Metal piercing

G’day. When I began on jewellery work I used the traditional Chinese
white method to coat the job, then drew the pattern in soft pencil after
first making a template in thin card or I used carbon paper. Then I tried
using one of those very large black felt tip pens which make a line a
centimetre wide; using it to coat the job black. the pattern was marked on
the metal sheet etc using a thin transparent template, as I found I had a
better clearer line to work to. Next I fit an appropriately toothed saw
into the frame, teeth downwards, and tighten it until it gives a
reasonably high ping when plucked. For piercing, I use the smallest drill
which will take the blade, fit the blade in the bottom clamp, thread the
blade in the job, clamp and ‘tune’. But there is one difference in my saw
frame. I bought some 4mm thin walled brass tubing from a modeller’s shop
and thoroughly annealed it. I then bent it around the saw frame so one end
protruded from the lower back of the frame, and the other end bent around
at the top to point directly down on the blade. I fit a narrow RUBBER tube
(plastic is too stiff) to the other end of the brass tube, which is bound
tightly to the frame with copper wire. An El Cheepo vibro type aquarium
pump is attached to the brass tube, and when I saw, the fine metal dust is
constantly blown clear. An occasional touch with a piece of candle on the
blade and long steady strokes allow the teeth to cut and not be forced
into the cut. You might think that the saw attachment makes the thing
clumsy, but it doesn’t really. It is interesting to note that all European
saws - for wood and metal - have teeth pointing away from the user’s hand,
with the exception of coping saws and jeweller’s saws. But Japanese saws
all have teeth pointing towards the operator and cut on the pull stroke.
I know personally many really high quality NZ cabinet makers who now use
Japanese handsaws exclusively. Finally, if anyone is really intrigued with
the concept of my modified frame, but can’t understand my description, if
they like to mail me off-list I will do a scan of my funny saw and send it
to them. Cheers for now, John Burgess

John; I would like very much to “see” this concept. I get very irritated
at trying to keep my silver dust cleaned away from my saw blade. Thanks
…John Barton