Jeweler's Saw or other very fine tooth hacksaw

I had to cut some very thin metal tubing (acting as sort of an injector to apply some corrosion inhibitor to the bottom of a cylinder) to accomadate a new shorter part. The tubing was about twice the diameter of your typical diabetic's syringe, but still a lot smaller than the needle you would use to fill a football. Tried snipping it, but even a pair of Lindstroms wouldn't do it without crimping it closed. Ending up using a cutoff wheel in a Dremel.

A guy at the plant said that they had cut the tubing with a small hand saw when the line was put together. I have a nice Stahlwille mini-hacksaw I got from Sammstag Sales, but it wouldn't have worked on this (blade would be too coarse). A mechanic I once worked with had a small hacksaw with a metal loop frame and a blade that looked like it was about 60 tpi. He used it occasionally to cut the head off a hardened pin that was sticking out too far and things like that, but I have never seen another one like that in the last ten years.

I wouldn't mind having a small hacksaw I could use to cut the occasional small hard bit of rod or shorten a socket head cap screw in a tight spot. I know they make jeweler's saws and I assume you can cut some hard stuff with them, but I have heard they are blade snapping nightmares. Is there a saw (or blade) best for making small cuts in hard material?

TAW

Reply to
ta_white2
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Jeweler's saws do not break blades, it is the person operating the saw that breaks the blade through miss use. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Reply to
Gerald Miller

I know they make jeweler's saws and I assume you can cut

And you'll break plenty getting the hang of it, but it's worth the effort. Fortunately the blades are cheap.

Ned Simmons

Reply to
Ned Simmons

Reply to
jwdoylejr

Small tubing can be cut cleanly with a knife. Lay the tube on a flat surface and press the knife edge down on the tube and roll it back and forth a few times. You can then break the tube at the point of stress concentration, much the way a larger tube gives way to a tubing cuttter. The tube will not be collapsed, but may have a rough edge where it breaks. You can clean that up with a few strokes on a sharpening stone.

Reply to
jwdoylejr

Would this one work?

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Max

Reply to
Max

Go to any other store and buy that for 69 cents. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Reply to
Gerald Miller

No, the teeth are far too coarse. The OP needs a jeweller's piercing saw. Its a bit like a fretsaw but with a much smaller throat; its used like a fretsaw too, by cutting on the down stroke. The blades are very fragile and will break in a cut if twisted or tilted without constant saw strokes. Even the finest blades will easily cut unhardened tool steel.

Reply to
lemel_man

Next time, put some fitting wire in it. If it doesn't have to look very good.

A jewelers jigsaw is also usefull. Or like others said, cut it with a knife rolling on a board.

Nick

Reply to
Nick Mueller

Curiously enough jeweller's saws is one category where I've found that quality makes a substantial difference (both frames and blades BTW). I was using a cheap frame, when I switched to my Dixon (about 25 years ago!) the difference was very noticeable. Buy a gross of good German blades, expensive, but worth it.

Adam Smith Midland, Ontario, Canada

Reply to
Adam Smith

Not really. Most jeweler's saw blades are designed for cutting nonferous metals such as silver, gold, and platinum. They wear out rather quickly on steel.

As told on many other posts in this thread, the reason blades snap is because the person using the saw has not heard how to handle it correctly. I think I posted something in an FAQ on how to do it right. However, for thin tubing, a jeweler's saw is problematic. With hard materials it tends to skip off the surface. What is more, because ideally the number of teeth per inch should be such that there are several teeth for the (wall) thickness of the material being cut, even the finest blades (5-0) tend to grab and snap even in the most experienced hands.

I cut very fine tubing all the time: from 1/32" on up. Get a fine tooth triangular needle file. Score the tube through the wall at the point you want to cut it and snap it. Just like cutting a glass tube. For steel, it is a snap. For brass easy. Finish off the end with a sanding disc.

Boris

Reply to
Boris Beizer

| | Small tubing can be cut cleanly with a knife. Lay the tube on a flat | surface and press the knife edge down on the tube and roll it back and | forth a few times. You can then break the tube at the point of stress | concentration, much the way a larger tube gives way to a tubing | cuttter. The tube will not be collapsed, but may have a rough edge | where it breaks. You can clean that up with a few strokes on a | sharpening stone.

I usually cut small tubing with a knife and the tubing chucked into a Dremel tool running at medium speed. If you hold the knife steady, you get clean cuts. If it wanders, the end of the tubing will be flared/angled.

Norm

Reply to
Norm Dresner

I had to give 2.69 the other day. Needed to cut a .22 barrel liner off and my hacksaw is at work.

Wes S

Reply to
clutch

I'd second that surprising comment on frames.

I used a friend's Swiss Vallorbe for the first time recently and it was so vastly superior to my own Eclipse that I had my own a week later (from Cooksons, not that expensive).

Reply to
Andy Dingley

That is good for light wood. Not metal. The blade isn't held taught enough. You need screw tightening type.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net TSRA, Life; NRA LOH & Endowment Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot"s Medal. NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.

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Max wrote:

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

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