I think you may be right there Michael but I have found that to get yourself in a really comfortable situation and good quality blades and change them as soon as the cut slows they are after all a disposable item. Very satisfying when you can reliably cut to within a few thou of the line!

If you follow the advice given by Gary try printing the pattern with red rather than black as is does moke it easier to see the cut

The swallow is 20mm diam, and the clasp 15 x 8mm.

Remember farthings and halfpennies? With a robin and ship on the back respectively. In the late ’70s one chap in our machine shop was cutting these out with a mill and file and another in the microwave circuit lab was using a laser. They got them gold plated in the plating shop and sold them as a necklace or bracelet.

Michael,

Jewellry, have you seen Andrew Berry “At the bench” on YouTube?

Good Luck………..

<p style=”text-align: left;”>I use a piercing saw for crossing out clock wheels. My method is to clamp a piece of stiff ply to my drill press table adjusted to roughly chest height. The ply has a narrow V to support the work and clear the blade. This puts the work at a comfortable distance  for close sight. Ensure good lighting and use a head magnifier if required. The work is carried out standing with a straight back. It is possible to cut very accurately to a line in this way.</p>
regards Martin

Another person I highly respect, Ron Rose, who does a lot of piercing flat stuff for horology recommends only using a large frame saw so you can lock the saw back against your arm:

eclipse 12 inch fret saw

Ron’s and Ford’s advice don’t always match. They are both top of their game in what they do.

I watched an Adam Savage video a while back in which he was being instructed how to use a piercing saw by a chap that manufactures an impressive looking, allegedly stiffer frame. The product placement aside, it did give some very handy tips.

It’s here

Rob

Links to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iemKEhl_BDI

Interesting Martin I had never thought of standing up but can see the thinking behind it, perhaps I will give it a go next time, saves the bent back thing!

Lots of people swear by Knew Concepts saws. My mentors do not. I’m not convinced of the basic premise  of the Knew (frame stiffness and weight).

The jewellers saw is often used for generic metal removal (on a small scale), not just sawing lines. I feel the Knew is targeted at sawing lines. The 3D designs from them might tend to discourage some uses of the jewellers saw.

I like using old tools that have patina through use. Not all old tools work as well as new designs, but I certainly love my older pattern hand-saws.

MichaelG: that second video from Ford where he uses the saw more as a file – Simple application but the video shows the forces and speed to apply… and these are probably the most important thing to learn? I concentrate on being aware of every stroke but Ford is really being aware at finer resolution.