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Hey, jeweller here with some info about the saw blades! Basically our rule is that you want at least three teeth in contact with the edge of metal at all times, this will eliminate the blade skipping and greatly reduce breakages. This means it's best to keep a few different sizes on hand for different material thicknesses and here's what I recommend. For
@@louisbucklandI’ve been using Herkules White Labels for the last few years. No complaints. I’m buying Super Pikes next time around as I’m certain that they’ll be of top quality..
Adam's capacity for remembering the names of seemingly everyone he's ever met, worked with, or interacted with continues to blow my simply human mind. I feel like that shows a true generosity of spirit
he seems to remember A LOT of stuff with quite some detail. I wonder the effects of it on a person. Because I embraced the ability to forget, that way it's easier to learn and re-learn stuff, along with other benefits.
@@JHe-f9t I was thinking a ladder might take up too much of his room, unless he used a folding attic ladder that could roll side to side and somehow fold up, maybe on an I-Beam or something, and then I thought a gantry crane on an I-Beam and/or some insane way to hoist himself up to get what he wants, and also grab the heavy stuff up top
Until it breaks again or in a new way. Kept fixing a tailgate handle up until the plastic simply crumbled to dust. 86 toyota pickup. If I could pick up a metal handle outside the city I would haha.
Hi Adam. I am the person who made the Master & Commander Belt buckle Steve Neill gave you. I an a jeweler.. As far as jeweler's saw blades go the Laser Gold from Rio Grande work fantastic ( a lot harder to break mostly ). Though I use blades from the absolute cheapest to the higher end ones, they all work great. Learning to hold the jeweler's saw as lightly as you can while rotating the piece as much as you rotate the saw frame is a good skill to try to develop. I might recommend getting some mid-priced blades in several sizes to try out as breaking them is how you learn to us a light touch. They run about $3.40 a dozen. The thicker the metal, the easier to break, but if you use a blade with too wide a tooth spacing it catches bad too. The blade choice should always be that the blade should have at minimum 2 teeth in the material. Yeah, I often use whatever blade is in the saw which isn't alway 2 teeth = thickness of the metal. And I sometimes use a blade that is waaay to fine in thick metal which leaves a nice shiny cut, but takes way more time and breaks more blades. You might find a saw blade size that can do most of what you cut. Then get a gross of that size for $20-$50 per gross. I would actually recommend this assortment with a standard small 3" saw frame and some Bur-Life lubricant. The BurLife is a must for thicker metals. When I say "a must" I mean much smoother sawing with less effort and less blade breakage. www.riogrande.com/product/laser-gold-saw-blade-most-popular-assortment-kit-pkg144/110328GP/?code=110328&_t_id=jP3VIJ6NCa9AJHP1_0K36w==&_t_uuid=0b3bae4d-584e-4603-a4f4-751246833d37&_t_q=saw+blades+saw+blades&_t_hit.id=Commerce_Products_Product/CatalogContent_50caea87-2307-47a3-bd55-5bb7324cf686_en&_t_hit.pos=11
I was going to suggest to Adam to lighten his grip on the jewelers saw. My grip on a jewelers saw is more like a pencil with thumb and two fingers than a full handed power tool grip. I like single row of teeth over spiral blades for most materials, especially grainy wood (soft). A spiral blade tends to follow the grain more while the back , non cutting part of the blade can be used to wedge the teeth into a grain or to control a cut by idling the material against the non cutting part of the blade and only lightly cutting the wood with part of the kerf, using the teeth on one side of the blade and not digging in and cutting too much, really good for sneaking up to a layout line after roughing out the cut. If one has a jewelers saw one should also have a saw stand, mine are "V" shaped, clamp into a vise and rise the work up about 10" above the bench, they look kinda like an inverted boot jack.
Since Adam’s been chatting about things that are stored outside the cave, I’d love to see a tour of *that* storage. The duffle bags, the costume/project overflow, the m7 relics….
@5:55 the tool that scares me the most in my shop is the jointer. The table saw will gouge you or messily sever a body part. A jointer will turn whatever body part that happens to enter it into a reddish mist
I went in for a pre knee op appointment. There was a guy sitting there, in shock, holding his hand above his head. Asked what was up and he just said “jointer”.
but as long as your hands aren’t where the blades are a jointers fine. twist the wood a little in a table saw and it won’t matter where your hands are because there’s something flying at 40 mph straight into your face
@@johngraham2335 Just keep your hands away from the spinny things. This is what push sticks/blocks are for. I feel better about the jointer than I do the table saw.
I still dont have a clue what he's talking about when it comes to tools etc, but Adam is so amazing to listen to, his love and passion shines through and ita comforting and although I can't build anything that's more than lego I'm hooked on watching Adam making things. I have a genuine appreciation for makers.
I use my planers to shorten doors and straighten warped wood. It gets it done quickly. I have 120v and 20v versions, no matter what use two hands and clamp the work solidly. For doors the folding work tables with built in vise work great, for timber I chuck it in the bench vise.
They are very situationally useful and almost all those situations are home construction. Shaving down a door or eliminating a high spot on a joist. I'd never use one to replace a hand plane for fine woodworking or a planer for dimensioning lumber.
I have a DeWalt I bought for one job in 2006. Haven’t used it since. However, I’ve also hand jointed 30+ bd ft of hard maple that was 10” wide w a hand plane, and I’d consider using the power planer to do the work of a scrub plane. Faster and less muscle work. Also faster than a router and sled for leveling a surface.
My old shop teacher would have appreciated and shared your knowledge of tools. To say the first day of his class was a test on tool identification by correct name. Needless to say I'm now a stickler on tool names till this day . Example there are well over 40 different kinds of pliers, you will learn the 6 different types you will be learning by name, Mr Lock was a great Industrial Arts teacher. You remind me alot of Him Adam , as well as a family Of MB... Cheers To Great Teachers
I picked up a knew jewelers saw based off of your video with the makers, and I love it. Most of the accomplished jewelers I see mentioning a specific blade type say Herkules, but after I broke one I put in an unbranded german blade that came from some pack in a kit, and I cant say I see a difference. The "march in place, dont push the saw" tip was what has helped me the most.
For those who don't want to drop a ton of money on a high quality coping saw, consider a wooden bow saw. They can be very cheap and much stiffer than a cheap coping saw.
@@BarginsGalore I found the problem I had coping with my saw was the blades I was using. Better blades work better. I couldn't find better blades locally though so I had to order some off the Internet. Which was a pain, but I managed.
A powered hand planer is a handy tool - but probably not as much in the venue you operate. If you were refitting old doors & double hung windows & such, it'd be a daily use item. For cutting in coping saws, if your saw can clamp bulk blade (without specialized ends), check into a roll of veterinarian's wire, sometimes called OB wire - it cuts a lot of things neatly and quickly, and you can buy it by a roll, giving you lots of options for size.
First time I've seen significant use of a powered hand planer was in the videos of Leo rebuilding Tally Ho - fitting hull planks and shaping fair lines.
He had already put that video out that he was talking about, this livestream was from December last year, and he did mention the aesthetics and anodized colors.
My first thought was that Adam needs a rolling ladder for his back wall. Then I thought, he's a maker so it should be retractable. Then I thought, he's got friends so they should help him make it controllable with a remote. So Adam needs a double spring loaded rolling ladder that can first rotate from horizontal storage on the roof down to a nice 70 degree climbing angle. Then a second spring or pneumatic that can extend or retract the ladder down to the ground. And finally some system to control it all with a garage door opener.
I was thinking the same thing, rolling ladder, but then I thought about the tile puzzle and I think the ladder would more often end up in the way of moving other equipment around than he would access that Z+ materials.
For fine precision work, my go to is a file. The tiny thin file with the teeth on the side tend to cut faster than you think. That keyway wouldn't take that long.
Tip for the jewelry saws is to wax the blades they last longer- you’ll notice a difference in pitch from the sound of whatever you’re cutting and when you apply the wax it’ll change. Once you get used to it, you’ll notice the difference of a wax versus unwaxed blade just by the sound and it’ll save you a lot of money and blades and time changing the blades
I love the comment towards the end about attention to detail with regards to colours. Often overlooked, but if you know what to look for you can find many more of these small, deliberate aesthetics on just about every (what I would consider) artisan tool you can get your hands on. If you can make the tool do the thing it's designed to do fantastically, why spare the rest of the design from having the same attention to detail? This is what keeps me coming back to using some of the tools I have in my collection so far, and moreover loving to use them.
Over the last year I've been taking jewelry making classes intermittently with my comp sci work and have fallen in love with jewlers saws. And it totally just made my day to see you have this new appreciation. Never grow up Adam.
I bought a ryobi hand plane and must say it was the perfect tool for odds and ends jobs like trimming the bottom of a door after updating flooring. Taking a thin layer of a 2x and other trimming objects
Key to using a jewelers saw is establish your elbow as a solid pivot point and make consistent up/down strokes vertically without adding pressure in the direction of your line. If your saw goes off vertical or you push too hard along the line the blade will break. The idea is to use consistent vertical motion that allows the blade to do all the work and remove material at its own pace.
Speaking of tools. When I first started watching Mythbusters, I had such respect for your talent that when I noticed you using a DeWalt drill, I started my tool kit with a DeWalt.
their mid-torque is actually top right now, Milwaukee Fuel stuff has been on top for a while but it seems like DeWalt wants back into the fight, they're outdoing Makita at the moment which is pigs flying. damn I want one lol.
Hearing Adam talk about temporarily putting a machine somewhere years ago and it still being there years later reminds me of the statement 'Nothing is more permanent than a temporary solution.'
Lmao. Love seeing Adam's thought process happen on camera. Talks about bees in bonnet behavior, later on (talking about the new saws potential to complete stalled projects), demonstrates bees in bonnet process activate...
Here is an odd suggestion, a 2 poster vehicle hoist. I know the chances of a vehicle ever entering your shop are basically zero, BUT they are great for lifting left heavy, unweildy items to variable heights so you can work on them.
@spacekb17 I've never been so cant say, as for roof crane, I would say its even more unlikely that his roof can support it, to cost to retrofit a roof crane when the roof can't support it is immense, we learnt that at my old shop. And a 2 post hoist takes up very little space, it's basically just the uprights and the arms which can be moved out the way. The only thing that would make it not feasible is of course if the floor isn't rated to it. That said he is very unlikely to lift something to its full potential of around 4 tonnes depending on model so it does have some leeway.
A presto stacker lift is a great option for being able to lift heavy items to service height, or to get them up to table height and slide equipment on to a table. It's also built so that you can put it somewhere out of the way with the feet rolling under a table or something else that has a gap on the floor.
for high storage, get yourself a painter pole and make a hook that screws on the end. This allows you to hook small things dow from up high. This is how I handle many of my theatre lanterns that get stored in the rafters.
In defense of the Ryobi planer, I used one to make large chamfers on sime big aluminum castings. Had no issues at all, handled fine, always felt in control. Ended up removing several pounds of aluminum with one set of carbide blades, which still cut nicely.
I have about ten Ryobi 18v tools. I do my own work around the home, on my collector car, in the yard, etc. They are inexpensive, work great and get a lot of consumer-level use. They cut, drill, nail, sand, plane accurately. Still on some the original batteries after years of use. Perfect for the "couple times a month" craftsperson. Not high-end stuff for sure, but they do the job.
Those telescoping ladders are perfect for getting to high shelves in tight areas. Instead of having to wrestle a long extension ladder through a confined area.
I've been a prop maker for over 30 years and I Love Ryobi tools! I've never had a problem with them they do the job and if you're on a gig and one of your Ryobi tools walks away which happens as you know on some jobs! And they're not really that expensive to replace!
Back when I was doing architectural glass art I had a Ryobi cordless drill. Every time I was on job site the contractors looked at it and then gave me a look like I should get back on the Group W bench. They all had DeWalt or Milwaukee or Brosche tools. Over the years I found several things to be true about my Ryobi. 1. it worked just fine, never a problem with it until I finally wore it out. 2. Nobody ever wanted to borrow it so I didn't have to go hunting it down when I needed it. 3. Nobody stole it. All of the guys who had the name brand tools were always complaining about how their tools walked off the job site. I've also had a couple of Ryobi corded drills-unlike all of the name brand tools-they all had really nice long power cords.
While that was true at the time, the price point of those brands has changed. The Ryobi increased in price while Milwaukee and DeWalt have become more affordable to the point where recommending the Ryobi for an entry-level platform no longer makes sense. The performance difference is markedly noticeable. But if one wants to stick with Ryobi, look into used sets that go back to the blue tool days and buy the 4ah batteries online @ 2 for $100. That way the affordability is fully exploited, and you can toss a worn tool into the spare parts bin.
@@DonariaRegia Not really an accurate statement there...Performance is relatively the same across most of these brands with the only difference being speed controllers for triggers etc. or form factor. Now when you get to specialty tools like demo hammers and such then specific brands like Bosch or Hilti fill that niche. Ryobi hasn't really changed that much in price and hasn't been an entry level tool for a long time now. They also have the most extensive eco system on the market with Milwaukee in a distant second and the rest way behind.
The weird thing about tools that disappoint is that you don't use them often but they seem to be the exact things you need at that moment. I have tools I have only used only a few times but boy was I glad I had it.
Nice to know that even the experts can learn new things. I just got done with an accessibility project, putting a lift on a recliner for my dad to have an easier time getting in and out of it, and I was feeling a bit the fool for managing to twist off a wood screw because I drilled the wrong size pilot hole.
Knew Concepts and Bridge City Tool Works both make beautiful, high quality tools. I also like MicroJig products, especially the FitFinder 1/2 Jig (amazing setup tool).
“This thing is so spectacularly rigid, it’s magnificent.” Among all other things, Adam’s tool videos are a great party game. Take a drink every time you could have interjected, “That’s what she said.” You will quickly get hammered. 😂
It's funny he mentions his electric hand planer, because I have one that I love, it does passes from 0-1/8" in 1/64' increments, and it just works splendidly for removing layers of wood and finding the average of a surface's level. That being said, it will rarely keep your boards square unless that is your only goal, and you better make it all the way down your board or you're going to get a radius you will never get out unless you start that thing perfectly where you stopped.
In my brief stint doing jewelry work, I found that the inexpensive blades were best for my jeweler's saw. Not because they are any higher quality, but rather the lower quality forced me to get into good cutting habits with the saw. Having blades that break extremely easily if you aren't tensioning the saw correctly or being gentle and letting the saw do the work for you is a great way to force you to learn those habits.
I have the Ryobi hand planer, in the 15-18 years I have owned it I have found 1 use. On several occasions when replacing old carpet with new thicker carpet or when adding carpet to a room that had a hard floor, the door will rub the carpet and the hand planer is a good way to remove the excess.
When I was coaching high school robotics I could always tell which teams at competitions had some serious financial backing and/or had an amazing manufacturer as a partner solely based on how many if any anodized parts they had lol. Especially because it was usually anodized aluminum in very specific school/team colors. You could spot the teams that worked directly with NASA from a mile away with their shiny anodized blue and red chassis.
Hey Adam, I've been in awe of you and Jamie Hyneman since I was a young man watching myth busters from the beginning. Your ingenuity and creativity and persistence was inspiring. I'm looking forward to the day that I can pass your creation on to my children just as much as Indiana Jones and star wars. I'm a professional bench jeweler, and use a saw everyday. It's not about the saw it's about the magnification and consistency of your stoke. Any saw with a good blade will cut in a straight line. The ability to see your cut, and adjust left is key. As with any hand tool don't force it, just a gentle up and down, let the tool do the work. If you push the saw it will wander left and right. Best thing is to imagine the blade as a piece of wide flat wire that you are pressing edge on into a hard surface. As you push it wants to flex left or right. Gold pike blades are the best. 4/0 blades are our general purpose blade size. But depends on thickness and density of material your cutting. Brass of less than 3mm, 4/0 is fine. Thicker Material, lower the number, 5mm brass 3/0 or 2/0. After size 2 or 4 it's more mine a coping saw. Definitely tune the saw like a guitar. For me and my basic German solid steel and wood saw is a high C. If the blade is too loose it will bend and fatigue early and break. You can tell if it's too loose if you loosen the blade on one end and it curles up into a U shape. Either you've been cutting something very hard or the blade is too loose. Using this saw is an art, And there is so much feel to this art. Im trying to find a way to help you find the balance in verbal / text form. It all comes town to tension of the blade. It needs to be tight but not so tight that it snaps. Loose but not so loose that it bends too much and breaks. As with the Japanese carpenters saw, loose grip, let the tool do the work, and patience. Even though it's simple, it's still a precision instrument. I've been at it for years and am still humbled. Good luck and thanks for all your insights over the years. -Austin-
In defense of the Makita hand planer, it is very good at some somewhat specific tasks. I built a log house many years a go from a "kit". The logs were pre-shaped with tongues and grooves on the top and bottom surfaces that provided a good seal mating surface to stop air and water leaks. This worked well on the intermediate courses, but required the tongues to be planed off on the top courses to provide a flat surface for attaching things like rafters or trusses. I found that there was no better tool for removing them quickly and smoothly from 8-12 foot logs than this tool. It has also come in handy for quickly shaping a new door to an old, irregularly shaped frame or sill. You may not do any tasks where it would be useful, but for some it is the best option.
@TheOriginalSeveth You may not believe this but the company is called Lincoln Log Homes. (And no, it didn't come in a big cardboard tube). The are located in New York State near Lake George. I'm not sure they are still in business because that was over 25 years ago.
I've used jeweler's saw almost daily for 45 years (brass musical instruments) and have done well with the best frames after modifying them. I ordered the less expensive Knew frame after seeing your video and I'm very happy with it as it came, except I will install a larger wooden handle (arthritis and I don't like the bicycle foam). The blades that he sells cut straighter than what I've gotten from jewelry and repair suppliers, but don't last nearly as long (suggestions welcome).
Stumpy Nubs similarly just did a video about quality bow/fret/coping saws, and how most modern cheap coping saws are commodity trash that only serve to make us hate coping saws!
I bought a piece of infrastructure that got delivered yesterday... and immediately on opening it up, I decided that I didn't like it. I wanted to solve a problem and I thought it'd help, but it just made the problem worse... So now I have TWO problems.
Im not an expert but the saw blades i use are swiss made glardon vallorbe blades. They come in different variations and tooth sizes depending on your needs. You will problably end up breaking most saws before you dull them
I've been building a small obstacle course for my kids, using logs from stone trees that fell in a storm. The powered plane has been a godsend for roughing things out. 100x faster than using a sharp drawknife and probably 10-20x faster than even sanding with an angle grinder and 36 grit flap disk. I also used it to plane a beam for my mantle and it worked a treat. Barely required any sanding once I got the hang of using it on the most shallow cut setting.
The funny thing is I look at that keyway as someone with only 1 power tool and can think of ways to do it. Drill out the key hole, then use smaller drill to make the notch, then use a jewelers file to square the notch. Cut around the outside with tin snips if possible as close to the final shape without warping the product, and sand thin/file to the size.
Like you, I discovered the value of the jeweler's saw late in life. I love the spiral-cut blades sold through Rockler. I have a variety of them in various tooth counts and diameters. I have four or five saws (though none are as cool as the one you have). Another tool that I had the same "wow, this works great" is a die filer. If you do not have one, you should look into it. I made mine from a kit I ordered online about ten years ago. It uses small bits of files to help shape small pieces of metal by hand to almost any shape you can imagine. Loved your show and I love your channel. Thanks for the entertainment.
Adam jesteś niezwykle pozytywnym człowiekiem oglądanie Twoich filmów daje mi wiele pozytywnej energii . Pozdrawiam z Polski Adam, you are an extremely positive person, watching your videos gives me a lot of positive energy. Greetings from Poland
one note for Adam "Use More Cutting Fluid" Savage - make sure you lube the jewelers saw blade. Bur-Life or such are great, but I've sawed a lot using an old candle or most lately a brazil nut - seems to work quite well for me for a few months now. I buy a few from bulk aisle in grocery store and keep extras in my mini-fridge
Picked up a little vintage table saw branded Jarmac some years back. Haven't used it beyond a few test cuts but I have always treasured big little plans for it.
Electric planers are fine within their limitations. They're good for quickly roughing something out before you get closer with more refined tools, or where you need to shave something down quickly and a fine finish isn't necessary. I don't use mine all that often, but when I need it, it's a pretty useful thing to have around.
I was only a few min in when my College art school jewelry course experience had me going "Why not just use a jeweler's saw?" and then Jamie pulled one out and was like 'this changed my life' (paraphrasing). They really are great for cutting out those small detailed pieces from a sheet of whatever, not that I do much of that these days as I ended up majoring in oil painting.
I would suggest in your expansion to make a dirty area. Where the table Saw, sanders, grinding, welding and everything that makes grit can live. I did this and it makes a world of difference.
I got very excited when I bought a Mitutoyo 0-25mm snap gauge with a 1 micron dial for an amazingly low price. It is a serious piece of precision equipment. One day I will find that job where it will be the right tool. Until then, it remains in its box.
it do be like that sometimes... last week friends and i doubted the efficacy of using a prybar and sledgehammer to break away slats from a pallet, trying various powered cutting tools at first... then we tried it "the hard way" and found it to be the best method as far as using what we had on-hand
As facilities maintenance at uni, I used electric hand planars every year as a temp fix for decades old wooden doors that had swollen over time from moisture exposure and suddenly would not close.
I used to overlook power planers until i started watching Shoyan Japanese Carpenter. He uses them all the time and makes them look so usefull. He makes the most peacefull carpentry of the most aplicable kind.
I'm a jewelry and i use Pike saw Blades but You can use Glardon Vallorbe super pike, When you are just starting to use the jeweler's saw you are going to break many saws. Once you gain confidence you will break less, use brands of jewelry saws that can cut platinum
You know what the mini-table saw is really good for? Cutting grooves for sliding box lids! I'm currently making a box and I want it to have an acrylic lid set into the wood, and the mini-table saw has a 3mm blade on it, the default width of most acrylic sheets!
If you use lubrication with a jewelers saw the blade will last longer. There are special, wax like lubricants that come in a solid form. You just run your blade through the wax before your cut. The blades are meant for soft metals like gold and silver, but they'll cut through more than that. I've used them for meteorite, made mostly of iron and nickel. They can be pretty durable for their size if you're careful.
Wouldn't some 'library-stairs' make sence to get into your back-cupboards on hight easier? I wish I had this hight for storage in my little shop.... literary constantly moving thngs around to use one tool and then move all things back to get to the next part of the work. This week for example I needed to cut something on the little tablesaw... so I put my saw together, up from the back of the shed. When I started it, the axel in the motor-unit (drill-machine) was not turning well, so I needed to move a lot of things to get to my welder.... then repair that, get the angle-grinder and things to make it work...put it back on and put the saw to action, and move the welder back for that... One cut (I now made 3) took almost a day this way... and now the saw can be taken apart again, boxed up and put back where it was so I can use my lathe again...
Super Pike; made in Vallorbe (Switzerland) -Jewelers saw-blades roundback first quality: No. 0 I uses these for my work in copper & silver. There also good for acrylic & timber. I can cut out the silhouette of a fairy wren accurately, consistently & really quickly. When I first started [silver smithing] using a coping saw I was going through SO many blades per task. The sound of them snapping was becoming a trigger. Now I only replace the blades when the teeth are worn out. I’m I was surprised when I realised I hadn’t broken a blade for weeks. Over time & repetition it becomes less and less of an issue.
I had a tablesaw kick back event once about 12 years ago and it literally threw a 2x3' sheet of ply wood all the way across the room... Didn't get hurt at all, but I've never touched a tablesaw since!
Adam's excellent taste in tools is demonstrated by his Wilton "bullet" vise seen in the background. Adam, what you need is a nice American-made Hardinge lathe and mill now vintage, made in Elmira NY. The best tool-room lathe in the world.
I have a bunch of Ryobi stuff that has taken an unbelievable beating and still runs. In fact nothing Ive ever bought from them has yet died from anything except me using/abusing it for stuff it wasnt meant to be doing...
It's been like 30 years since I took jewelry making class. As I recall with those saws was to keep the tension right. Granted we were using crappy university student stuff and that space age device looks awesome :). I cut some brass with it but mostly remember using it on the sterling zippo case I made (box + hinge, my teacher was overjoyed). It was just one of those things where you'd tighten it up, run the beeswax, start cutting and get it off angle or catch a little and the tension goes off and pop. If it broke at the end you had a chance of using it a bit more but if it broke in the middle, on to the next. If you broke three in twenty minutes, you just put your kit away for the day ;D. That was one class that far surpassed my expectations even if the teacher was a nut case.
Adam, My other half uses a jewellers saw for cutting huge numbers of rings for chainmaille. She generally works with E5356 Aluminium but we have only purchased blades a few times over 20 odd years. I think the Glardon-Vallorbe range might have been rebranded but she managed to drastically extend the life of the blades by simply running the blade through a bit of beeswax every few cuts. She still has a small stockpile of them even after her many projects. I think you would prob like one theme she did where she built a full set of spheres based off the archimedean solids.
If you work a lot with brass check out a micro pulse welder. It will allow you to very quickly tack brass parts together to hold them in place during silver soldering.
I am a Silversmith and I use Antilope Sawblades. The ones I use most often are sizes 2, 0 and 3/0 altho ocasionally I also use a 3 for fast and rough cuts or 6/0 for super fine details. These kinds of sawblades are to be considdered consumables just like sand paper because even when you get better and dont break them as often they do dull noticeably even in softer metals like brass or silver. hope this helps
Blades should have 3-5 teeth per thickness of material. Have a wad of beeswax on hand to lubricate the blade every 20-30 strokes. Saw on a jewelers V block and don’t be afraid to cut new slots into it as needed. Blades usually break when using too much forward pressure, allowing the work piece to chatter on the up stroke, or turning too rapidly. All 3 are solved by having a lighter touch and sawing up and down. Spiral blades are not really necessary.
The hand planer comment: I had a few projects back in the day where I used my dad's old sears hand planer, I didn't find it remotely scary but that was probably more to do with being 20 and inexperienced. No trouble with the planer. My millennial self was shocked when the local sears still stocked the replacement belt for it!
Hand planer is great for door fitting especially really old doors going into an old frame where none are square and you need to splice on a filler that has to fill the uneven space. You can easily hog off to get close then go fine to finish. Lots of chips and dust though.
Speaking of colors on tools, that's kind of how I feel about most of the stuff I've gotten from milescraft. So far I'm about 7 out of 10 or so on their various fixtures and jigs, some of them definitely work better than others and some of them I haven't even considered buying because I just don't think they're worth what they cost or I think they won't work as advertised. But I was initially attracted to them because of the contrasting colors, for some reason it just makes them easier to use, being able to see all the moving parts sort of gives you an idea of how to use whatever it is without the need of much explanation through written instructions or videos.
I have actually needed a power hand planer a few times. Really wide thickness planers are pretty rare and expensive. Within the last six months I've had two projects that required planing things wider than my thickness planer (one was a slab of birch that i made into a desk top). When you need one, it's a handy tool, but i can see why they don't get much use.
What Adam needs, is a library ladder on a rail. Not only will it allow him to reach the Z axis, but the rail is a safety feature when high on the ladder!
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Man, that saw is a bit spendy. Like 2-3 times what a good one goes for.
The planet's ecosystems are dying for your overconsuming taker ways. Shame.
You have too much. You are the problem. Reduce is the first R for a reason.
Overconsumption will be the end of all life on this planet.
Are you proud of your unsustainable taker footprint?
Hey, jeweller here with some info about the saw blades! Basically our rule is that you want at least three teeth in contact with the edge of metal at all times, this will eliminate the blade skipping and greatly reduce breakages. This means it's best to keep a few different sizes on hand for different material thicknesses and here's what I recommend.
For
Also another brand that I've heard jewellers swear by is Herkules but I haven't used them personally
I'm an apprentice jeweller. My record is 8 broken blades in a day
Same in sheet metal. We've got to angle cutting blades to avoid jumping and shaking.
@@louisbucklandI’ve been using Herkules White Labels for the last few years. No complaints. I’m buying Super Pikes next time around as I’m certain that they’ll be of top quality..
I also like to have a tube of blade wax within arms reach. I have a stick of RioGrande's Burlife that always comes out with my jewelers saws.
Adam's capacity for remembering the names of seemingly everyone he's ever met, worked with, or interacted with continues to blow my simply human mind. I feel like that shows a true generosity of spirit
i know right? i sometimes forget the names of people i see every day.
he seems to remember A LOT of stuff with quite some detail.
I wonder the effects of it on a person.
Because I embraced the ability to forget, that way it's easier to learn and re-learn stuff, along with other benefits.
I have had enough tbi's that i can barely remember my own name.
..I struggle with the opposite, thers ppl who i would like to forget...
Name dropping isnt necessarily a good trait to have.
We need a video build of a rolling library ladder against the back 14’ wall!
I was going to write that but you beat me to it.
Exactly what I was thinking! As soon as Adam talked about the rear wall storage, I thought "that needs a rolling library ladder"
maybe even a prop replica or replica of a historical library ladder
only if it comes with a little jib crane for those heavy tools that are never used on the top shelf
@@JHe-f9t I was thinking a ladder might take up too much of his room, unless he used a folding attic ladder that could roll side to side and somehow fold up, maybe on an I-Beam or something, and then I thought a gantry crane on an I-Beam and/or some insane way to hoist himself up to get what he wants, and also grab the heavy stuff up top
There's nothing as permanent as a temporary solution.
Facts
I like that. Temporarily rapidly evolves into Permanent.
Until it breaks again or in a new way. Kept fixing a tailgate handle up until the plastic simply crumbled to dust. 86 toyota pickup. If I could pick up a metal handle outside the city I would haha.
Hi Adam. I am the person who made the Master & Commander Belt buckle Steve Neill gave you. I an a jeweler.. As far as jeweler's saw blades go the Laser Gold from Rio Grande work fantastic ( a lot harder to break mostly ). Though I use blades from the absolute cheapest to the higher end ones, they all work great. Learning to hold the jeweler's saw as lightly as you can while rotating the piece as much as you rotate the saw frame is a good skill to try to develop. I might recommend getting some mid-priced blades in several sizes to try out as breaking them is how you learn to us a light touch. They run about $3.40 a dozen. The thicker the metal, the easier to break, but if you use a blade with too wide a tooth spacing it catches bad too. The blade choice should always be that the blade should have at minimum 2 teeth in the material. Yeah, I often use whatever blade is in the saw which isn't alway 2 teeth = thickness of the metal. And I sometimes use a blade that is waaay to fine in thick metal which leaves a nice shiny cut, but takes way more time and breaks more blades. You might find a saw blade size that can do most of what you cut. Then get a gross of that size for $20-$50 per gross. I would actually recommend this assortment with a standard small 3" saw frame and some Bur-Life lubricant. The BurLife is a must for thicker metals. When I say "a must" I mean much smoother sawing with less effort and less blade breakage. www.riogrande.com/product/laser-gold-saw-blade-most-popular-assortment-kit-pkg144/110328GP/?code=110328&_t_id=jP3VIJ6NCa9AJHP1_0K36w==&_t_uuid=0b3bae4d-584e-4603-a4f4-751246833d37&_t_q=saw+blades+saw+blades&_t_hit.id=Commerce_Products_Product/CatalogContent_50caea87-2307-47a3-bd55-5bb7324cf686_en&_t_hit.pos=11
Adam needs to get the Rio Grande catalogues. Some very interesting tools in them.
I was going to suggest to Adam to lighten his grip on the jewelers saw. My grip on a jewelers saw is more like a pencil with thumb and two fingers than a full handed power tool grip. I like single row of teeth over spiral blades for most materials, especially grainy wood (soft). A spiral blade tends to follow the grain more while the back , non cutting part of the blade can be used to wedge the teeth into a grain or to control a cut by idling the material against the non cutting part of the blade and only lightly cutting the wood with part of the kerf, using the teeth on one side of the blade and not digging in and cutting too much, really good for sneaking up to a layout line after roughing out the cut. If one has a jewelers saw one should also have a saw stand, mine are "V" shaped, clamp into a vise and rise the work up about 10" above the bench, they look kinda like an inverted boot jack.
Since Adam’s been chatting about things that are stored outside the cave, I’d love to see a tour of *that* storage. The duffle bags, the costume/project overflow, the m7 relics….
Hearing Adam talk about tools he bought and didn't really use makes me feel better
I’m not a tool person but I love Adam and this makes me feel better about most things I’ve bought and never use 😂
Yup, I have a Ryobi hand planer that gets used once every few years. It works just well enough to not get rid of it.
@5:55 the tool that scares me the most in my shop is the jointer. The table saw will gouge you or messily sever a body part. A jointer will turn whatever body part that happens to enter it into a reddish mist
I went in for a pre knee op appointment. There was a guy sitting there, in shock, holding his hand above his head. Asked what was up and he just said “jointer”.
Well fuck. I just started using a Jointer. You guys are really helping my psyche.
but as long as your hands aren’t where the blades are a jointers fine. twist the wood a little in a table saw and it won’t matter where your hands are because there’s something flying at 40 mph straight into your face
@@BarginsGaloreoh, and it might pull your hands into the blade as it launches wood at your face.
@@johngraham2335 Just keep your hands away from the spinny things. This is what push sticks/blocks are for. I feel better about the jointer than I do the table saw.
I still dont have a clue what he's talking about when it comes to tools etc, but Adam is so amazing to listen to, his love and passion shines through and ita comforting and although I can't build anything that's more than lego I'm hooked on watching Adam making things. I have a genuine appreciation for makers.
The Bosch hand planner that is in its box under my bench is happy to know it has friends lol
Man they can move some material
I use my planers to shorten doors and straighten warped wood. It gets it done quickly. I have 120v and 20v versions, no matter what use two hands and clamp the work solidly. For doors the folding work tables with built in vise work great, for timber I chuck it in the bench vise.
They are very situationally useful and almost all those situations are home construction. Shaving down a door or eliminating a high spot on a joist. I'd never use one to replace a hand plane for fine woodworking or a planer for dimensioning lumber.
I have a DeWalt I bought for one job in 2006. Haven’t used it since. However, I’ve also hand jointed 30+ bd ft of hard maple that was 10” wide w a hand plane, and I’d consider using the power planer to do the work of a scrub plane. Faster and less muscle work. Also faster than a router and sled for leveling a surface.
I've found it useful in place of a full-sized planer for early straightening/flattening of large warped lumber
My old shop teacher would have appreciated and shared your knowledge of tools. To say the first day of his class was a test on tool identification by correct name.
Needless to say I'm now a stickler on tool names till this day . Example there are well over 40 different kinds of pliers, you will learn the 6 different types you will be learning by name, Mr Lock was a great Industrial Arts teacher.
You remind me alot of Him Adam , as well as a family Of MB...
Cheers To Great Teachers
I picked up a knew jewelers saw based off of your video with the makers, and I love it. Most of the accomplished jewelers I see mentioning a specific blade type say Herkules, but after I broke one I put in an unbranded german blade that came from some pack in a kit, and I cant say I see a difference. The "march in place, dont push the saw" tip was what has helped me the most.
Get yourself a block of beeswax and rub it on the blade. Gamechanger.
For those who don't want to drop a ton of money on a high quality coping saw, consider a wooden bow saw. They can be very cheap and much stiffer than a cheap coping saw.
If you cut on the pull stroke coping saw frames do the job.
You can buy a $5 German style jeweler saw that is every bit as good as you'll ever need
@@1pcfredit works but it’s so much more of a pain
@@BarginsGalore I found the problem I had coping with my saw was the blades I was using. Better blades work better. I couldn't find better blades locally though so I had to order some off the Internet. Which was a pain, but I managed.
Stumpy Nubs recent video is about making a bow saw
A powered hand planer is a handy tool - but probably not as much in the venue you operate. If you were refitting old doors & double hung windows & such, it'd be a daily use item. For cutting in coping saws, if your saw can clamp bulk blade (without specialized ends), check into a roll of veterinarian's wire, sometimes called OB wire - it cuts a lot of things neatly and quickly, and you can buy it by a roll, giving you lots of options for size.
First time I've seen significant use of a powered hand planer was in the videos of Leo rebuilding Tally Ho - fitting hull planks and shaping fair lines.
Your monologue on the saw design aesthetics is very pure hearted and true. I hope they see that. What a compliment.
He had already put that video out that he was talking about, this livestream was from December last year, and he did mention the aesthetics and anodized colors.
As my dad once noted: "The more 'things' something does, the fewer 'things' it does well"
Multitasking is just doing multiple things badly.
My first thought was that Adam needs a rolling ladder for his back wall. Then I thought, he's a maker so it should be retractable. Then I thought, he's got friends so they should help him make it controllable with a remote.
So Adam needs a double spring loaded rolling ladder that can first rotate from horizontal storage on the roof down to a nice 70 degree climbing angle. Then a second spring or pneumatic that can extend or retract the ladder down to the ground. And finally some system to control it all with a garage door opener.
I was thinking the same thing, rolling ladder, but then I thought about the tile puzzle and I think the ladder would more often end up in the way of moving other equipment around than he would access that Z+ materials.
For fine precision work, my go to is a file. The tiny thin file with the teeth on the side tend to cut faster than you think. That keyway wouldn't take that long.
Tip for the jewelry saws is to wax the blades they last longer- you’ll notice a difference in pitch from the sound of whatever you’re cutting and when you apply the wax it’ll change. Once you get used to it, you’ll notice the difference of a wax versus unwaxed blade just by the sound and it’ll save you a lot of money and blades and time changing the blades
I love the comment towards the end about attention to detail with regards to colours. Often overlooked, but if you know what to look for you can find many more of these small, deliberate aesthetics on just about every (what I would consider) artisan tool you can get your hands on. If you can make the tool do the thing it's designed to do fantastically, why spare the rest of the design from having the same attention to detail? This is what keeps me coming back to using some of the tools I have in my collection so far, and moreover loving to use them.
Off Topic... Is that the _Marathon_ logo as your profile picture... 😊
(the 90s video game franchise, by Bungie)
It's actually the reclaimer logo from Halo! (you still got the bungie part right though!)@@DUKE_of_RAMBLE
I saw that, too! Such a great game series. It’d be great to have a ACTUAL remake.
Over the last year I've been taking jewelry making classes intermittently with my comp sci work and have fallen in love with jewlers saws. And it totally just made my day to see you have this new appreciation. Never grow up Adam.
Clearly a future project should be designing and building a rolling library ladder for the back wall :-).
I bought a ryobi hand plane and must say it was the perfect tool for odds and ends jobs like trimming the bottom of a door after updating flooring. Taking a thin layer of a 2x and other trimming objects
Tips from a Shipwright legend Louis Sauzedde does amazing work with a ryobi electric planer.
Yes. He is working on a replaca of the boat in the Jaws movie. At: tips from a shipwright.
Key to using a jewelers saw is establish your elbow as a solid pivot point and make consistent up/down strokes vertically without adding pressure in the direction of your line. If your saw goes off vertical or you push too hard along the line the blade will break. The idea is to use consistent vertical motion that allows the blade to do all the work and remove material at its own pace.
Speaking of tools. When I first started watching Mythbusters, I had such respect for your talent that when I noticed you using a DeWalt drill, I started my tool kit with a DeWalt.
their mid-torque is actually top right now, Milwaukee Fuel stuff has been on top for a while but it seems like DeWalt wants back into the fight, they're outdoing Makita at the moment which is pigs flying. damn I want one lol.
Hearing Adam talk about temporarily putting a machine somewhere years ago and it still being there years later reminds me of the statement 'Nothing is more permanent than a temporary solution.'
Lmao. Love seeing Adam's thought process happen on camera.
Talks about bees in bonnet behavior, later on (talking about the new saws potential to complete stalled projects), demonstrates bees in bonnet process activate...
Here is an odd suggestion, a 2 poster vehicle hoist. I know the chances of a vehicle ever entering your shop are basically zero, BUT they are great for lifting left heavy, unweildy items to variable heights so you can work on them.
Easier to install a ceiling crane on rails..
@@inlangfordMy exact thought. why take up floor space
Can the floor of his shop support this?
@spacekb17 I've never been so cant say, as for roof crane, I would say its even more unlikely that his roof can support it, to cost to retrofit a roof crane when the roof can't support it is immense, we learnt that at my old shop.
And a 2 post hoist takes up very little space, it's basically just the uprights and the arms which can be moved out the way.
The only thing that would make it not feasible is of course if the floor isn't rated to it. That said he is very unlikely to lift something to its full potential of around 4 tonnes depending on model so it does have some leeway.
A presto stacker lift is a great option for being able to lift heavy items to service height, or to get them up to table height and slide equipment on to a table. It's also built so that you can put it somewhere out of the way with the feet rolling under a table or something else that has a gap on the floor.
for high storage, get yourself a painter pole and make a hook that screws on the end.
This allows you to hook small things dow from up high.
This is how I handle many of my theatre lanterns that get stored in the rafters.
In defense of the Ryobi planer, I used one to make large chamfers on sime big aluminum castings. Had no issues at all, handled fine, always felt in control. Ended up removing several pounds of aluminum with one set of carbide blades, which still cut nicely.
I have about ten Ryobi 18v tools. I do my own work around the home, on my collector car, in the yard, etc. They are inexpensive, work great and get a lot of consumer-level use. They cut, drill, nail, sand, plane accurately. Still on some the original batteries after years of use. Perfect for the "couple times a month" craftsperson. Not high-end stuff for sure, but they do the job.
Those telescoping ladders are perfect for getting to high shelves in tight areas. Instead of having to wrestle a long extension ladder through a confined area.
I've been a prop maker for over 30 years and I Love Ryobi tools! I've never had a problem with them they do the job and if you're on a gig and one of your Ryobi tools walks away which happens as you know on some jobs! And they're not really that expensive to replace!
Adam, your comments about the colors on the jeweler's saw are spot on. It reminds me of the saying "how you do anything is how you do everything."
Back when I was doing architectural glass art I had a Ryobi cordless drill. Every time I was on job site the contractors looked at it and then gave me a look like I should get back on the Group W bench. They all had DeWalt or Milwaukee or Brosche tools. Over the years I found several things to be true about my Ryobi. 1. it worked just fine, never a problem with it until I finally wore it out. 2. Nobody ever wanted to borrow it so I didn't have to go hunting it down when I needed it. 3. Nobody stole it. All of the guys who had the name brand tools were always complaining about how their tools walked off the job site. I've also had a couple of Ryobi corded drills-unlike all of the name brand tools-they all had really nice long power cords.
Anyone that talks shade about Ryobi hasn't actually used Ryobi, I guarantee it.
While that was true at the time, the price point of those brands has changed. The Ryobi increased in price while Milwaukee and DeWalt have become more affordable to the point where recommending the Ryobi for an entry-level platform no longer makes sense. The performance difference is markedly noticeable. But if one wants to stick with Ryobi, look into used sets that go back to the blue tool days and buy the 4ah batteries online @ 2 for $100. That way the affordability is fully exploited, and you can toss a worn tool into the spare parts bin.
@@DonariaRegia Not really an accurate statement there...Performance is relatively the same across most of these brands with the only difference being speed controllers for triggers etc. or form factor. Now when you get to specialty tools like demo hammers and such then specific brands like Bosch or Hilti fill that niche. Ryobi hasn't really changed that much in price and hasn't been an entry level tool for a long time now. They also have the most extensive eco system on the market with Milwaukee in a distant second and the rest way behind.
**casually drops chatting with the guy who made the infinity gauntlet like**
The weird thing about tools that disappoint is that you don't use them often but they seem to be the exact things you need at that moment. I have tools I have only used only a few times but boy was I glad I had it.
Nice to know that even the experts can learn new things. I just got done with an accessibility project, putting a lift on a recliner for my dad to have an easier time getting in and out of it, and I was feeling a bit the fool for managing to twist off a wood screw because I drilled the wrong size pilot hole.
I agree with your feelings about routers and table saws/any circular saw blade using tool.
My shop teacher was awesome, loved the pop quizzes on
Tool Names
The correct name for tools so satisfying
Knew Concepts and Bridge City Tool Works both make beautiful, high quality tools. I also like MicroJig products, especially the FitFinder 1/2 Jig (amazing setup tool).
Your common tongue might seem simple to others but, to an amateur your knowledge is everything. Thank you.
“This thing is so spectacularly rigid, it’s magnificent.” Among all other things, Adam’s tool videos are a great party game. Take a drink every time you could have interjected, “That’s what she said.” You will quickly get hammered. 😂
I'm lucky to remember the names of 20 people outside my immediate family. This guy's memory for people and events always impresses me
Terrified of the hand planer too. I gave mine to this girl I knew because she had a sticking door.
"You want it back now?"
"No. Not on your life..."
It's funny he mentions his electric hand planer, because I have one that I love, it does passes from 0-1/8" in 1/64' increments, and it just works splendidly for removing layers of wood and finding the average of a surface's level. That being said, it will rarely keep your boards square unless that is your only goal, and you better make it all the way down your board or you're going to get a radius you will never get out unless you start that thing perfectly where you stopped.
Engineering / Design Challenge: How about a rolling library stair to access the Z-Space?
In my brief stint doing jewelry work, I found that the inexpensive blades were best for my jeweler's saw. Not because they are any higher quality, but rather the lower quality forced me to get into good cutting habits with the saw. Having blades that break extremely easily if you aren't tensioning the saw correctly or being gentle and letting the saw do the work for you is a great way to force you to learn those habits.
I have the Ryobi hand planer, in the 15-18 years I have owned it I have found 1 use. On several occasions when replacing old carpet with new thicker carpet or when adding carpet to a room that had a hard floor, the door will rub the carpet and the hand planer is a good way to remove the excess.
When I was coaching high school robotics I could always tell which teams at competitions had some serious financial backing and/or had an amazing manufacturer as a partner solely based on how many if any anodized parts they had lol. Especially because it was usually anodized aluminum in very specific school/team colors. You could spot the teams that worked directly with NASA from a mile away with their shiny anodized blue and red chassis.
I could listen to Adam talk tool's for hours , Thank you Adam .
Hey Adam, I've been in awe of you and Jamie Hyneman since I was a young man watching myth busters from the beginning. Your ingenuity and creativity and persistence was inspiring. I'm looking forward to the day that I can pass your creation on to my children just as much as Indiana Jones and star wars.
I'm a professional bench jeweler, and use a saw everyday. It's not about the saw it's about the magnification and consistency of your stoke. Any saw with a good blade will cut in a straight line. The ability to see your cut, and adjust left is key. As with any hand tool don't force it, just a gentle up and down, let the tool do the work. If you push the saw it will wander left and right. Best thing is to imagine the blade as a piece of wide flat wire that you are pressing edge on into a hard surface. As you push it wants to flex left or right.
Gold pike blades are the best. 4/0 blades are our general purpose blade size. But depends on thickness and density of material your cutting. Brass of less than 3mm, 4/0 is fine. Thicker Material, lower the number, 5mm brass 3/0 or 2/0. After size 2 or 4 it's more mine a coping saw. Definitely tune the saw like a guitar. For me and my basic German solid steel and wood saw is a high C. If the blade is too loose it will bend and fatigue early and break. You can tell if it's too loose if you loosen the blade on one end and it curles up into a U shape. Either you've been cutting something very hard or the blade is too loose. Using this saw is an art, And there is so much feel to this art. Im trying to find a way to help you find the balance in verbal / text form. It all comes town to tension of the blade. It needs to be tight but not so tight that it snaps. Loose but not so loose that it bends too much and breaks. As with the Japanese carpenters saw, loose grip, let the tool do the work, and patience. Even though it's simple, it's still a precision instrument. I've been at it for years and am still humbled.
Good luck and thanks for all your insights over the years. -Austin-
In defense of the Makita hand planer, it is very good at some somewhat specific tasks. I built a log house many years a go from a "kit". The logs were pre-shaped with tongues and grooves on the top and bottom surfaces that provided a good seal mating surface to stop air and water leaks. This worked well on the intermediate courses, but required the tongues to be planed off on the top courses to provide a flat surface for attaching things like rafters or trusses. I found that there was no better tool for removing them quickly and smoothly from 8-12 foot logs than this tool. It has also come in handy for quickly shaping a new door to an old, irregularly shaped frame or sill. You may not do any tasks where it would be useful, but for some it is the best option.
That’s impressive, by chance do you remember the manufacturer/company name for your kit?
Very interested in looking into something like that!
@TheOriginalSeveth You may not believe this but the company is called Lincoln Log Homes. (And no, it didn't come in a big cardboard tube). The are located in New York State near Lake George. I'm not sure they are still in business because that was over 25 years ago.
I've used jeweler's saw almost daily for 45 years (brass musical instruments) and have done well with the best frames after modifying them. I ordered the less expensive Knew frame after seeing your video and I'm very happy with it as it came, except I will install a larger wooden handle (arthritis and I don't like the bicycle foam). The blades that he sells cut straighter than what I've gotten from jewelry and repair suppliers, but don't last nearly as long (suggestions welcome).
Stumpy Nubs similarly just did a video about quality bow/fret/coping saws, and how most modern cheap coping saws are commodity trash that only serve to make us hate coping saws!
I made one from the Taylor Tools kit he talked about. I gave away my old coping saw almost immediately. Huge difference in cutting accuracy
I bought a piece of infrastructure that got delivered yesterday... and immediately on opening it up, I decided that I didn't like it. I wanted to solve a problem and I thought it'd help, but it just made the problem worse... So now I have TWO problems.
Im not an expert but the saw blades i use are swiss made glardon vallorbe blades. They come in different variations and tooth sizes depending on your needs. You will problably end up breaking most saws before you dull them
I've been building a small obstacle course for my kids, using logs from stone trees that fell in a storm. The powered plane has been a godsend for roughing things out. 100x faster than using a sharp drawknife and probably 10-20x faster than even sanding with an angle grinder and 36 grit flap disk.
I also used it to plane a beam for my mantle and it worked a treat. Barely required any sanding once I got the hang of using it on the most shallow cut setting.
It’s my understanding that there are different jeweler saw blades for different materials and thicknesses.
Why am I not surprised that Adam has "Embalming Tools" in his shop! Love the esoterica of Adam and his tools!
So glad that even experts buy tools thinking they will be great, but then never use them. I have done that.
The funny thing is I look at that keyway as someone with only 1 power tool and can think of ways to do it.
Drill out the key hole, then use smaller drill to make the notch, then use a jewelers file to square the notch. Cut around the outside with tin snips if possible as close to the final shape without warping the product, and sand thin/file to the size.
Like you, I discovered the value of the jeweler's saw late in life. I love the spiral-cut blades sold through Rockler. I have a variety of them in various tooth counts and diameters. I have four or five saws (though none are as cool as the one you have). Another tool that I had the same "wow, this works great" is a die filer. If you do not have one, you should look into it. I made mine from a kit I ordered online about ten years ago. It uses small bits of files to help shape small pieces of metal by hand to almost any shape you can imagine. Loved your show and I love your channel. Thanks for the entertainment.
Adam jesteś niezwykle pozytywnym człowiekiem oglądanie Twoich filmów daje mi wiele pozytywnej energii . Pozdrawiam z Polski
Adam, you are an extremely positive person, watching your videos gives me a lot of positive energy. Greetings from Poland
one note for Adam "Use More Cutting Fluid" Savage - make sure you lube the jewelers saw blade. Bur-Life or such are great, but I've sawed a lot using an old candle or most lately a brazil nut - seems to work quite well for me for a few months now. I buy a few from bulk aisle in grocery store and keep extras in my mini-fridge
Jewelers saws are AMAZING. they're some of the most versatile and finessed tools ever. I love them.
Picked up a little vintage table saw branded Jarmac some years back. Haven't used it beyond a few test cuts but I have always treasured big little plans for it.
Electric planers are fine within their limitations. They're good for quickly roughing something out before you get closer with more refined tools, or where you need to shave something down quickly and a fine finish isn't necessary. I don't use mine all that often, but when I need it, it's a pretty useful thing to have around.
I was only a few min in when my College art school jewelry course experience had me going "Why not just use a jeweler's saw?" and then Jamie pulled one out and was like 'this changed my life' (paraphrasing). They really are great for cutting out those small detailed pieces from a sheet of whatever, not that I do much of that these days as I ended up majoring in oil painting.
Adam - You made my daughter's day down at the Planet Comic Con in Kansas City. She was a huge fan of Myth Busters in her teens!
I would suggest in your expansion to make a dirty area. Where the table Saw, sanders, grinding, welding and everything that makes grit can live. I did this and it makes a world of difference.
I got very excited when I bought a Mitutoyo 0-25mm snap gauge with a 1 micron dial for an amazingly low price. It is a serious piece of precision equipment. One day I will find that job where it will be the right tool. Until then, it remains in its box.
it do be like that sometimes... last week friends and i doubted the efficacy of using a prybar and sledgehammer to break away slats from a pallet, trying various powered cutting tools at first... then we tried it "the hard way" and found it to be the best method as far as using what we had on-hand
and of course, of course, we only got really good at it by the time we were just about done
Those poor tools, i wouldn't know what to do with myself if Adam Savage were disappointed in me.
You may want to look specifically for jeweler's saw blades. They're much finer, and made for metal sheets, not wood.
Finer cut along the length.
As facilities maintenance at uni, I used electric hand planars every year as a temp fix for decades old wooden doors that had swollen over time from moisture exposure and suddenly would not close.
I used to overlook power planers until i started watching Shoyan Japanese Carpenter. He uses them all the time and makes them look so usefull. He makes the most peacefull carpentry of the most aplicable kind.
I'm a jewelry and i use Pike saw Blades but You can use Glardon Vallorbe super pike, When you are just starting to use the jeweler's saw you are going to break many saws. Once you gain confidence you will break less, use brands of jewelry saws that can cut platinum
You know what the mini-table saw is really good for? Cutting grooves for sliding box lids! I'm currently making a box and I want it to have an acrylic lid set into the wood, and the mini-table saw has a 3mm blade on it, the default width of most acrylic sheets!
If you use lubrication with a jewelers saw the blade will last longer. There are special, wax like lubricants that come in a solid form. You just run your blade through the wax before your cut.
The blades are meant for soft metals like gold and silver, but they'll cut through more than that. I've used them for meteorite, made mostly of iron and nickel. They can be pretty durable for their size if you're careful.
Wouldn't some 'library-stairs' make sence to get into your back-cupboards on hight easier?
I wish I had this hight for storage in my little shop.... literary constantly moving thngs around to use one tool and then move all things back to get to the next part of the work.
This week for example I needed to cut something on the little tablesaw... so I put my saw together, up from the back of the shed. When I started it, the axel in the motor-unit (drill-machine) was not turning well, so I needed to move a lot of things to get to my welder.... then repair that, get the angle-grinder and things to make it work...put it back on and put the saw to action, and move the welder back for that...
One cut (I now made 3) took almost a day this way... and now the saw can be taken apart again, boxed up and put back where it was so I can use my lathe again...
Hi Adam, I have always used Eclipse Piercing Blades, there are multiple different sizes. For really detailed work I use M1
Super Pike; made in Vallorbe (Switzerland) -Jewelers saw-blades roundback first quality: No. 0
I uses these for my work in copper & silver. There also good for acrylic & timber. I can cut out the silhouette of a fairy wren accurately, consistently & really quickly.
When I first started [silver smithing] using a coping saw I was going through SO many blades per task. The sound of them snapping was becoming a trigger. Now I only replace the blades when the teeth are worn out. I’m I was surprised when I realised I hadn’t broken a blade for weeks. Over time & repetition it becomes less and less of an issue.
I had a tablesaw kick back event once about 12 years ago and it literally threw a 2x3' sheet of ply wood all the way across the room... Didn't get hurt at all, but I've never touched a tablesaw since!
Adam's excellent taste in tools is demonstrated by his Wilton "bullet" vise seen in the background. Adam, what you need is a nice American-made Hardinge lathe and mill now vintage, made in Elmira NY. The best tool-room lathe in the world.
I have a bunch of Ryobi stuff that has taken an unbelievable beating and still runs. In fact nothing Ive ever bought from them has yet died from anything except me using/abusing it for stuff it wasnt meant to be doing...
It's been like 30 years since I took jewelry making class. As I recall with those saws was to keep the tension right. Granted we were using crappy university student stuff and that space age device looks awesome :). I cut some brass with it but mostly remember using it on the sterling zippo case I made (box + hinge, my teacher was overjoyed). It was just one of those things where you'd tighten it up, run the beeswax, start cutting and get it off angle or catch a little and the tension goes off and pop. If it broke at the end you had a chance of using it a bit more but if it broke in the middle, on to the next. If you broke three in twenty minutes, you just put your kit away for the day ;D.
That was one class that far surpassed my expectations even if the teacher was a nut case.
Adam, My other half uses a jewellers saw for cutting huge numbers of rings for chainmaille. She generally works with E5356 Aluminium but we have only purchased blades a few times over 20 odd years. I think the Glardon-Vallorbe range might have been rebranded but she managed to drastically extend the life of the blades by simply running the blade through a bit of beeswax every few cuts. She still has a small stockpile of them even after her many projects. I think you would prob like one theme she did where she built a full set of spheres based off the archimedean solids.
If you work a lot with brass check out a micro pulse welder. It will allow you to very quickly tack brass parts together to hold them in place during silver soldering.
I am a Silversmith and I use Antilope Sawblades. The ones I use most often are sizes 2, 0 and 3/0 altho ocasionally I also use a 3 for fast and rough cuts or 6/0 for super fine details.
These kinds of sawblades are to be considdered consumables just like sand paper because even when you get better and dont break them as often they do dull noticeably even in softer metals like brass or silver.
hope this helps
Blades should have 3-5 teeth per thickness of material. Have a wad of beeswax on hand to lubricate the blade every 20-30 strokes. Saw on a jewelers V block and don’t be afraid to cut new slots into it as needed. Blades usually break when using too much forward pressure, allowing the work piece to chatter on the up stroke, or turning too rapidly. All 3 are solved by having a lighter touch and sawing up and down. Spiral blades are not really necessary.
The hand planer comment: I had a few projects back in the day where I used my dad's old sears hand planer, I didn't find it remotely scary but that was probably more to do with being 20 and inexperienced. No trouble with the planer.
My millennial self was shocked when the local sears still stocked the replacement belt for it!
I use the Knew concepts saw for my hand cut dovetails. It's ability to basically make 90 degree cut saves so much chisel work.
Hand planer is great for door fitting especially really old doors going into an old frame where none are square and you need to splice on a filler that has to fill the uneven space. You can easily hog off to get close then go fine to finish. Lots of chips and dust though.
Speaking of colors on tools, that's kind of how I feel about most of the stuff I've gotten from milescraft. So far I'm about 7 out of 10 or so on their various fixtures and jigs, some of them definitely work better than others and some of them I haven't even considered buying because I just don't think they're worth what they cost or I think they won't work as advertised. But I was initially attracted to them because of the contrasting colors, for some reason it just makes them easier to use, being able to see all the moving parts sort of gives you an idea of how to use whatever it is without the need of much explanation through written instructions or videos.
I have actually needed a power hand planer a few times. Really wide thickness planers are pretty rare and expensive. Within the last six months I've had two projects that required planing things wider than my thickness planer (one was a slab of birch that i made into a desk top). When you need one, it's a handy tool, but i can see why they don't get much use.
For the items stored high up on the wall, a library style sliding ladder would be supercool. Just a thought.
What Adam needs, is a library ladder on a rail. Not only will it allow him to reach the Z axis, but the rail is a safety feature when high on the ladder!