Helen, when you post to your blog would you send me your link? I
would love to see what you made. From your description, sounds like
it was fun too. I love Argentium, and just wish I could find a
source for 2mm snake chains made from it. The sterling ones seem to
tarnish so easily.
Michele
MikiCat Designs
Hi Michele,
Helen, when you post to your blog would you send me your link? I would love to see what you made.
I’ll do my best to remember to do so. I’ve got two family weddings
at the weekend (one on Friday and the other on Saturday) and I’m up
to my eyeballs in preparations, so it will be a few days until I post
about it, but after they’re out of the way, and as soon as I’ve
persuaded hubby to take some photos, I’ll blog.
Thanks for your interest.
Helen
UK
...the cutting wheel saws into the steel mandrel...
The steel mandrel should be removed from the coiled wire before
cutting. One brand of the jump ring making tools recommends replacing
the steel mandrel with a wooden mandrel before sawing, but no mandrel
is needed when cutting with the Koil Kutter.
Maybe the Koil Kutter has a way to adjust for depth of cut, but the tool I bought does not, so for some diameter mandrels the cutting wheel saws into the steel mandrel.
I always remove the mandrel before cutting. I cut from 22 gauge to
12 gauge, and sizes from 2mm to over 1.25 inches with no problem. You
cannot beat a Koil Kutter.
Cheers.
John Fetvedt
Neil, make sure you have the cutter assembled in the correct direct.
I had the same trouble, my husband came into my shop, looked at the
system, turned the cutter around and it now works great. So, there is
a correct direction and a wrong direction of cutting.
Veva
That surprises me. Perhaps that brand is better
Yes, the brand matters! They are NOT all alike!! Dave does a great
job with his Koil Kutter, and it is designed so that the blade is at
the right height for his mandrels. I have John Fetvedt’s mandrels,
and they work too. I only had trouble with it bogging down when I did
not set my Dremel speed correctly. It needs to be at the highest
speed, and your motor needs to be strong enough. They are not all
created equal. Dave also sells the machine (not a Dremel, another
brand) if you want to buy that from him also to be sure you have
enough motor power.
Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio
Not sure yet how long it lasts, I’m sure that depends on usage…
Dave could probably give you some guidelines. He sells the
replacement blades also.
Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio
So, there is a correct direction and a wrong direction of cutting.
Yes, most cutters cut only from right to left.
Cheers.
John Fetvedt
Hi Neil -
No matter how well lubricated with Bur Life and no matter the speed I use, the cutting wheel bogs down and grabs the heck out of the wire, chewing the wire up and making a real mess.
The reason for the mess is that the coils fall down and get tangled
up with the cutting blade. To avoid the mess with the Koil Kutter or
any of the others, simply insert a wooden dowel inside the coil. Then
clamp down the cutting slot. The cut coils stay upright and you have
perfect cuts each time.
When I couldn’t find a dowel that fit well, I wrapped a bit of
masking tape around the dowel to make it a bit larger. Sometimes I
use some of my stash of chopsticks. Any round thing that won’t bother
the cutting blade will work. For tiny ones, use roundish toothpics.
What I haven’t tried but will probably work as well is to wrap the
outside of the coil with masking tape. That would keep coils from
falling as well.
Judy Hoch
...the cutting wheel saws into the steel mandrel...
The steel mandrel should be removed from the coiled wire before
cutting.
That wouldn’t work on the model I have. The coil holder has such a
wide and deep half-round channel that without the mandrel the coil
would not stay in line.
One brand of the jump ring making tools recommends replacing the
steel mandrel with a wooden mandrel before sawing
No doubt the model I have, with that advice added after I got mine.
Wooden mandrels will only work if you can get them in the thickness
you need. The holder I have is badly designed and there is no way
around that. The best thing about the model I have is that there are
almost 2 dozen mandrels in half-millimeter increments, which is very
nice.
I received an offline email with a link to some good pictures of a
Koil Kutter and I can see how the coil would be held in place without
the mandrel. When I get back to making chain I will look into getting
one.
Thanks to all,
Neil A.
Hi Neil,
No matter how well lubricated with Bur Life and no matter the speed I use, the cutting wheel bogs down and grabs the heck out of the wire, chewing the wire up and making a real mess.
Another good lubricant for cutting coils is liquid dish washing
detergent. Put a little on your fingertip before putting the top on
the coil holder. Then rub it down the top of the coil.
The nice thing about detergent is that it doesn’t interfere with
soldering or fusing. Also, it’s available in most households.
Dave
You keep referencing the of “the” or “this” jump ring maker you have,
but you never say what model it is. If you can share that info,
others may be able to offer suggestions that are pertinent to the
actual jump ring maker you do have.
Just a thought.
Debbie
The reason for the mess is that the coils fall down and get tangled up with the cutting blade.
I’ve never had any trouble with the coil falling down when using the
Koil Kutter as long as I make sure the coil is slide all the way to
the right against the coil stop on the underside of the cover plate.
Cheers.
John Fetvedt
It seems I have to take this back:
No matter how well lubricated with Bur Life and no matter the speed I use, the cutting wheel bogs down and grabs the heck out of the wire, chewing the wire up and making a real mess.
I received kind help from a few people. Either I did not read
directions properly, or they were not well-written, or I did not
stop to think that being left-handed might reverse things, but the
above-stated problem turns out to be on me.
My saw wheel was cutting upward as I was moving the cutter away from
me and into the coil. Since the wire is well-supported against the
lid of the coil holder, that makes sense to me. However it seems to
me, that did not work, with the above-stated outcome. I was told that
the saw teeth in fact need to be cutting downward into the center of
the coil of wire.
Today I reversed the orientation of the saw wheel and reversed the
rotation direction of my flex-shaft (Foredom SR) so the saw teeth
would cut down as I pushed the cutter away from me and into the coil.
Wow! What a difference. Actually, it went from one extreme to
another. Instead of not being able to cut into the coil, once the
teeth touched the wire the cutter was pulled sharply and rapidly
forward.
The next time I want to cut jump rings I’ll use this tool the right
way, and try a much lower speed. We’ll see how it goes. I still do
not care for the wide kerf the saw wheel cuts compared to an 8/0 saw
blade, but the trouble I experienced was on me, not the tool.
Neil A.
Not sure yet how long it lasts, I'm sure that depends on usage... Dave could probably give you some guidelines. He sells the replacement blades also.
Thanks Beth. Dave contacted me offline with all the info I needed
and I’ve saved it so that I’m ready to go when I’m in a position to
purchase.
Helen
UK
To prevent the coils from dropping and becoming tangled in each
other, could you dip the coil in paraffin wax (or beeswax), then
mount it for cutting? I’d think the wax could help hold the coils
together as well as acting as a lubricant?
What do you think?
Mike DeBurgh, GJG
Alliance, OH
Woodworkers often make their own dowels using a dowel sizing plate
that is similar to our drawplates. If you need to make wooden dowels
of a particular diameter not easily found commercially, then why not
make your own sizing plate? Drill a hole in some steel plate, shape
your wood so it is close to the diameter you want, then drive it
through. Mild steel would probably work for short term use, but if
you want it to last a long time it should be hardened tool steel.
You can see an example of plates here:
http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=DP.
Mike DeBurgh, GJG
Alliance, OH
Neil, try the liquid Bur Life when cutting. I am glad I could help
even a little bit.
Veva
An extra tip
When cutting very fine wire, especially pure silver, wrap on wooden
dowels instead of steel mandrels.
Cut the rings on the dowel. This supports them and you get a cleaner
cut with no distortion.
I've never had any trouble with the coil falling down when using the Koil Kutter as long as I make sure the coil is slide all the way to the right against the coil stop on the underside of the cover plate.
Sorry, senior moment. I meant LEFT!
Cheers.
John Fetvedt