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Fitel S-315 fiber cleaving tool, or replacement

Our lab has a Fitel S-315 fiber cleaving tool.

Lately, all of us in the lab been having troubles getting good cleaves with the tool, and I've begun wondering if the blade is worn.

Is it possible to replace the blade? Or do I have to buy a new cleaving tool?

If a blade replacement is possible, any ideas on where to get a new one? Neither Google nor the Fitel/Furukawa Electric website gave any clues.

If I have to buy a new cleaving tool, are there any recommendations? As a university lab, we don't have a lot of money to spend, so something cheap(er) would be nice. Or is the Fitel pretty much it, and the cheaper cleaving tools largely junk?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Bob Pownall

Reply to
Bob Pownall
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Before you replace your blade, you should examine the following:

The first is whether the height of the blade is suitable? If not, you can adjust the height to conform to cleaving. The right height is to make the edge of blade tough the fiber a little.

The second is that you can rotate the blade to a new position and then try to cleave the fiber. In my memory one blade can be reused 12 times.

And these two don't do, you must change your blade.

I don't know whether it is useful .

Reply to
Wooddoor

The S-315 is a Bend & Break cleaver if I'm thinking of the correct one. It's hard to get good cleaves with that style cleaver in the first place. You can get a good used precision cleaver like The fujikura CT-07 or Fitel S-323 for the price of a new S-315.

To answer your question. You can get replacment blades but they are expensive for what you get. I would price one of the Three step style cleavers. Check places like

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Hope that helps.

Craig Kotla

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Reply to
ckotla

You will also want to clean the blade with acetone.

Fiber Instrument Sales has a good line of cleavers. They also sell new blades for the Fitel cleavers, $255. Fitel is by far my favorite cleaver. I have also used York and Fujikura. The Fujikura is my second favorite. The cheapest by far is the traditional scribe for $30 but takes a bit of practice. To get a clean cleave with a scribe spit on the fiber first. The liquid helps the cut to propagate cleanly.

Anyway...

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P. Danek

Wooddoor wrote:

Reply to
danek

Thanks for the ideas, however I'm wondering if you're thinking of a different model Fitel cleaver.

My S-315 cleaver is a "bend-and-break" model. I don't see any provision for adjusting the blade height, nor for rotating the blade.

Are you perhaps thinking of the Fitel S323 or S325A cleaver?

Or do I need to look at my cleaver more closely?

Bob Pownall

Reply to
Bob Pownall

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll follow-up with Fiber Instrument Sales. We've bought some patch cords from them in the past; I didn't realize they sold cleaving tools as well.

Bob Pownall

Reply to
Bob Pownall

ckotla wrote:

Reply to
Bob Pownall

Opps I didn't notice the model number. FIS has the blades for the bend and break cleaver as well, $54, but I amend my previous comments. I prefer the S323 which is the precision cleaver which is like the Fujikura one. While I know the blade is movable in the S323 I have no idea if it can be moved in the 315.

P. Danek

ckotla wrote:

Reply to
danek

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