Jeweler's Saw Blade Size Calculator
Enter the thickness of your sheet or wire and the number of layers being cut. The calculator turns the saw-blade table around to show the blade size, compatible alternatives, and corresponding piercing drill.
Recommended blade size8/0
- Teeth engaged
- 2.8
- Compatible blade range
- 8/0, 7/0, 6/0, 5/0, 4/0
- Blade specification
- Size 8/0: 89 TPI, 0.0063 in thick, 0.0126 in deep
- Piercing drill size
- No. 80
- Equivalent B&S gauge
- 20
Blade size is based on keeping about two to four teeth across the total material thickness.
How to use this calculator
- Choose millimeters, inches, or Brown & Sharpe gauge for the material measurement.
- Enter the thickness of one sheet or the diameter of one piece of wire.
- Enter the number of layers the blade crosses at once, including stacked sacrificial backing.
- Choose balanced cutting, detail work, or faster straight cuts, then read the recommended blade and drill.
How to choose a jeweler’s saw blade
A piercing-saw blade works best when roughly two to four teeth are in the material at once. Fewer teeth can snag thin stock; too many teeth engaged can load the gullets and make a cut feel slow or rough. This calculator applies that rule to the total thickness the blade crosses, not just to one sheet.
First, it converts one layer to inches. For millimeters, t = mm / 25.4. For Brown & Sharpe gauge, it uses t = 0.005 × 92^((36 − g) / 39), where a larger gauge number is thinner. Total cutting thickness is T = t × N, where N is the layer count. For each listed blade, teeth engaged are E = T × P, where P is teeth per inch.
The compatible range contains every listed size with 2 ≤ E ≤ 4. Balanced selection chooses the result nearest three teeth; a tie goes to the finer blade. Detail selection chooses the finest compatible blade, which has the most teeth per inch. Faster-cut selection chooses the coarsest compatible blade. If no listed size reaches the range, the calculator shows the nearest table entry and explains that it is outside the usual target.
Why stacked stock changes the answer
Two sheets of the same thickness double the amount of material inside the tooth line. That commonly moves the practical choice to a coarser blade even though each sheet by itself would suit a finer one. Stacking can also help when one thin sheet is below the finest available blade’s working range; use sacrificial backing only when it is appropriate for the design and cutting method.
Wire is treated as its diameter. That is useful for choosing a starting blade, but a round wire does not present the same thickness all the way through a cut, so the number of teeth engaged changes as the blade moves across it.
What the table does and does not say
The blade sizes, tooth counts, thicknesses, depths, and drill numbers come from a published trade specification table. The drill number is a starting match for an internal piercing hole, not a guarantee that every blade of that nominal size will fit. Blade dimensions, tooth geometry, and set vary among makers.
Alloy hardness, temper, lubrication, blade tension, saw-frame control, and the shape of the cut matter as much as tooth engagement at the bench. Use the result to narrow the choice, then test on offcuts when a job has tight curves, costly metal, or a critical kerf.
Worked example
For one 0.8 mm sheet, thickness in inches is 0.8 / 25.4 = 0.03150 in. A size 8/0 blade has 89 teeth per inch, so it puts 0.03150 × 89 = 2.80 teeth in the sheet. Sizes 8/0 through 4/0 stay in the two-to-four range; balanced selection chooses 8/0 because 2.80 is closest to three.
The size 8/0 specification is 89 TPI, 0.0063 in thick, and 0.0126 in deep, with a No. 80 piercing drill in the table. If two identical sheets are cut together, total thickness becomes 0.06299 in. The balanced choice then becomes size 1 at 3.21 teeth engaged.
Common questions
How many saw-blade teeth should touch the metal?
For this type of piercing-saw selection, aim for about two to four teeth across the material. That gives enough teeth to cut without relying on a single tooth, while leaving space for chips. The exact best choice also depends on alloy, lubrication, and how the saw is used.
What jeweler’s saw blade should I use for 18, 20, 22, or 24 gauge sheet?
Enter the gauge as B&S gauge and use the result as a starting point. Brown & Sharpe gauge is an inverse scale, so 24 gauge is thinner than 18 gauge and normally uses a finer blade. Gauge labels are not interchangeable across every system, so confirm the stock thickness if the supplier does not specify B&S gauge.
Why do jeweler’s saw blade numbers run from 8/0 to 8?
The slash-zero sizes are the finest listed sizes, and the numbered sizes become coarser as the number rises. A size 8/0 has more teeth per inch than a size 8. The number is a trade size, not a direct measurement, so compare the maker’s tooth count and dimensions when consistency matters.
Should I use a finer blade for detailed curves?
Within the compatible range, a finer blade is the usual starting choice for tight curves and delicate piercing because it removes a narrower path and has more teeth in a short section. It is not automatically safer: a blade that is too fine for the stock can clog or break. Keep the two-to-four-teeth rule in view.
How does stacking sheets change the blade size?
The blade sees the combined thickness of all layers, so stacking typically calls for a coarser size. Enter every sheet, veneer, or backing layer that the blade crosses at the same time. The calculator uses that combined thickness for tooth engagement.
What drill size is needed for an internal piercing cut?
The displayed US numbered drill is the table’s conventional match for the selected blade. Drill a test hole in scrap first, since actual blade thickness and tooth set vary by maker and a freely turning blade needs clearance. Use the maker’s own specification for a critical design.