How to Make Custom Length Bandsaw Blades Without Welding

[TomG]

Thanks Andrew.

[the artfull-codger]

(01-21-2014, 12:02 AM)TomG Wrote: I've been silver soldering my bandsaw blades for quite a while now and finally got around to making a proper fixture to do it. Here's a little video on my technique.

Tom

Nice jig Tom,I've been making my own bandsaw blades in a similar fashion for a number of years using a home made jig out of angle & joining with silver solder but I particularly like your design especially with the double purpose toungue & the slot for grinding & the clamps,I'm allways on the lookout for 100ft coils at autojumbles,you can sometimes ''drop across'' a roll for £20 or I buy ready made up blades cheap if longer than mine & cut them down.
graham

[DaveH]

Excellent video Tom

DaveH

[TomG]

Thanks Dave.

[the artfull-codger]

(01-24-2014, 04:18 PM)TomG Wrote: Thanks Dave.

Tom I've now made a grinding fixture for my disk sander[thanx for the ispiration] a few years ago I bought from an autojumble what the bloke said was a bandsaw welder which I knew at once it wasn't, it's a commercially made electric bandsaw brazer,I'll dig it out & photo it, you flux,clamp the blades & I hammer a piece of silver solder really thin & put it between the joint then switch it on & pull a lever which after clamping it electrically heats up & silver solders between the clamping mechanism,no better really than my home made one just a bit more convenient,It's made by Wadkin Bursgreen,don't know if you've heard of them but they're the dogs bo***cks in woodworking machinery real quality gear, lasts forever.
Graham.

[TomG]

You know what they say Graham, if there aren't pictures then it never happened.

Tom

[chucketn]

Tom,
Is the 20 deg of the beveling slot on your jig critical? Is that the optimum scarf angle?

Chuck

[TomG]

Chuck,

It's not critical, but the 20º angle is optimal. More, reduces the contact area of the joint and less makes the blade difficult to grind. Just throw the base in your vise and set the angle with your protractor.

Tom

[PixMan]

I would think that the more acute the angle, the longer the patch of silver solder and therefore the stronger the joint.

Too much though and you might have trouble with registration and end up with a thick lump or a thin spot.

[TomG]

Yes Ken, I've tried a more acute angle and it's difficult to grind and harder still to align. Twenty degrees is a happy medium that seems to work the best.

Tom