While driving back from Charlotte, I stopped at the Woodcraft store in Raleigh to see what I could find. They had this really slick saw that looked promising for cutting pie cork wedges using the pie jig from Custom Tackle.

This saw is 0.008" thin and has 60 teeth per inch. Cutting depth is 3/4 inch. The blade itself is reversible & replaceable. It's expensive at $20.99, but most of the time you can wangle a 10% discount with Woodcraft.

The Woodcraft stick-on label states "Model Maker Razor Saw", item #126820.

The saw package itself says "Gyros #83-16008". I tried this saw and it wastes much less material than any I've used before, due to the thin kerf. It works well for cutting the pie shapes, though it's thinner than the jig slots - no major problem if careful.

It won't work for slicing off 1/4" cork rings using the slicing jig from Custom Tackle - cutting depth of saw is not great enough.

For cutting 1/4" slices off 1/2" cork, the best I've come up with is the Stanley Flush Cut Pull Saw #20-331 from Home Depot. It measures 0.016" thinness, 23 teeth/inch and will go all the way through the cork diameter.

I've also tried "Japanese Flush Cut Saw #39273" from Harbor Freight (blade thickness 0.024" & 19 TPI) and the Shop Fox Plug & Dowel Saw #D2055 from Grizzly (0.019" thinness & about 13 TPI).

Hope this is useful to someone.

Stan





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2006 11:19PM by Stan Gregory.

Thanks, Stan!!!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

You can buy jewelers saws with 2 3/4 inch up to 6 inch throats and saw blades down to around .006 wide. The problem then lies in the jig. The width of the slots in the aluminum jigs is around .060 so there is alot of slop and the slices and the pie sections will not be uniform in size. I made myself some hardened steel jigs with .010 wide slots to guide the blade and that works out great but unless you know a machinist with a wire EDM and some free time it would not be very cost effective to have that kind of jig made up. But you might be able to get some shim stock and close the slots up on the aluminum jigs.

Allen Madsen
San Jose CA.

I use a japanese craft saw, but not the flush cut. The flush cut has the offset that I would think makes it less steady. The straight craft saw also has the reversed teeth. no set, is thin and razor sharp. It works for me.

When I cut my cork, either pie shape or 1/4 inch thick piece, I use a utility blade or safety razor blade. I get smooth cuts every time.
Good Wraps Bob