Thread: Saw steel suppliers for brass back saw makers

Originally Posted by lightwood

I agree,
thanks Bob,
I went to Bunnies in Bayswater, Vic and found them in the tools section, on the floor, down the back on the left....across the aisle from the files etc...????
The blue stuff is 355 x 120mm, marked made in AU is 1.75mm....030", and the other stuff is slightly bent, it's 150 x74mm, 1.5mm....060" marked made in China.
Good stuff !
Regards,
Peter.

Thats strange the range of scraper blade material at Bunnings Innaloo branch seems to be different from the Bayswater Branch, at Innaloo with regard to the larger blade I did not notice the brand name but then I may have missed it. The smaller scrapper blade was 200 x 75 with 3 off 10mm holes on one long edge, it was the same material as the large blade ( blue spring steel), branded Axis Building Tools - Floor Scraper Blade - 20mm (8"), Made in China. The thickness 0.75mm thick. The location was in the tool store at the end of shelving no row 2 adj back wall , and hanging on brackets.The part no was A-059808.
If the larger blade is made in Australia as stated on the label, does that mean the steel is ex Aus? If so then this would over come the problem in purchase of suitable saw blade steel localy. Perhaps it would be worth placing a bulk order on Bunnings for a large quantity to suite everyones needs. At less than $13.00 it would be the ants pants.
Regards Mac

Originally Posted by STAR

can you tell me what section in bunnings these scrapers are in. I assume they are in the home wares section with the brooms and mops. Am I correct?

Bunnings at Nerang do not have them so I will look at a few other stores if I am on the right track.

Peter.

Look in the tool store, they come as a complete scraper with a handle, say similar if you where buying a spade, but then they are supplying the replacement blades for when the blade wears out, they have a wide scraper and a narrow scraper. The scraper are used by the site people to scrape mortar droppings etc from the concrete floor. I would think they would be the go for the layers of timber flooring for pre cleaning of the sub surface.
Regards
Mac

Has anyone found an address or contact info for Axis Building Tools?

What I am thinking is they might be a potential source of 1095 spring steel...

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by RayG

Has anyone found an address or contact info for Axis Building Tools?

What I am thinking is they might be a potential source of 1095 spring steel...

Regards
Ray

No joy - Axis Building Tools is listed on the Timber & Hardware Exchange, but the link doesn't work.

Maybe ask Bunnings who they get the scrapers from...

There is an Axis Tools:

Factory 3
13-15 Advantage Rd, Highett, VIC 3190
(03) 9555 6924

There is also an Axis Machine Tools :

444 Cliftonville Rd, Lower Portland, NSW 2756

• Phone:(02) 4575 0383
• Mobile:0410 434 859
• Fax:(02) 4575 0385

I got the 14'' scraper blade today from Bunnings at Burleigh Heads. They had about six there.

Now, I am nearly all dressed up and nowhere to go.

I have got the nuts, the blade, purchased a saw set. been practicing with the rasps and files and just finished my wooden mallet with a shaped handle.

ps.

Ray, I think you and BobL are the best people to decide if these are a goer, I think all of us here are prepared to sit back and watch the developments. In fact I think I might ring Bunnings special orders to see if they know the address of the manufacturer.

OK That was quick might have the information Ray and BobL need to make an assessment.

Bunnings told me the supplier is

Duroline
Ermington
NSW

and phone number is : 02 8845 6600

They do not know if they are the manufacturer but they supply Bunnings with the stock.

Not much sense me ringing up because I do not know the questions to ask but I hope this reduces the time tracking down the info you need.


Peter.

Hi Star,

Ok, I rang Duraline, and they are the NSW wholesaler, who in turn pointed me to a Victorian company who contract out the manufacturing to whoever.
So I rang them and they were very helpful.
Axis Building Tools is one of their brands, as a seperate entity Axis Building tools doesn't exist.
The actual manufacturer in the case of the floor scrapers turns out to be Pavan, an Italian company, who ship precut blanks,
and then they are packaged and distributed under the Axis Building Tools Brand...
Perhaps the paper stick on label might be "made in Australia" the rest ain't..
The possibility of buying spring steel from them just evaporated...


Back to the business in hand.. Making saws..

The downside of the floor scraper material is that I think 30 thou is too thick for DT saws

That's not to say it won't be a useful saw, most DT saws are 20 thou, some are as thin as 18 or even 15 thou.

I think if you have a relatively narrow blade (say 1 1/2 - 2 inches) 15 thou would be a good choice, but if you are planning a wider blade ( say 3 inches or more) I would be a bit nervous about buckling the 15 thou plate, and in that case 20 thou is a better choice.

A longer tenon saw say 12-14 inches and 3-4 inch deep saw plate 25-30 thou might be a good choice.

So, in summary, I would be thinking tenon saw rather that DT for this material.

Hope that makes some kind of sense,

Incidentally, the only reason I can see for thinner saw plate on joinery saws is the amount of effort required,
in most (all) joinery cuts there is always a waste side to the cut, so that you only ever saw to one side of the line,
so the kerf thickness is not a factor. But a thinner saw kerf requires a lot less effort

Regards
Ray

EDIT
Another thought for the thicker material, might be to experiment a bit with taper grinding, take it down to 20 thou at the tooth line and taper to perhaps to 15 thou at the back. And run with zero set...... ( Umm... second thoughts, that might be a bit too ambitious, a lot of material to take off... better to start with 20 thou to begin with)

There is another company i tracked down last week called:

THE DAWBORN STEELS GROUP phone no. 03 9543 1333

They specialize in spring steel in various grades.

Their is a minimum buy from their coil steel and I think they will machine it to size. With a group order I think we will easily meet the minimum requirements and it is just if what they have to supply is suitable and I think it might be.

I was over my head when I was talking to them but I think they are worth a follow up call.

The person I spoke to was a MARTIN PLUMB

Hi Star,

Rang, Dawborn Steels Group, they have 1074 and 1080 but no 1095....


Regards
Ray

Ray, I have a Disston saw that was purchased in 1955 that I thought was a dovetail saw but might be a tennon.

I checked today the thickness of the blade and it was exactly the same as the scraper from Bunnings I used my digital verniers on them and it was 30 thousand of an inch So it points to being a tennon saw ?

Originally Posted by STAR

Ray, I have a Disston saw that was purchased in 1955 that I thought was a dovetail saw but might be a tennon.

I checked today the thickness of the blade and it was exactly the same as the scraper from Bunnings I used my digital verniers on them and it was 30 thousand of an inch So it points to being a tennon saw ?

I imagine it's a D4? check http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/backsawpage.html

Saw names have changed over the years, what we now commonly call a tenon saw is
much shorter than tenon saws of the past. The standard reference is Holtzapfel's 1846 chart.. At least it gives a rough guide...





Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by RayG

I imagine it's a D4? check http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/backsawpage.html

Saw names have changed over the years, what we now commonly call a tenon saw is
much shorter than tenon saws of the past. The standard reference is Holtzapfel's 1846 chart.. At least it gives a rough guide...





Regards
Ray

For what its worth , the floor scraper blade steel that I measured in metric was 0.75mm ( I am not sure what that is in inches), my Spear & Jackson dovetail saw of about 60yrs old measures 0.65mm, my Diston Tenon Saw ( 14/inch) of about 50yrs old measures 0.9mm thick, the scraper steel seems to be around the ball path, possible
with a bit of polishing and linishing it would bring the thickness down nearer to what you are looking for.
Has anyone looked at bringing the spring steel in from Germany?. Why I ask is that some 10 yrs ago I was on a building site in Dubai and noticed the carpenters using a type of home made saw of which the blade was imported from Germany and the workers added there own handle, the saw blade was in appearance like the old compass saw one used except the teeth in this case worked on the pull cut principle.
On further investigation over there it was apparent that all carpenters used this saw. No ware did I see the conventional western type saw. The workers were ex pats from Pakistan and or India and I gather that is what they use in their country . I was unable to find out who was the manufacturer in Germany but whoever it is they are doing a rawing trade. The use of power saws was just not the norm.
Mac