Quote Originally Posted by Dennis View Post
As for annealing saw blades, if you have bought a batch of blades and they keep breaking, you can make them more usable, by a quick flick with the mini-torch while in the frame, but not highly tensioned and then air cooling.

For silver, there is hardly any difference in sharpness or longevity, but they don't snap so much.

Sorry, Dennis, that is what I was meaning, since I've not yet worn out my first blade, 'longevity' hasn't been an issue any other than snapping for me.

Carlton mentioning the blades as 'brittle' switched on the light-bulb. A geologist by training, I'm equally at home to the idea of rocks being quenched as metals, so when I read Carlton's entry I thought why not? A quick flick is probably right as too hot would soften the metal saw blades increasing their ductility and therefore whilst they wouldn't snap, they would probably dull more quickly.

Chas