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  1. #1
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    Default Brass Back Slitting

    Brass Back Slitting Machine.








    What size Slitting blade do you guys use?
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

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  3. #2
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    Please please tell me that cost over $10,000
    That way I won't feel bad


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  4. #3
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    It cost over 10,000 cents
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  5. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by DSEL74 View Post
    It cost over 10,000 cents
    Going to bed in a bad mood


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  6. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by DSEL74 View Post
    It cost over 10,000 cents

    Awesome.


  7. #6
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    Default

    But to answer your question, Dale:

    I use two sizes, 0.5mm and 0.8mm. These do for all of the sawplate I've used so far (15-30 thou). To close up the slot for 'undersized' plate, squeeze the spine (carefully!) in a vise, preferably lined with Al. or wooden jaws to prevent marking the work.

    Another caution - take it easy when slitting & use adequate cooling, or the slitting saw is liable to warp and give you a very curvaceous slot. With my home-made jig, I have no way of flooding the saw, so I cut dry, but do it in multiple shallow passes of ~2-3mm per pass. That does the trick, until the saw is blunt. The place I get my TCT saws sharpened charges me $10 for sharpening, which is pretty reasonable, & they sure cut better after a visit to the sawdoc!

    Cheers,

    Cheers,
    IW

  8. #7
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    Thanks Ian. That's what I needed to know.


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  9. #8
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    Default

    Nice looking bit if kit Dale. You are gathering quite a collection of machinery.
    In talking with Ray, he said he had more success keeping the cut straight in brass using a climb cut where the wheel cuts down rather than up. Might be worth a try.

  10. #9
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    Default

    This is very interesting. What are the dimensions of the bass bar stock you use?

    Cheers

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by CBaulds View Post
    This is very interesting. What are the dimensions of the bass bar stock you use?....
    In my case, it depends on the size of the saw being made. For light D/T saws with about 225mm blades, I prefer to use 3/16 x 3/4" bars stock (dimensions given in Imperial 'cos that's how the stuff is made, thanks to the dominance of the market across the Pacific. )

    For your 'average' backsaw with blades of around 300mm x 75mm, 1/4 x 3/4" is an appropriate size. For larger saws, 1/4 x 7/8", or even 1/4 x 1" is more proportionate. For one really BIG saw Bushmiller made we used 3/8" thick bar - that was a very substantial chunk of metal!

    The size & weight of saw spines is a matter of choice. In general, the Poms seemed to like their spines heavy, so a Tyzack, for e.g. usually has a heavier spine than a Disston of equal size, but it isn't 100% consistent, sizes have varied through time. IMO, you don't need a very heavy spine; as long as it's of a suitable dimension to add the requisite stiffnes, it'll do the job. My dovetailers with the 3/16" thick spines cut quickly under their own weight if kept sharp (which is the only way to keep any saw! ), and the light weight allows easy placing & accurate sawing. But it's all a matter of taste...

    Cheers,
    IW

  12. #11
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    This is very helpful Ian, thanks for sharing so much detail. I find it particularly interesting that you enjoy having a brass back that is not too heavy, as I have recently heard Rob Cosman advocating for a heavy brass back and heavy handle. He was saying this extra weight helps with making the perfect plumb cut. Thinking about it, having a heavy brass back would help for plumb cuts, as you would have increased momentum when sawing. On the other hand, if you were to cut a dovetail and tip the saw over to 1:6 pitch, say, then I think a heavy brass back may be counter-productive, as the saw would have a tendency to tip over too far. Like you say it's a matter of opinion and everyone has their preference. (I'm not sure what mine is yet.)

    At the moment my one and only dovetail saw is an old Smithson. (I believe Smithson is an line of saws that Taylor Bothers produced) It's a steel back saw that does the job, but I find myself yerning for something a bit nicer. Consequently, I have been browsing the web looking at saws from some current makers and I have stumbled across some absolute beauties. However I'm not ready to allocate the required funds for one of these saws at the minute. So, I have decided to build my own!!! After doing some research I have discovered that making my own dovetail saw won't be much cheaper than that of a bought one. Then I realised the price per saw will dramatically improve if I make more than one saw. I have decided it will be best if a make a small set of saws.

    IMG_6414.jpg

    (Current dovetail saw before cleaning it up.)

    I have been enthusiastically studying how to make a dovetail saw for the last few days and the forum has been extremely helpful. Now I am looking into what sizes will be best to have in my set and what materials will be needed to build these saws. This is what brought me to question about the dimensions of brass backs. Anyway, I am looking forward to the challenge!

    Thanks again,

    Cameron

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by CBaulds View Post
    Then I realised the price per saw will dramatically improve if I make more than one saw. I have decided it will be best if a make a small set of saws.
    Cameron

    I recognise the symptoms: You are in the early stages of addiction! The trick is not minding that you are an addict.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  14. #13
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    Hahaha I hope I can make the most of this addiction Bushmiller; with any luck I'll produce a usable saw or ten. Time will tell.

    Cheers,

    Cameron

  15. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by CBaulds View Post
    ......I have recently heard Rob Cosman advocating for a heavy brass back and heavy handle. He was saying this extra weight helps with making the perfect plumb cut. Thinking about it, having a heavy brass back would help for plumb cuts, as you would have increased momentum when sawing. On the other hand, if you were to cut a dovetail and tip the saw over to 1:6 pitch, say, then I think a heavy brass back may be counter-productive, as the saw would have a tendency to tip over too far. Like you say it's a matter of opinion and everyone has their preference. (I'm not sure what mine is yet.).....
    My reasoning also, Cameron - you spend half of your time with a dovetail saw making non-plumb cuts! What helps me to place my saw at the desired angle intuitively is partly its light weight, but more importantly, having a high 'hang angle' for the grip (i.e., the grip is set at a more 'vertical' angle). The grip on your little saw is set too far towards horizontal for my taste. I can usually convince people a more vertical set is better pretty easily, but not everyone. Viva la difference...

    Maybe a weighty saw encourages people who have a tendency to force their saws to back off a bit, which is a good thing - I see too many folks bearing down far too much on their saws.

    Your preferences are likely to change as you go along - mine certainly did, but in time, you'll settle on what suits you best...

    Quote Originally Posted by CBaulds View Post
    ......I have stumbled across some absolute beauties. However I'm not ready to allocate the required funds for one of these saws at the minute. So, I have decided to build my own!!! After doing some research I have discovered that making my own dovetail saw won't be much cheaper than that of a bought one. Then I realised the price per saw will dramatically improve if I make more than one saw. I have decided it will be best if a make a small set of saws. ...
    Making saws is not a particularly dark art; with care, you can make a saw that works just as well as the most expensive ones, and there is no reason why it can't look pretty spiffy as well. The blade material you are likely to use will be the same stuff the current high-end saw makers use, so as long as you do a good job on filing & setting the teeth, your saw (which should come in at well under $100 for materials) could be just as good as a $300 job.

    As Paul said, saw-making is an all-too-easy addiction to fall into (damhik!), & you do seem to be heading that way at a fast clip. However, it's not all that unhealthy for an addiction, you'll quickly learn a lot about what makes a saw tick. Being able to play about with grip angles, rake-angles, and set is fun as well as instructive. Learning to sharpen well is well worth the effort it takes to acquire, like any cutting tool, a saw benefits from being kept sharp.

    I reckon there are few things more satisfying than using a good tool you've made yourself....

    Cheers,
    IW

  16. #15
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    Default

    Is that a dedicated machine for slitting saw backs or just a horizontal mill set up for such work

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