Anyone built a blade welder?
Have a number of reels of blades and odd sixe M2 blades, have a blade holding fixture and usually gas weld, then hand grind the joints, sometimes just braze a scarfed joint on small blades.
Would be nice to have a butt welder, not sure if it would be worth the trouble to make one, sure not worth the cost to buy one.
Replies
JH, WOODCRAFT Store used sell an inexpensive kit for silver soldering blades with propane or, the hotter type gas (MAPP ?).
Trick is, you have to first grind 'scarfed joints'
to the mating edges before the brazing.
That way, the blade has no bulges to jam up the guides.
Steinmetz
Edited 12/27/2008 9:42 pm ET by Steinmetz
I use an angle iron notched in the center for the torch tip. A hinge on each side of the notch that the blade ends go under.Small C-clamps hold the hinge down. A straight edge or locator pins to keep the blade straight.I keep the ends down tight with a 1/8" pointed rod as I heat the joint.
Now if I could figure out how to grind the lap joints easily I'd be in good shape.Mostly trial and error so far for me. Many blades can be filed easily, I usually wind up filing the last bit.
mike
Mike, up end and clamp a belt sander to your bench vise. Use an aluminum oxide belt and grind the flats (scarfs) to a long angle.
If you grasp the blade end with a vise grips together with two wider and flat pieces of 1/8"thick steel about four inches long )
THINK SANDWICH
As you apply the
lower layer of the sandwich to the blade, be sure it's set back about an inch. When you grind the taper, the lip of the steel should rest on the sander's shoe,( but not on the belt)
The procedure creates an angled "RAMP" to the blade Keep a damp rag nearby ,so as not to over heat the work. A good trick Io use when 'sand grinding' small work, is to use a foot switch to control the belt. Steinmetz.
Thanks, I printed your post out and will give it a try next time I braze a blade.
mike
I think I spennd too much time on the Lee Valley web site because i practically know every product available. Maybe i'll get a job there when i retire.
Anyways, they have a bandsaw blade splicing kit
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=41049&cat=1,41036,41048
Junkhound,
I found a Powermatic blade welder on Ebay several years ago. It's a 220v used model, and will weld up to 3/4" wide blades. You've got to remember what width and thickness the blade stock is in order to know what voltage/amps it takes to weld heavier and wider blades...Might be at least as cheap as building one...
Buying 100-250' reels of blade stock can get a little dicey if there is another bidder, AND you have to pay shipping on top of that... What I've learn to do is watch for the brand, teeth per inch, and width, and buy new blades that are longer than what I need that are being sold in a large lot. Those big odd-length long ones have few bidders.... Once I bought a box of 1/2", bimetal woodworking blades that were welded up as 28' long. Even cutting out the weld, I got one blade length that would fit my big band saw, and the long shorter piece would fit my extended neck 105" smaller band saw.
Bill