Qualters & Smith 6” Power Hacksaw

[Rowan Sylvester-Bradley]

Forward. The cylinder is supposed to lift the bow on the return cut to save on teeth life.

I don't think this is correct. I think it cuts on the return (inward) stroke and the relief cylinder lifts the blade on the outward stroke. This means that you have to fit the blade the right way round to achieve this. You can see this in this video:

Thanks - Rowan

 

[Rowan Sylvester-Bradley]

Does anyone have a manual for this machine?

I have a manual for the QSH6, if that is the same as the one you've got. I can scan it if you wish (it's 17 pages).

Rowan

 

[Rowan Sylvester-Bradley]

I have another question about this machine. What goes in this hole?

I guess it is another 1/8" BSP tapered plug, and that it is for filling the cylinder with oil, but strangely it is not shown in the diagram in my handbook, although such a plug IS listed in the parts list as item 198 (which does not seem to be referred to on the diagrams).

Thanks - Rowan

 

[Dieselman 63]

I don't think this is correct. I think it cuts on the return (inward) stroke and the relief cylinder lifts the blade on the outward stroke. This means that you have to fit the blade the right way round to achieve this. You can see this in this video:

Thanks - Rowan

Surely that just depends on how the motor is wired though. It will perform the same task just in reverse. Fitting the saw teeth the other way around would equalise it, a bit like using the rear toolpost on a lathe in reverse

 

[RonA]

I have a manual for the QSH6, if that is the same as the one you've got. I can scan it if you wish (it's 17 pages).

Rowan

I for one but very interested in getting hold of a copy of the manual.
RonA

 

[Rowan Sylvester-Bradley]

Surely that just depends on how the motor is wired though. It will perform the same task just in reverse. Fitting the saw teeth the other way around would equalise it, a bit like using the rear toolpost on a lathe in reverse

Obviously you have to have the motor wired correctly for it to rotate in the correct direction. But if you have the machine running in the reverse of the designed direction, the relief piston system will not work correctly. I will lift the blade on the cutting stroke, and drop it on the return stroke, which won't work at all.

Thanks - Rowan

 

[Rig Pig]

I don't think this is correct. I think it cuts on the return (inward) stroke and the relief cylinder lifts the blade on the outward stroke. This means that you have to fit the blade the right way round to achieve this. You can see this in this video:

Thanks - Rowan

From the Q&S manuals -

Cutting on the draw stroke puts the force into the fixed jaw of the vice.

 

[Rowan Sylvester-Bradley]

Cutting on the draw stroke puts the force into the fixed jaw of the vice.

Not on mine (which is a QSH6) it doesn't. Draw stroke means the inward stroke, doesn't it? The inward vice jaw is the moving one (on mine), so cutting on the draw stroke will put the force on the moving vice jaw. Not that I think this really matters - the vice looks plenty strong enough to hold the workpiece and resist the cutting forces. On mine the threads on the vice screw and the nut are completely knackered, and I'm going to have to get a new screw and fit a new nut into the moving vice jaw, when I've worked out the best way to do it.

Thanks - Rowan

 

[Rig Pig]

Not on mine (which is a QSH6) it doesn't. Draw stroke means the inward stroke, doesn't it? The inward vice jaw is the moving one (on mine), so cutting on the draw stroke will put the force on the moving vice jaw. Not that I think this really matters - the vice looks plenty strong enough to hold the workpiece and resist the cutting forces. On mine the threads on the vice screw and the nut are completely knackered, and I'm going to have to get a new screw and fit a new nut into the moving vice jaw, when I've worked out the best way to do it.

Thanks - Rowan

Mine is the later heavy duty version, 8" and weighs 1/2T!
I didn't realise they had swapped the moving jaw around.
I would class the draw stroke as the blade being pulled back towards the crank.
This is the company that owns what's left of the once mighty Q&S they have a small stash of old stock parts.

 

[Dieselman 63]

I don’t really see why this matters anyway. Is Covid 19 bringing out the pedant in some?

And no, I haven’t yet got around to looking at my saw! Only this evening did I pull back the dust sheet on my lathe to pick up where I left off. Almost there

 

[Rowan Sylvester-Bradley]

Another question about the Qualters & Smith hacksaw. I have seen it said that the bow slide should be lubricated with oil, not grease. And many pictures of these saws show an oil filling hole in the top of the bow slide casting. Indeed, the manual that I have with mine (which of course may not be the original correct manual for my saw, since I don't know the full history of it) shows this casting full of oil. But my saw does not have this filling hole in the top. Instead it has a grease nipple each side. Does anyone know what I'm supposed to do with this? Am I supposed to grease it via these nipples? Or am I supposed to have a grease gun full of oil? Or what?

Thanks - Rowan

 

[Rig Pig]

Another question about the Qualters & Smith hacksaw. I have seen it said that the bow slide should be lubricated with oil, not grease. And many pictures of these saws show an oil filling hole in the top of the bow slide casting. Indeed, the manual that I have with mine (which of course may not be the original correct manual for my saw, since I don't know the full history of it) shows this casting full of oil. But my saw does not have this filling hole in the top. Instead it has a grease nipple each side. Does anyone know what I'm supposed to do with this? Am I supposed to grease it via these nipples? Or am I supposed to have a grease gun full of oil? Or what?

View attachment 219645

Thanks - Rowan

I would guess they are to oil the slide directly, mine had the oil tank in the arm, the oil gun is a much smaller bit of kit than a grease gun, they are quite common for machine tool lubrication.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Some models have an oil tank, others have straight grease ports.

 

[Dcal]

I have a similar looking (but different) saw.
The only name I can get on it is Gate Velux 10 which is on a removable cover plate.

It runs and every now and again I try to cut something with it, but it doesn't cut square and it breaks blades for fun.
I have it cutting on the push stroke and now wonder if it should cut on the draw stroke. This would suit the fixed jaw of the vice.
If you think about it the blade is probably stronger in tension so might work.
I'll post some photos tomorrow.
I would like to get it running but every time I try, it costs me an 18 inch blade.
I'm off to ebay to order another.

 

[Dieselman 63]

I have a similar looking (but different) saw.
The only name I can get on it is Gate Velux 10 which is on a removable cover plate.

It runs and every now and again I try to cut something with it, but it doesn't cut square and it breaks blades for fun.
I have it cutting on the push stroke and now wonder if it should cut on the draw stroke. This would suit the fixed jaw of the vice.
If you think about it the blade is probably stronger in tension so might work.
I'll post some photos tomorrow.
I would like to get it running but every time I try, it costs me an 18 inch blade.
I'm off to ebay to order another.

Do Wish or Aliexpress have any? I’ve seen a lot of tooling on both, not sure if it’s any good but the price of used MT3 bits is through the roof here and cheap from China... not certain on quality, of course toolroom grade is lovely but if it gets the job done...

 

[Dcal]

Do Wish or Aliexpress have any? I’ve seen a lot of tooling on both, not sure if it’s any good but the price of used MT3 bits is through the roof here and cheap from China... not certain on quality, of course toolroom grade is lovely but if it gets the job done...

Thanks, @Dieselkid 63 it's certainly worth a look.

I haven't really tried the Chinese sites for blades.
I can usually get good old stock (Eclipse, Bahco, Sandvic) for reasonable money, but it goes against the grain to put one on when I know it will end in tears.
There is a little play in the top pin of the "bow" but even with a new blade (I've never had anything else because they are usually bust in one or two cuts) when I try to cut something it always cuts wider at the bottom and puts so much side ways pressure on the blade that something has to give.
After it breaks, the bow and whats left of the blade comes back into line.

I pulled it out again recently to cut up 8" x 6" box for a frame for an English Wheel I'm building but I've ended up cutting it with the plasma and a 9" grinder.
I could live without it but it's such a lovely old tool I'd really like to get it up and running properly.

@Rig Pig any chance you could email me a copy of your manual?
I might glean some useful information from it, even if it's not the same saw.

 

[Rig Pig]

Thanks, @Dieselkid 63 it's certainly worth a look.

I haven't really tried the Chinese sites for blades.
I can usually get good old stock (Eclipse, Bahco, Sandvic) for reasonable money, but it goes against the grain to put one on when I know it will end in tears.
There is a little play in the top pin of the "bow" but even with a new blade (I've never had anything else because they are usually bust in one or two cuts) when I try to cut something it always cuts wider at the bottom and puts so much side ways pressure on the blade that something has to give.
After it breaks, the bow and whats left of the blade comes back into line.

I pulled it out again recently to cut up 8" x 6" box for a frame for an English Wheel I'm building but I've ended up cutting it with the plasma and a 9" grinder.
I could live without it but it's such a lovely old tool I'd really like to get it up and running properly.

@Rig Pig any chance you could email me a copy of your manual?
I might glean some useful information from it, even if it's not the same saw.

No problem, I will see if I can find the scan I took a few years ago, I know I saved it somewhere!

 

[Dcal]

Thanks very much.

Have you any thoughts on the blade I should be using?
I just get anything that fits, 18 or 19 inch, but are the other dimensions important, width, thickness?

 

[Rig Pig]

The tpi is the only one that really springs to mind, machine hacksaw blades are all beefy but course blades and thin walled materials don't work well.

 

[Dcal]

Few photos of my saw.