Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Marc St Louis on March 06, 2011, 05:58:52 pm
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I used to buy my own blades but at $15 each it was getting a bit expensive. Plus I had the occasional blade that I didn't use more than 3 or 4 times before it broke, they were still sharp. I decided to put a stop to that and did some research on how to fix and/or even make up my own blades. It turned out to be a lot easier than you would think.
First of all I did a bit of research on what I would need. To make them you need bulk bandsaw blade stock. My wife bought me this 1/4" by 6 tpi coil, yes she's an O:)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/Marc-St-Louis/MSC/BladeStock.jpg)
You can buy a jig to make or repair the blades but I made this one instead out of wood. It works quite well
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/Marc-St-Louis/MSC/Jig.jpg)
You just have to make sure that everything is perfectly aligned and straight so that your blades come out that way also. The next 3 pictures show how it's used
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/Marc-St-Louis/MSC/Step1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/Marc-St-Louis/MSC/Step2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/Marc-St-Louis/MSC/Step3.jpg)
Most sites say that to weld them you need silver solder but there were some people that said brazing worked also. I tried the silver solder and didn't like it so I then tried brazing and it works quite well. The brass is a bit more sensitive to to being bent but as long as you are careful then they last till quite dull
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Nice one.
My bandsaw usage isn't up to that level yet, but it's nice to know you can do that.
One of the last 2 I bought didn't seem to run true, if you are making your own you can conrtol the quality.
Del
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Good stuff MArc!
The portable sawmill guys do that a lot... they break blades on nails and such, they weld them back together and they even have jigs to sharpen them.
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers
Matt
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Del,
You should learn this even if you do not make your own. You can repair a broken one the same way. It is also common practice to purposely break the blade, pass one end through a hole in the project you are making, weld it back, put it on the saw and make your cut. That is how to use a bandsaw to make an 'inside' cut without cutting in from the outside.
Bevan R
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What sort of torch/gas do you use?
Del
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I use a small portable oxygen/propylene torch
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That looks like the way to go Marc. The last blade I bought was 17.00. The cheapest I could find at the time. Badger had a idea of several guys going together and buying a machine that makes them. Don't know for sure what it is but I will look and see. Dean
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There is a big band saw at work that they use for metal cutting. I was looking at it the other day and noticed that it had an attachment for welding the blades and it even had a little grinding wheel on it to smooth them out. I guess I could use that one if I needed to. So far, I haven't used enough blades to buy in bulk.
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So Mark, you like the 1/4" 6 tpi blade? Could you expound upon your choice so we can learn from your wisdom? Danny
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I like the 1/4" because it's the most versatile blade. I do keep a couple 1/2" blades around for heavy ripping but those I bought, I don't use them often.
My next project is making a jig that will allow me to sharpen my jointer blades. I found a pretty neat one online, now I just need to make time to make it.
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Thanks Marc that's some good info.Ronnie