How to use a bocil saw?

The bocfil is a truly indispensable tool for cutting metal. It is the jeweler's saw!
It will be part of your jewelry tool kit if you want to start in jewelry.
When you first try it, you'll notice that it's not always easy to master this little hand saw. But with time and patience, you will become a pro at cutting with a bocil .Don't knowwhere to buy a bocfil? We have a beginner jeweler'stool kit available on our site.

Qhat is a bocfil?

It is a U-shaped saw holder, more or less deep, that supports a tensioned blade with a screw or wing nut.
Called a saw frame or a small saw, the bocfil is really the^first tool you buy when you are a beginner jeweler. Indeed, sawing is one of the basic operations in the manufacture of jewelry. It will be used to cut, trim, openwork... in a very precise way the metal like silver, copper, brass, aluminum and many others.

What is the purpose of a bocfil?

With its miniature saw-like appearance, you will have guessed it: the bocfil is mainly used to cut metal.
You can also use it to openwork, i.e. to create a pattern inside a piece of metal. To do this, you will first need to drill the metal with a drill bit, then thread the jeweler's saw inside to make your cut. Then simply follow your pattern.
Another possibility that is less obvious is to use the bocce wire as a file. To rectify a straight line or adjust a cut, you need to "scrape off" the excess material with the saw blade while holding the saw blade in profile.

How to choose your saw blades?

It is important to choose a blade size that is adapted to your project (depending on the thickness of the metal you want to saw, what you want to open up...).
If you want to cut a thick metal plate, use large blades (0 or 1). However, if you want to cut a thin metal plate or to open up a thin pattern, prefer thin blades (6/0, 4/0 or 3/0) to do a precise job.

The thicker the metal, the thicker your blade will have to be, i.e. with spaced teeth. Generally, we say that you need 2 teeth per thickness of metal.

There are different blade sizes defined by numbers. The scale of saw sizes is (from the thinnest to the thickest): 8/0, 6/0, 4/0, 3/0, 2/0, 0, 1, 2, 3

How to prepare your bocfil?

1. Loosen the two nuts of the bocil and insert your saw blade. Be careful, it is very important to put the blade in the right direction: the teeth of the saw must be turned downwards.
Gently run your finger over the blade, if it catches, you have found the right direction!
2. Tighten the nut near the handle.
3. Wedge your bocil against the bench pin, then put strong pressure on the bocil by pressing the handle with your shoulder. Finally, tighten the second nut.
4. Release the pressure. The blade must be perfectly taut. This is very important for successful cutting.

To explain you the best way to do it, we are preparing a video to show you how to saw metal in jewelry.

Tips for cutting metal with a bocfil

• The first thing to do is to have a good position to saw. Your back should be straight and your feet should be flat.
  Your workbench peg should be at chest height. To give you an idea, your ankle should be a little below eye level so that you are not leaning over your work and hurting your back.
  Note that the height of a jeweler's bench is around 90 cm.
  A little tip: you can position your ankle on a classic table and use a low stool to have a good position.
• As mentioned above, the saw blade must be perfectly taut.
• The saw should always be held vertically.
• The bocil should not be held too tightly. It is when you are tense (tense) on the wire that you break the blades. The wrist must be flexible in order to perform the up and down cutting movement. A smooth, even motion is required to achieve a smooth cut.
• Hold your metal plate firmly on your ankle.
• Avoid positioning your fingers in front of the saw blade.
• To make right angles, you need to tilt the saw while turning your bocce.
• Don't forget to lubricate your blades. If you do a lot of cutting, it is advisable to lubricate your saw blades with beeswax to avoid breakage and make cutting easier.
• Last tip: don't get discouraged! Beginner or not, breaking a saw blade is quite normal. It takes time and patience to master this tool correctly. Your gesture will gradually become more precise and safer with experience.
  The key to success is to practice making curves, angles, straight lines... Practice again and again until you can make perfect cuts without breaking a blade.