Any tips on soldering a new bandsaw blade?

[Cadillac STS]

I got a Wellsaw 46 on Craigslist for $40. The man had it since new. It came with a blade on it and a roll of uncut blade material and he had a jig and a life time worth of silver solder to put them together. He gave me a quick run down on how to do it, use a bench grinder to narrow half inch of each side put it in the jig and silver solder it. I tried that but couldn't get the splice to be small enough. Blade needs to end up 59 1/4 long.

I did see a youtube video on a way that someone uses but thought I'd throw the question out here to see if anyone else has any suggestions.

 

[outsider347]

Take a look atToms page
One of my favorite U tube machinists

http://tomstechniques.com/instructional-videos/general-shop-practice/

 

[Holescreek]

I just started silver soldering blades myself after watching some videos on youtube. I made a single jig that holds the blades for grinding the bevels where they over lap and also has clamps to keep the ends aligned for silver soldering. Once the flux is in place and the joint closed in the jig it's just a matter of heating it with a MAPP torch and depositing the silver.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

I got a Wellsaw 46 on Craigslist for $40. The man had it since new. It came with a blade on it and a roll of uncut blade material and he had a jig and a life time worth of silver solder to put them together. He gave me a quick run down on how to do it, use a bench grinder to narrow half inch of each side put it in the jig and silver solder it. I tried that but couldn't get the splice to be small enough. Blade needs to end up 59 1/4 long.

I did see a youtube video on a way that someone uses but thought I'd throw the question out here to see if anyone else has any suggestions.

Hey Cadi ,
you have the ingredients to do it, the jig is the important part.
tapering the blade on both sides at the same angle can be the challenge.
the jig should hold the blades in the correct orientation for the solder up.
you can lightly dress the blade joint should it be to thick, but try not to reheat the joint with overzealous grinding.
the silver solder should make a relatively flat joint.
try not to overheat the blade would be my other suggestion, hot enough to melt the silver solder but don't melt the blade!
good luck!!!

 

[Holescreek]

I remembered this thread while I was out in the shop this morning and snapped some photos. The jig I made is nothing fancy, all scrap metal laying under the bench. No time to play with it but I found a piece of blade to give you the idea. The jig is made to hold both 1/2" and 3/4" stock.

 

[george wilson]

In one school I taught shop in,I had no money for pre welded blades. I filed a long splice on 1/4" blades. About 3/16" long,by hand. The splices had to be quite flat. I just made a jig from wood to hold the blade ends in alignment. I fluxed the splice and put a bit of silver solder in the joint. When the solder melted,I'd squeeze the joint tightly together with pliers. Then,I'd carefully heat the joint blue to get rid of the brittleness that clamping the blade with pliers,cooling it too quickly would have surely done.

It took some skill to do it right,but I must say,those joints stood up a great deal longer than any welded joint ever did. It was nearly "boy proof". I continued to solder my own blades for many years at home.

 

[John Hasler]

In one school I taught shop in,I had no money for pre welded blades. I filed a long splice on 1/4" blades. About 3/16" long,by hand. The splices had to be quite flat. I just made a jig from wood to hold the blade ends in alignment. I fluxed the splice and put a bit of silver solder in the joint. When the solder melted,I'd squeeze the joint tightly together with pliers. Then,I'd carefully heat the joint blue to get rid of the brittleness that clamping the blade with pliers,cooling it too quickly would have surely done.

It took some skill to do it right,but I must say,those joints stood up a great deal longer than any welded joint ever did. It was nearly "boy proof". I continued to solder my own blades for many years at home.

I bought a fixture for doing that. I grind the bevel with the bench grinder and the fixture holds the ends just right for brazing with silver solder. The clamps that hold the blade are each several inches from the joint so it doesn't cool too fast. I then grind the joint flush if necessary. Works a treat.

 

[Kernbigo]

I use sheet silver solder and good paste flux plus my jig is the same as in the picture, grind a end at a angle and that is it, they work great.

 

[NodakGary]

This sounds interesting. Where do you get your silver solder and what kind are you using?
Thanks.
NodakGary

 

[Kernbigo]

Re: Any shtips on soldering a new bandsaw blade?

A friend gave me mine, but i see it is listed on ebay. The thinner the better and a very small amount. You first flux both sides of the angles ground on the blades, then insert the silver solder between the blade ground angle. Then heat up tell it melts, let it cool then heat back up tell it is blue, to draw it back and then grind tell the thickness it around the thickness of a blade or a little larger.