[TheForge] Re: Vise squad

Sun May 8 13:09:25 EDT 2005

My high school shop teacher had a brand new gee whiz bandsaw that had a 
blade welder built in. You'd just line up the ends in the fixture and 
zap it, perfect spot weld every time. Could this be done with astandard 
welder?
I know craftsmen who spot weld with regular AC/DC buzz boxes, but have 
never tried it. Renato Muscovic, up near Vancouver BC welds leaves on 
vines and such by grinding a sharp point where it attaches, setting it 
in place, and zapping it with his arc welder. Nice invisible attachment.
Andy G.

Ralph Sproul wrote:

>Hi Mike,  Once again I'm impressed with the progress as you've gone from a
>chevy cavelier friction wheel to a line shaft and flat belt
>drives............      You must be a master tinkerer as I can barely keep
>everything going that run off direct electric motor drives at my place!  Is
>your whole place run off a line shaft? 0r was the band saw that vintage - so
>you were test firing her for blade testing?
>
>I've had very limited success when welding blades together myself on the
>"Blade Welder" that came with an old Walker Turner band saw I have.  I've
>ground the edges square and flat for a resistance butt weld - then hit the
>power button to anneal like Bzzzzzzzzzt,  Bzzzzzzt, Bzzzzt,  Bzzt, Bzt.
>Letting the red go out further on the blade less and less each time.  I
>found on that whole role of blade stock that I bought that I did give it an
>honest effort - but found my success rate just didnt' merit buying a second
>roll and have bought factory "premade's" since then on.
>
>My question to you on the brazed blade repairs is the slight bevel your
>mentioning is square to the blade? or did you bevel them like you'd weld a
>truck frame and angle that slight bevel with the length of the blade to get
>more surface area for the braze?
>
>I'm guessing this was a but weld with the butt being square but slightly
>beveled in the vertical height of the blade not the length.
>
>I think this is one of those if I saw it we wouldn't be writting so much -
>but such is keyboard show and tell.
>
>I did feel mastering the blade welding thing to be economicly better than
>buying premade ones - but I got frustrated with my success rate and the time
>I was taking to prove to myself I could do it.  I do know how to braze, and
>there is a little bit of that blade stock left on the roll, so I'd give
>myself a second chance if you feel this works well.  I think open flame
>brazing at less than half the temperature on high carbon or bimetal blade
>stock would take away that electric annealing process that I could never get
>consistent with.  Some would last months, others wouldn't make the first
>turn.  :-(
>
>The jig I'm guessing is just a way to hold the blade flat and straight while
>brazing? are you leaving the center open for flow? or is it tight to a
>ceramic surface or something so it won't stick?
>
>The ability to take a blade that someone using your saw and breaking a tooth
>cuz they dropped the head to fast or cut too close to a torch cut would be
>great to cut out the broken tooth section of a $50 blade and rebraze it for
>some continued use........instead of tossing it begrudgingly into the
>trash - or in my case.......putting it on that pin sticking from the wall
>where there are five "repairable" blades for when I'm real bored and want to
>try my hand at electric annealing - or Mike gives me the true secret to
>success in brazing blades.   :-)
>
>Ralph
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Mike Spencer" <mspencer at tallships.ca>
>To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 12:24 AM
>Subject: [TheForge] Re: Vise squad
>
>
>  
>
>>>I almost hate to admit this, but I was standing there one day with
>>>four of these really thick 0 rings...
>>>      
>>>
>>Good yarn, Ralph.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>I think this qualified for one of those rare and treasured moments
>>>in the shop when ignorance turns to bliss...
>>>      
>>>
>>Yes.
>>
>>BTW, some time ago -- I forget how long -- I asked advice about
>>brazing bandsaw blades.  After several failed experiments, I went with
>>my "ordinary" brazing rod, a jig and a slightly beveled joint,
>>i.e. just a little overlap.  And tehre it sat for months.
>>
>>Yesterday I finally dragged the saw over to where a flatbelt would
>>reach from the lineshaft and fired it up.  Works like a charm.  Blade
>>didn't go !SPUNG!.  Home-made clutch arrangement needed one mod to
>>keep the belt on.
>>
>>Horrible location, blocking the walk-way and no room for a long
>>workpiece but it's proof of concept.
>>
>>- Mike
>>
>>--
>>Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
>>                                 (902) 543-8375            /V\
>>mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
>>http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
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>>    
>>
>
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-- 
Andy Gladish, Metalwork
7141 Guemes Island Rd.
Anacortes, WA 98221
Element Forge  www.elementfe.com
mailto: andy at elementfe.com

I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what
it may, -- light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful.
-John Constable, painter (1776-1837)