# parting tools



## johnintecumseh (Jan 16, 2009)

Has anyone made "thin" parting tools from sawall blades


> are they rigid enough


 thanks for the help. keep smiling John


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Yes I made one from a Dewalt rescue, sawzall blade and it works very well. I barely use my regular parting tool since I made it. It doesn't flex if you keep it at right angles to the turning and firmly on the tool rest.


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## Kreegan (Jul 10, 2012)

Yeah I made one from a Freud sawzall blade. It works well on pieces 3" or less. You can also use edger blades, which should be a bit sturdier.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I didn't make an actual tool but tested a cut Dewalt blade and it works but dulls quickly. I didn't heat treat but maybe I'll need to if I made a real one. How did others do theirs?


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## murch (Mar 20, 2011)

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/78837

Made one from a broken scissors and a branch. Works fine. Never buy what you can make.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I wonder if the folks at Milwaukee Tools get frustrated by people calling other brands of reciprocal saws "SawzAll".


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## Kreegan (Jul 10, 2012)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genericized_trademark


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

What Crank said, and Skil saw, Weed eater, etc.
Bill


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## Kreegan (Jul 10, 2012)

I just used a blade like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-Diablo-Bi-Metal-Reciprocating-Blade/dp/B0051YY7TA

I didn't heat treat it. I stripped all the paint off as well. After I'd shaped it, I just touch it up on my diamond stones. I sharpen my lathe chisels after every 2 or 3 turnings that I use them, depending on the type of wood.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Not sure how thin you need to go, but I made one like Captain Eddie's using an Ace hardware replacement lawn edger blade.


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

I made one out of a mystery blade. It was a blade that I'd used so much that the paint was gone and I can't remember what it was originally. I love mine and never touch the diamond shaped parting tool anymore, because I hated it to begin with.


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## rkober (Feb 15, 2012)

I made one out of a section bandmill blade. Works great.


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## mtenterprises (Jan 10, 2011)

I have been thinking about this topic since it was posted. I too needed a thin parting tool but I didn't really want to work real hard at it. But today I was dumpster diving and found a table knife (not a butter knife) and I thought to myself I wonder if this will work for a parting tool, table stainless is pretty good steel. So off to the shop. First I cut the round end off at what looked like a good angle then I ground the top and bottom edges parallel giving me a nice sharp point like a metal lathe cutoff tool. I think I got lucky on this knife since the top edge measures about 0.055" and the bottom edge is about 0.035" so no taper grinding needed. Tested it out in some 1 1/4" dia. black walnut and it worked just fine. So you might want to try out this idea but *WARNING* DO NOT USE YOUR WIFES TABLEWARE unless you want to be singing saprano the rest of your life. I know that you can get 3 for a buck at some dollar stores. Oh and as for the handle well it comes with one already attached, mine has a fancy rose swirlie pattern.
MIKE


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