The tool I use second most has to be my jewelers saw, and it's certainly the first I use in most projects. Generally speaking, I don't mill my own metal. So I start with a sheet, tube or wire I've purchased. So cutting is the first step.
Flush cutters and shears work quickly, but they tend to leave compressed and sharp edges, these require lots of cleanup work. A saw leaves a nicer edge. It's flat and just needs a little bit of filing and sanding to create a finished look.
I do all my sawing at my bench, against a bench pin- a piece of wood clamped onto the tabletop. This gives me a solid surface to hold the piece still. I keep a bit of melted candle next to my benchpin to wax the saw. A little wax keeps the teeth from catching on the metal and reduces the friction to keep the saw blade from heating up. Sawblades tend to snap- the smaller the quicker they break.
Jewelers saws can hold blades of many different sizes. The blades are tiny compared to a household coping saw, some are like fine wire. The teeth are so small you have to run them over your finger to figure out which direction they're facing.
You need to pay careful attention to the direction. You want the teeth pointing "down" so that they catch on the downstroke as you cut the metal. You place the blade into the saw on one side, tighten the screw and then brace the top of the saw against a solid surface, push gently to bring the arms a little closer together and place the other end of the blade in the other arm and tighten. When you release the pressure, the saw will be taught.
Sitting straight in front of the piece, you hold the saw perpendicular to the piece you're cutting. This gives you the best chance at control and cutting exactly as you want. You just move straight up and down and let the saw do all the work. You really don't need to exert much pressure as you guide the blade. I've heard that companies make saws with very stiff frames that can help make your cutting even more precise.
I like to rubber cement a pattern to the metal and follow the lines as I saw. Sharpie or scribed lines work well too.
One of the nice parts of this type of saw, you can drill holes and insert the blade before reattaching the saw blade to the frame. The depth of the sawframe allows one to work a few inches deep into a sheet of metal.
Saw Blades Guide: 16 gauge sheet metal (#2 saw blade), 18 gauge sheet metal (#1 saw blade), 20 gauge sheet metal (#1/0 saw blade), 24 gauge sheet metal (#4/0 saw blade), 26 gauge sheet metal (#6/0 saw blade), 28 gauge sheet metal (#8/0 saw blade), (reference from wikihow)
Of these, #2 is the largest, the numbers go down to 0 and then start at 1/0 and count up again for smaller and smaller sizes.
I have a few favorites (the three above are 1/0, 4/0 and 7/0) I use fairly thin sheet most of the time and I'll use a smaller blade than recommended to get into tiny corners to reduce filing. The saw can create infinite shapes large and small.
After things are soldered down, it's easy to use the saw to trim excess sheet or bits that are too long to precisely the shape and length I want.
The saw makes jumprings that fit every time, wonderful pierced and lacy designs, and beautful bits to embellish anything.
-Simbelmynë
