New Saw Machine

Jewelry Discussion
1

I made a saw machine

I designed and made six proto types before this one.

The semi final design uses a full sided jewellers saw frame and it has a stroke of 70 mm so it uses all of the blades teeth.

It is powered by a shaded pole fan motor, so it’s more quite than a flex shaft, except when you cutting.

About 250 strokes per minute.

Its got a magnifying glass for old fogies like myself. When you use the magnifying glass one can cut very precisely.

Also 2 saw blade holders.

A ten watt aliminium led spotlight on a goose neck.

390 mm (about 15 inches) high and 250 mm (10 inches) wide and 200 mm ( 8 inches) deep.

The best thickness of material to cut is from 0.5 mm to 3 mm mm.

Steel, gold, brass, whatever.

The hold down foot makes it that all you got to do is steer the material.

It is really easy to use and I have to replace the blades only when they get blunt, not when they break.

They do break though, and I suppose they could stick you, but hey, you buy a circular saw and that’s more dangerous.

Anyway blades from 1/0 to 8/0 work just fine.

I’ve broken plenty though, so when I ran out I bought a whole lot of different brands in small quantities so I could test them.(not mentioning brands)

The two switches on top are for stop/start and light on/off

The clear perspex circle is so it can be turned by hand, like a sewing machine.

2a.jpg500×744 198 KB

The catch tray is removable.

3a.jpg500×679 196 KB

4a.jpg500×700 219 KB

Check the sexy saw holders on the side.

5a.jpg500×717 173 KB

The Pesrpex round handle is much needed to advance it slowly, like when a blade needs changing.

IMG_4719.jpg500×555 186 KB

Early design. I played around with MANY foot designs.

IMG_4688.jpg500×650 296 KB

No 17 foot design is my favorite so far. The foot plate is easily removable so making a different design is no big deal.

7 Likes
2

You are an inspiring and creative inventor.

3

Would love one of these.

4

Hi Hans,
It is so nice to see what you have made. your a tool junkie, I think, just like me. when you have made a tool to do a specific job, that works well and looks nice, its something to look forward to using when ever you have the need for sawing.
HOWEVER!!
as usual im coming here with another view.
I need to saw as well, tho not like a jeweller tho ive some lovely
antique piercing saw frames I might use perhaps once a year.
I started out using continious band saws as made by Bexor in Switzerland. They made some blades with 32tpi by 1/16ths deep by 1/32 thick. bought by the 100ft, then I scarf joined them with silver solder to circular length.
That was prior to getting proper press tooling and screw presses.
Another blade ive here is 3/16ths deep by 1/64th thick, also with 32tpi. I use that for long cutting down the length of a 3/16th wide by 1/8in thick material prior to furtherworking. Over the past 5 weeks processed some 85 cuts of this type, so hand sawing is not on.
Also, I found a continious blade material like an o/5 piercing saw blade also from Switzerland… Never followed it up. Continious cutting is great on thicker material ie over 1.4in.
Ted.

5

Nice one Hans.

6

Now that’s slick Hans! I want one!

Dave

7

Very nice and elegant. That must have been fun to work up.

I’ve always wanted to invent a machine, like a pencil sharpener, that will file a point on wire for me so I don’t have to spend so much time getting a nice point on my brooch stems.

Any plans to work on something like that in your future? Just wondering…

2 Likes
8

@susanmaxon

I’ve always wanted to invent a machine, like a pencil sharpener, that will file a point on wire for me

Ha! Me too. If someone makes it I’ll buy one!

Neil A

9

Any goldsmith of the past would have been able to do this in a few seconds…:-)… Today you can do it even faster with an abrasive wheel on a flex shaft. Hold the wheel stationary and simply twirl the tip of the wire against it (held at the right angle, of course). No need to waste money on machines which don’t really do the job any faster or any better–better to just take the time to really learn all the traditional goldsmithing techniques… I apologize in advance for raining on the parade, but this is true of sawing as well…

Janet in Jerusalem

1 Like
10

Use a pin vise and an abrasive wheel to sharpen pins and to taper fine wire to pull it through a draw plate to make it finer…Rob

11

Love this saw. Do you sell them. If not, what would you suggest I buy that is equivalent. I need something that will cut these gentle curves on thick Gauge metal, can be used by a little old lady with a bad hand and I don’t care about the price? Got any ideas?

12

Hi Janet,
I too have used this way to point all sorts of things.
From brooch pins to 1/2in dia cold chisels. bigger I turn up on the lathe.
But I chose not to reply.
Why? because folk wont learn to improvise if someone like you whos very kind, teaches them to do stuff they should be able to work out for themselves.
Its good for folk to struggle.
Ted.
Whos a right old bastard, in our UK venacular.

1 Like
13

What thickness ?
what metal?
what curve diameter?
A constant running band saw with a very narrow blade will do that easily. down to 1/2in radius or 1in dia in metal up to 3/8th in thick. I do it here. Dont use a reciprecating saw.
Ted

14

Hans, great looking saw

If you decide to make these for sale, I want one!

If you are hot going to sell them, maybe you could sell plans on how to make one. They would not have to be working blueprints. Just sketches and pictures on how you solved some of the problems. For example, how to mount the saw frame, how to make the driving mechanism to get the long stroke, etc.

thanks, Andrew

15

vladimirfrater23h janetb
Hi Janet,
…because folk wont learn to improvise if someone like you whos very kind, teaches them to do stuff they should be able to work out for themselves.
Its good for folk to struggle.
Ted.

Problem is that nowadays people keep tempting them with all sorts of new (unnecessary) tools, gadgets, machines, ready-made jigs, etc. which they then assume they need. There is no longer the incentive to make what you need from what you have (or what is cheap and easily available). It’s a pity, because then newbie’s think you need a lot of money to tool up ‘properly’. To all of you out there starting out on a super limited budget, all I can say is–you’re lucky! Ninety per cent of the tools out there are easily replaceable with traditional goldsmiths’ skills–that is to say, with simply your hands and your eyes and your brains…

16

I chuck the pins for tie tacks and brooches in my flex shaft and point them with a file, followed by a few successive polishing sticks. I also round the ends of 10 ga wire for my cuff link bars the same way, Let the flex shaft do the work. I do this over a cup to catch all the filings for granulation or whatever.

1 Like
17

I use an old restored powered scroll saw and have a couple of possible add-ons, and tips that make using a powered saw easier

I use an aquarium air pump with plastic tubing rigged up to gently blow the chips away from the cut line. It’s not a strong blast , but just enough to move the chips away from the cut.

I also found a inexpensive on/off foot switch that really makes using my scroll saw easier, and more user friendly.

Last but not least, I found that using cheaper ( Indian made, etc) blades work better in the saw, as they are not so brittle as the higher quality blades & they don’t break in the powered saw as often .

Have fun -
Patty

18

Hans, I Love your inventions demented or useful (or both). Though I love sawing and find it meditative, this saw definitely looks useful. Does the foot mark the metal?

I definitely agree with Janet that beginners benefit by knowing how to work and manage without buying an arsenal of tools to start. Encouraging newbies makes for a richer community now and in the future. After a time when they’re hooked in the making they’ll know which are the more important tools (for their situation) to spend bigger bucks on as their budget allows.

As for the pin stems, I like placing TWO sanding discs face-to-face on my mandrel - helps to corral the end of the wire and works twice as fast. Wouldn’t say I can’t do without my pin vice, but it sure helps with jobs like this!

19

Hi Meevis, Very nice!
FYI
It reminds me of a post war tool that I have had various models of, a die filer. These had a 2 way tilting table so that the clearance can be filed into a punch and die set. They range from a desktop model to a huge floor model. I made adapters to hold my jewelers saw blades.
These were the pre curser to the EDM wire cut machines. I had a Brother HS100 that was 2 axis computer controlled machine that was quite compact. I would set mine to cut 100 sheets at a time (a 80mm thick block), it had a .23mm width of cut and extremely accurate (.001mm).
Thank you for your show and tell :slight_smile:
All the best Philip

20

Nice job, Hans. Constructed like a piece of fine jewelry, as I’d expect . Anything less would be uncivilized, unless it was one of my creations , in which case , it would be both barbaric and
sublimely -functionally-customized, as well . I never bother taking the time to make my homemade tools look nice, because it’s usually all I can do to get them to work, and bugger what they look like ! But you’re different , and there should be people like you in the world.

I will maybe post some pix of my much-ballyhooed , one-of-a-kind , prototype, motorized
saw made by the late, great Lee Marshall . It’s got some funky mods, all evolved out of necessity. The 30-year old balancing act of sawing stuff that’s hard to saw , without destroying body parts …so far it’s a draw , and I continue to saw. But maybe I won’t show it.
It’s a Frankensteinish beast that’s hard to tell what’s what unless you already know , and it’s juiciest secrets are features nobody else would care about. It should end up in some Intergalactic Pancake Die Sawing Hall Of Fame Museum , but I know it’s destined for the
garbage after I leave this world . I’m often reminded of what M.C. Escher said about his work, that it’s the most beautiful , and also the ugliest . I can apply that to many aspects of my self and work (music, thinking, fractals, but I don’t make ugly jewelry )…but now I’m off on tangent of a tangent of a tangent .

Back in the normal world , beautiful work , Hans. I’ve seen and been wowed by some of
your sculptural pieces, but this saw is a surprise . I don’t doubt that it works great on what it’s intended for .

Dar Shelton

1 Like