Band saw for cutting precious metal

Choppers_rule · Mar 22, 2016

Can I get a clean smooth cut using a metal bandsaw for cutting silver strip/ other precious metal?
I know the jewelers use a shear but I don't have one.

Thanks! Denny

atexascowboy2011 · Mar 22, 2016

A 1/4" 14/18 bimetal blade by Lenox will do the trick on 16 ga. or heavier. Unfortunately I haven't found a more toothed blade for cutting thinner stock.
Unless your going to mass produce I'd stick to the jeweler's saw or if mass producing go to a Water Jet.

DakotaDocMartin · Mar 22, 2016

I think this is the way to go if you are serious about production sawing:

http://www.knewconcepts.com/power.php

atexascowboy2011 · Mar 22, 2016

Been there, done that Doc.
My main gripe with this is it doesn't allow you to bear down into the piece which slows me considerably.
Plus the aggravation of rethreading the saw after the inevitable blade breakage is a Royal PITA ! Plus the fact that you are locked into a very limited ROM which does not allow the freedom to move around to seek a more comfortable position.

oiseau metal arts · Mar 22, 2016

regardless of tool used to youll still need to clean up the edges of the cut. with a shear youd have less to clean up. with the type of band saw youd use for cutting steel... like atexascowboy2011 suggests... youd have more clean up to do an the edges, plus a HIGH amount of material loss.

what size strip are you cutting? what for? have you looked into ordering strips, or wire the size you need?

Choppers_rule · Mar 22, 2016

oiseau metal arts said:
regardless of tool used to youll still need to clean up the edges of the cut. with a shear youd have less to clean up. with the type of band saw youd use for cutting steel... like atexascowboy2011 suggests... youd have more clean up to do an the edges, plus a HIGH amount of material loss.

what size strip are you cutting? what for? have you looked into ordering strips, or wire the size you need?

Hmmm...didn't really think about material loss by using a band saw, plus more clean up on the edges.
I'm thinking to engrave a few silver bracelets. probably at least 3/4" to 1" wide. You are right, I probably need a shear.

DakotaDocMartin · Mar 22, 2016

Choppers_rule said:
Hmmm...didn't really think about material loss by using a band saw, plus more clean up on the edges.
I'm thinking to engrave a few silver bracelets. probably at least 3/4" to 1" wide. You are right, I probably need a shear.

You can just order out strips already sheared to size.

monk · Mar 22, 2016

beware; about a year ago, i bought a really nifty vs saw from micro mark. it had a host of features a jewelry guy would drool over. however-- it came unassembled. the frame fit into a 2" deep, X 2" wide pocket. no room to get ones' fingers in far enough to make the bolt connection. using my brain, i got an xtra long allen wrench and fit the bolt to it. problem was-- the frame would not allow the wrench to go into position to secure it to the saw body. fortunately, micro mark has a good return policy ! a great littl saw, with only one drawback !

gcleaker · Mar 22, 2016

Doc’s got it right. Just order it out of Rio Grande get what you need the way you want it and save on the tooling unless? You are just looking for a reason to spend a little money and get a new toy. Either way you win

Chujybear · Mar 23, 2016

Goind the teeth of some snips. As long as your not Turing corners, works fine.

Crazy Horse · Mar 23, 2016

Other than that cute little $2100 tinker toy band saw, does anyone else make a bench top band saw that doesn't cost thousands?

DakotaDocMartin · Mar 23, 2016

Crazy Horse said:
Other than that cute little $2100 tinker toy band saw, does anyone else make a bench top band saw that doesn't cost thousands?

I bet if a guy could find one of these old treadle powered fretsaws, it could be adapted to hold jeweler saw blades.

silverchip · Mar 23, 2016

These really can do wonders with the right kind of elbow grease. With enough practice you can actually out cut one of those fancy desktop models.I understand your need might not require one of these but maybe you should look into a shear for strips.

dogcatcher · Mar 26, 2016

Popular Woodworking published an article by Roy Underhill making a pedal wood lathe with a scroll saw attachment. The scroll saw attachment can easily be changed over for using jewelry saw blades by using the clamp parts from a jewelry saw.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/w...schwarz-blog/foot-powered-lathe-and-scrollsaw

monk · Mar 27, 2016

Crazy Horse said:
Other than that cute little $2100 tinker toy band saw, does anyone else make a bench top band saw that doesn't cost thousands?

micro-mark.com makes a nice portable one a bit over 300 bucks. it will even take diamond bonded blades which are quite pricey. a coolant system is available for xtra bucks-- to do glass, ceramics, carbide, you know , the usual hard stuff. i have a dewalt dw788 saw on order. growing tired of using the new concept j saw. just growing weary as heck cutting the slow way. i'll let everyone know how it works. takes plain and pin-end blades. micro-mark does have a good return policy if you're not happy with any purchase.

horologist · Mar 27, 2016

Personally I’m partial to Silverchip’s suggestion. A piercing saw with bench pin is hard to beat. If you buy a scrollsaw make sure you get one with variable speed. I have an old Hegner Multimax that is wonderful for wood or cutting with heavier blades. However, it turns into a blade eating monster on the finer blades needed for cutting details in thin sheet. Just running the saw is all it takes.

atexascowboy2011 · Mar 27, 2016

I gave the Dewalt a try and could not slow the SPM down enough to suit me. I prefer a 50-60 SPM and the Dewalt's slowest setting was in the 200 range. I lucked out and found a buyer who just had to have it. :thumbsup:

TallGary · Mar 27, 2016

I have a Walker-Turner belt drive scroll saw. Vintage as they say. There are a couple of different models on ebay (search for walker turner saw) that look like they could be modified to take jewelers saw blades and have blade tension adjustment. Need a little tlc to get them in shape. If mounted on a treadle sewing machine base I would expect you could have good control of the blade speed and cut, or use a variable speed drive motor.....

All that being said, for straight sided pieces, the most cost effective solution has been suggested -- buy it as you want it...

Steve L S · Mar 27, 2016

horologist said:
Personally I’m partial to Silverchip’s suggestion. A piercing saw with bench pin is hard to beat. If you buy a scrollsaw make sure you get one with variable speed. I have an old Hegner Multimax that is wonderful for wood or cutting with heavier blades. However, it turns into a blade eating monster on the finer blades needed for cutting details in thin sheet. Just running the saw is all it takes.

I mount the brass, copper,or al sheet to a piece of MDF board and tape the pattern on top of the metal with wide clear tape to make a sandwich. My variable speed scrollsaw is similar to the one Monk is going to get but can reduce to single stroke speed and with it I can even use Flying Dutchman skip tooth blades on the "sandwich"
But Choppers wants to cut strips, my single action shear works but is not the best tool - a double action shear with proper stops or a rail circular saw as used in professional cnc and laser engraving workshops to cut down large sheet to size seems to be the direction to go for perfect burr free strip of the exact dimension required. Too pricey for me so I use what I have. So the other suggestion to pay the surcharge to have your stock cut to size by the supplier makes sense

Steve

RDP · Mar 27, 2016

Crazy Horse said:
Other than that cute little $2100 tinker toy band saw, does anyone else make a bench top band saw that doesn't cost thousands?

Maybe this one? it sounds good. http://www.micromark.com/microlux-mini-scroll-saw-for-hobby-use,7114.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k-_gDrDVhIM

Richard.

Band saw for cutting precious metal

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