aluminum version which I love.
BUT, I still find the blade-tensioning mechanism too twitchy and
wobbly. There’s fine line between loose enough to grab the blade,
and so loose the thing falls apart. Maybe I still don’t have it set
up quite right, but I really wish this part of the system were more
solid and robust, with a reliable default position that didn’t
require so much fine tuning. This lever thing you describe sounds
better. You must have a connection, because I don’t see it on the
site. When is it coming out?
Allan
Allan-
You and I are apparently not A-List metalsmiths but more along the
lines of D-List so we just have to wait until the creator returns
from Wales. Then he’ll begin producing the titanium frames. I
already whined about this to him. Get in line and take a number. I
can’t wait.
Marly
For all of you UK readers, the Knew Concept aluminium saw frames are
now available to buy in the UK, check out Palmers Metals webpage:
http://tinyurl.com/339wg7w I am still enjoying using my light weight
red saw frames.
Peace and good health to all
James Miller FIPG
I got a new saw from Lee Marshall of Knew Concept,
http://www.knewconcepts.com/. It is Lee’s new titanium saw with
swivel blade clamps. I have been using one of Lee’s saws with the
pierced aluminum frames and loved the feel and stiffness it provided.
This new saw is even better, it has a cam release tension lever which
I am in love with. Once the tension has been set with the screw
tensioner the cam lever gives me the ability to repeat the same
tension when ever I replace the blade. It is so easy and quick. The
stiffness in this saw frame is amazing, I can’t describe how pleased
I am with this new saw. I have been using it for about 2 weeks now
and won’t use any other saw. I have not had occasion to use the
swivel feature so that long cuts, how ever long a cut, are prevented
by the saw frame, necessitating a new cut from the opposite side. I
can see how this saw will be nice for long cuts and will let you know
how it goes. I’m not affiliated with Lee or Knew Concepts, just a
happy customer. I have been buying Lee’s tools for years starting
with the Bonny Doon presses to the present titanium saw. Keep it up
Lee, I love it.
Sam Patania, Tucson