Am I doing something wrong blades wont stay in holder

[MIRHYL]

Can anyone help? I bought a dremel 16" scroll saw. It takes pin and plain end blades. I can cut like crazy with a pin blade, but when it comes to the plain end blades I cant keep them in the saw. The blade is held in using a thumb screw. I have paid careful attention to making sure the blade is in the right position. Have tightened the thumb screw as tight as I can get it, cut for 30 seconds or so and the machine starts making an awful thumping noise cause the blade has come loose from the bottom holder.

If I use a bigger blade with a wider end (like a pin blade) I can cut for a bit long but it always comes out. So alas I have been sticking with the pin end blades for most of my cutting but I cannot do any fine work because my drill hole has to be so big to get the end of the blade threaded through it.

Any help for this newbie would be appreciated
Thanks
Janet

[3_M]

Hi Janet,
Here are a few suggestions. Clean the inside of the clamps with alcohol or paint thinner, there might be some oil inside. After that take some fine sand paper and sand the inside. You might also check the end of the screw if that is 100% flat.
Mike

[minowevie]

Hi Janet, gosh i think I have seen you before hear. how things,
what mike said is right for sure. the other thing I would add is, you can still use your pin blades, even in a small hole. but first you have to dock the pin out of the top . and then feed it through the hole, then put a safty pin or papper clip through the pin hole then place it in the fork. that way you can use your pin blades. its a botter. I hate the attachment that goes with the straight blades on those saws. it is hard to feed the blade through the hole, then put it in the clamp, then on the fork, just to have it sideways or come out. you might wont a new saw. thats what I did, and never sorry. a 100 projects down the road. welcome back . your friend Evie

[MIRHYL]

Mike

Sounds like awesome advice, I will definately try that. I will let you know how I make out with it.

Evie,
Great advice also, in fact that is what I have bee doing is knocking the pin out of the top of the blade. The saw has no problems hanging onto that part so I do not even have to put anything in it to hold it in place. Just the bottom half of the blade is the issue leaving the pin in there keeps the blade in place.

The problem that I was having with the feeding the blade through the hole is the pin blades tend to be quite wide, so even with the pin part taken out on the top half it still takes a pretty big hole to get the blade threaded through.

I need to look into buying blades online I think, I have been buying blades from the local hardware store, even Home Depot does not have a good selection. I was talking to a fellow at Home Depot that also scroll saws and he suggested buying online. He gave me a sight name but I did not get it written down and now I forget. I should look him up again and ask him to write it down for me.

Thanks for the help
Happy Scrolling
Janet

[Fremmed]

Hey Janet, take a look at mikeworkshop.com . Mike sells Flying Dutchman blades which are really good!

I agree with Mike and Evie. You might also check your blade tension. Sometimes I'll over tension causing the same problem that you described. Just a thought.

[Ramjet]

This is a bit off the wall . I have an old sears/craftsman which I use pinned blades. It will take pinless but a bit of a nuisance . I use them in my dewalt . I thought I had lots of extra pinned blades . I found some in a box with other supplies . When I tried to attach the blade in the holder I had trouble getting the lower pin attached . I compared the blade to the old one one and noticed it was longer . After some head scratching I read the package and the blades were for a hand coping saw , fret saw . Duh !! . A bit of a stretch ?
Roger

[minowevie]

Originally Posted by MIRHYL

Mike

Sounds like awesome advice, I will definately try that. I will let you know how I make out with it.

Evie,
Great advice also, in fact that is what I have bee doing is knocking the pin out of the top of the blade. The saw has no problems hanging onto that part so I do not even have to put anything in it to hold it in place. Just the bottom half of the blade is the issue leaving the pin in there keeps the blade in place.

The problem that I was having with the feeding the blade through the hole is the pin blades tend to be quite wide, so even with the pin part taken out on the top half it still takes a pretty big hole to get the blade threaded through.

I need to look into buying blades online I think, I have been buying blades from the local hardware store, even Home Depot does not have a good selection. I was talking to a fellow at Home Depot that also scroll saws and he suggested buying online. He gave me a sight name but I did not get it written down and now I forget. I should look him up again and ask him to write it down for me.

Thanks for the help
Happy Scrolling
Janet

Janet , I agree, it does seem like the pin blades come in bigger sizes. you can get some from Olson they come in widths of .070 to .100 and, thickness of .10 to .018, but you can file the blade also. buy just running the part of the blade that goes through the hole. , back, against a stone. rottery, or buy hand.this will weeken the blade, but doabale.. this was one of the things I hated, the blades was so deep. and monster blades, to cut fretwork, that I wonted to do. you can drill a small hole, then make it alittle deeper, if you wont to. buy. using a smaller blade filed. to make it deeper. slit. that is alot of bother. for sure. or just use a bigger drill bit. you can also alimanait some of the cuts, that is too small for the saw blade, and use a wood burner to creat the look you wont. I am just wondering, what project are you doing, it would help to know that. and maybe, we could help even more. good luck. and keep scrolling. and keep coming back. your friend Evie

ps, I was just reading back, and noticed you said . there was no problem in keeping the blade in the top clamp without puting a fals pin in. do you think, you could put a clamp in the bottom. that was made for the straight blades. and then using a straight blade, and clamping in the top. with out the top botersome clamp. mmm ???