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motorcyclemama
 [ Big Voice ]
Joined: April 18, 2004
Posts: 141
Submissions: 3
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
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| Posted on Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:34 pm |
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If you contact Thurston and are willing to buy in big quantities, you can get an even better deal  We buy 200+ in each size we use at a time and the prices are great. The blades are the best quality I have found, and we've tried everywhere!
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Figment
[ Kibitzer ]
Joined: January 07, 2010
Posts: 21
Submissions: 0
Location: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
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| Posted on Wed Jan 27, 2010 3:22 pm |
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Another supplier for blades that Dave Arens recommends is www.malcosaw.com. Their 1 1/4" .010 3/8" blades are $5.19 ea. I don't know if you need to order bulk or not. I haven't called yet.
I work primarily with silver and copper from 14awg - 21awg. I'm thinking I should get .006 and .010. I'm using a .010 on my Koil Kutter now, but I really would like a smaller kerf on smaller gauges. Does that sound reasonable? |
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Joined: July 25, 2006
Posts: 954
Submissions: 3
Location: Klamath Falls, Or.
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| Posted on Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:36 pm || Last edited by kodiak on Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Figment, I think you're going a bit large with .010, and a bit small with .006. The thickness most jewelry folks work with is .008", assuming most jewelry folks work primarily in 16awg to 20awg. That accounts for 80% of the material I cut.....21awg I use a .006, although if I'm being lazy I'll just use .008, but definitely a thinner blade for 22awg.....on 14awg and larger, I use a .010".........a suggestion only....you should use what works best for your setup.
The choices are driven primarily from considering kerf width, but strength and durability are also considerations.
To discuss the "strength issue for a moment, most people just think of it in fairly simple terms....strong means it won't break easily. But that's not really what we're dealing with, breakage, but blade drift with larger materials. Using a too thin blade, like .006 on a 14awg coil, you'll experience drift, the blade will veer off course, making wonky cuts, and probably break besides, from the blade bending off to the side.
A quality arbor minimizes this with plates that sandwich the blade properly and apply an even, consitant support as far out near the circumference of the blade as reasonable for the cutting job.
Some of this seems a bit technical, but it's important to know for the person trying to make their own tools, like an arbor or guide, or using tools made for a different application, and then wondering why they're breaking blades or getting angled cuts.
Kodiak-
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong". -H.L. Menken
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." -Dorothy Parker
Chaincraft Mandrels |
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Figment
[ Kibitzer ]
Joined: January 07, 2010
Posts: 21
Submissions: 0
Location: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
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| Posted on Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:13 pm |
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| Kodiak, thanks very much for that info. I'm going to hedge my bets and get some of each of the three sizes |
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Joined: August 09, 2008
Posts: 51
Submissions: 12
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
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| Posted on Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:44 pm |
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Well, I tried making a homemade arbor as ZiLi had, but it's not working out for me so far. The bolt was to large to fit into my drill, so I had to grind it down.... unfortunately, it doesn't sit well and wobbles a lot. Furthermore, it's hard to get a tight grip on the ground down bolt, so It pops out under torque... such as when cutting rings.
I think I'm just going to pop for one of the TRL's arbors next time I put an order in. |
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Joined: May 07, 2008
Posts: 3492
Submissions: 147
Location: Germany, Herxheim
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| Posted on Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:59 pm |
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Nope. That was Cynake's but not mine. His one worked (and copies will work if done right), while my own first attempt didn't, mainly due to the fact that I was VERY inexperienced then (a year or so ago) - and didn't know what I know today. Nowadays I would be able to do better, given that the right tools were available to me. As that is unfortunately not the case where I live currently, I chose to bite the bullet and to buy the basic rig. But I plan to incorporate changes here and there that are doable with a 'small toolset', as I think that there IS ALWAYS room for improvement.
-ZiLi-
Maille Code V2.0 T6.5 R5.6 Ep Fper Mfe.s Ws$ Cpbsw$ G0.4-3.5 I1.6-16.0 N28.25 Pj Dacdejst Xagtw S08 Hi
Human societies are like chain mail.
A single link will be worth nothing.
A chain is of use, but will break at the weakest link.
A weak weave will have the need to replace weak links.
A strong weave will survive even with weak links included.
-'me |
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Joined: August 09, 2008
Posts: 51
Submissions: 12
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
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| Posted on Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:15 pm |
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Sorry about the mixup. |
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Cynake
 [ Ancient Forge ]
Joined: April 15, 2002
Posts: 1819
Submissions: 1
Location: Calgary, AB. Canada.
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| Posted on Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:49 pm |
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Yeah, if you grind it down, you'd have to do it perfectly, otherwise it won't be centered. Wobble will kill you.
You used a drill that doesn't open up to 3/8"?
If you could temporarily find a drill that opened far enough (drill press for example), you could mount it there, fire it up, and then lathe it down while spinning. That would remain smooth. Then cut the end off the bolt that was in the drill, and you're done, it'll fit in a smaller drill.
Or, on the flip side.. you only wasted $2 (actually, maybe only $0.50, you could return everything 'cept the bolt ). |
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Figment
[ Kibitzer ]
Joined: January 07, 2010
Posts: 21
Submissions: 0
Location: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
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| Posted on Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:37 pm |
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As a follow up to this discussion, I recently purchased blades from Thurston and was very pleased with Customer Service, delivery, and price.
I ordered 10 blades. 5 each of .010 and .008 blades. With USPS Priority Mail (to the Virgin Islands) shipping, my total came to $58.00
There is no minimum for quantity ordered, but there is a minimum purchase of $20.00. |
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Mewpal
 [ Ringlet ]
Joined: May 22, 2012
Posts: 8
Submissions: 0
Location: Houston TX
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| Posted on Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:55 pm |
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| For those of you that purchase from Thurgood and don't jerry-rig a homemade arbor, where do you purchase your arbors from? I am having a hard time finding a good arbor supplier other than TRL. |
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Joined: March 27, 2009
Posts: 1014
Submissions: 4
Location: Southeastern Minnesota
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| Posted on Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:26 am |
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| Uh, TRL? MTL Studios? |
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Joined: August 30, 2008
Posts: 2581
Submissions: 20
Location: Mississauga, ON, Canada
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Dravin
 [ Big Voice ]
Joined: December 19, 2009
Posts: 246
Submissions: 3
Location: Chippewa Falls, Wis
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