Saw lubricant

[Sandra]

Well I was just about to start my very first piercing project and discovered I need saw lubricant. Arrggh! Since it is Sunday afternoon I doubt I can find anything today, is there an everyday household item that could work as a replacement? I have candles but they wouldn't be pure bees wax. How about a bar of soap?

[mizgeorge]

A candle, or a block of hard soap is fine. Or spit, favoured by many...

You can also pierce quite happily without lubricant.

[Sandra]

A candle, or a block of hard soap is fine. Or spit, favoured by many...

You can also pierce quite happily without lubricant.

Ok thanks!

[Goldsmith]

As george says, a wax candle is perfect and it is true you don't need to always lubricate the blade. I have used candles as saw lubricant when needed, throughout my career. A tip is to rub the candle onto the rear of the saw blade which helps keep the cutting line clear.
Happy piercing.

James

[Dennis]

While on the subject of saw blades, do you all find that they break more easily than they used to, or am I getting more heavy handed? Dennis.

[mizgeorge]

While on the subject of saw blades, do you all find that they break more easily than they used to, or am I getting more heavy handed? Dennis.

Definitely! I also find they blunt far faster than they used to (if they haven't broken before they get a chance!)

[Sandra]

Well this experience has been interesting so far! Halfway through my piercing project and haven't broken a saw blade yet. The candle is working out just fine as a lubricant. My main problem has been the paper design I so carefully glued on the metal to use as a pattern is just not a good idea. One, I can't really see what I'm sawing as the paper is in the way, and two, pieces of it have ripped off during sawing. Back in the house figuring out a plan b. A non-permanent marker perhaps...

[mizgeorge]

I generally scribe my guidelines, but you can use a fine permanent marker, which can either be removed with acetone or just burned off at the end.

[Wallace]

Well this experience has been interesting so far! Halfway through my piercing project and haven't broken a saw blade yet. The candle is working out just fine as a lubricant. My main problem has been the paper design I so carefully glued on the metal to use as a pattern is just not a good idea. One, I can't really see what I'm sawing as the paper is in the way, and two, pieces of it have ripped off during sawing. Back in the house figuring out a plan b. A non-permanent marker perhaps...

You could copy your design onto some wax transfer paper (link to an example of what I mean). (http://www.woodworkscraftsupplies.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=72_238&products_id=1061&osCsid=68f802c22a4a8ba34bd608eb1acd181c) Essentially, it transfers, like the old tracing paper, but in colour. Place your metal at the very bottom. Blu-tack it onto the metal, place design on top and using a sharp pen, trace around the design. Lift of and you will have a design that does not rub off easily, but will remove with heat and soapy water. I like using the red wax paper as it is more durable.

Failing that, print it off on a sticky label. They tend not to move and you can cut through them pretty easily.

Failing that, you can place your design on top of the metal and create your design in dots. You can easily join the dots afterwards with a pointed metal scribe. This takes a while, but is useful also if you ever go into wax designs.


and failing that, free hand with a permanent ohp marker pen. They stay on the metal better than a sharpie. A non-permanent marker will rub of in seconds and a permanent marker may struggle.

I am sure others will come up with some other ideas.

kindest, Wallace

[Patstone]

I have the same problem, I stick paper on with Pritt stick and that comes off so does a sharpie so labels and OHP pens seem a good idea, will give it a try. Did you go up to the IJL show Wallace, we went up, found I didnt have your number on my new phone, sorry I couldnt ring you, and Sam never had it. We examined every nook and cranny and met some people on this forum, which was nice to be able to put a face to a name. Very tiring day though, and was kept up by one of my dogs who woke me up screaming at 2.30am, she must have had a nightmare as she was shaking, poor little thing, so I did something I have never done before and let her cuddle up between us in bed, she was fine after that, then got off the bed and went downstairs, then started again at 4ish. So I am a bit sleep deprived today.

[Keia]

I just use cellotape over the design. Probably a huge smithing no-no but meh, works for me =p

[Goldsmith]

Polish the metal you are going to pierce, paint it with China white poster paint, when it's dry draw on your design with a sharp pencil, if you make mistakes when drawing then you can just wet the paint and rub out the design faults. When you have the perfect design drawing, draw over the pencil lines with a scriber. I use a darning needle held in some pin vices for my scriber, when you have scribed the design wash off the paint and the design will be quite clear on the polished surface and ready for piercing. If your design is a printed copy then tape it to the white painted metal with a piece of carbon copy paper between the design and painted metal, then trace the pattern onto the painted metal using a sharp hard pencil before going through the scribing process.

James

[Didi]

Hi there. I used James' method and it works a real treat. On a tricky bit I went over the lines with a felt tip pen which sunk black colour into the scribed lines, made it even easier to see.
Didi

[Sandra]

Thank you all, will try the white paint and scribing with the next attempt. I'm having another problem in that my hole punch is leaving indents around the hole. I can't seem to press any lighter because then the punch won't go through the metal. I think I either need to break out my drill or buy a thinner piece of copper sheet.

[Wallace]

It wouldn't be a bad skill to learn. Hole punches are not something I am familiar with in metals - but I have seen them on a video somewhere. Drill bits are cheap enough, it is the appliance you use that can be more costly. A cheap hand drill wouldn't set you back too much - but it would seem you are nearing the path of the need more tools to do more things.... It is a long road, filled with many gadgets and tools. I am not sure what you have already - but be wary of going for things that are too cheap.

[mizgeorge]

To start with, a little archimedian drill will do the job just fine. Hole punches are OK, but need a bit of cushioning - try putting a little bit of card either side before you punch.

[Sandra]

Well I may be new at all this but this does not look like jewellers rouge to me!
5077

[ps_bond]

Ah, it's nascent jeweller's rouge. What you need to do is leave it out in the rain for a few months, then, when it's completely turned to rust, grind it down into as fine a powder as you can, mix it with some tallow and then you've got rouge.

Ah, cobblers is it.

Chemically close, but that's about it. :)

[Sandra]

And so it goes. Never noticed the error in packaging it till I opened it up to polish my first piercing project. So next I moved on to trying out my hubby's drill to start another piercing project but none of the bits I've tried seem to cut through the copper. It could just be me as I've never used a drill before. All in all a very unfruitful jewellery-making day.

[ahunter]

Sandra

Thanks for the posts, and sorry for the label error, was everything else Ok with your order ?

Regards

Adam Hunter
Commercial Manager

[Sandra]

Yes CooksonGold, the rest of this order and others have been perfect, thanks for asking!