integrated saw blade storage in handle
As part of the CCSF metal arts program, we were tasked with making a container. My personality doesn't lean toward jewelry, which was the focus of every other student in the class so I struggled with an idea. Finally i decide on a replacement saw handle that allows seperate storage of 6 different types of saw blade. I even designed a small code plate that allows identification of the various blade types in the handle, but for this plate to be changed with a new one that allows different blades to be loaded.
Challenges
The biggest challenge was in the truly massive thermal mass difference between the core and the thin wall tubing. In silver soldering the core to the round plates, the heat could be relied upon to travel from the core to the plates. However, keeping the plates clocked to allow straight insertion of the tubing needed creative fixturing. Simple using the thin wall tubing as a locating device meant easily burning through the walls of hte tubing way before the solder melted! Instead, i used graphite stirring rods which would withstand incredible heat.
The cap required a very delicate approach too. The locating here was simply done by hand, with test fits and adjustments in reflowing the solder as needed. Care needed to be taken, since everything on the project was done with the same melting temperature solder. If i overheated the cap, everything would slide off!
In hindsight, much better fixturing and workflow would have completely eliminated the issues, but this was my first soldered jewelry project, and i'm proud of the successful end result, and grateful for the lessons learned.
