Sean's being a bad boy! - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

Anneh · 03-18-2009, 11:40 PM

Hi all,
Sean keeps popping his blade out. I can get the bottom of the pinless blades hooked good and tight but as soon as I flip the tension knob, the top pops out. I guess I just can't get it tight enough. I tried wiping the blade down with mineral spirits and roughing up the ends but no luck. Seems like someone posted about a "gadget" from Lowe's or somewhere that replaces the knob so can be made tighter. I hate having to call hubby each time I change blades.
What can I do short of slapping the daylights out of him? (Sean - not hubby)
I know this is on here somewhere since I vaguely remember seeing it but I can't find it. Could someone point me in the right direction, please?
Thanks,
Anne

pat c · 03-18-2009, 11:54 PM

Is your upper blade clamp a round knob? If so, dump it and replace it with the "T" shaped clamp bolt that holds the useless hold down. Also when you replace a blade loosen the tensioner by turning the the large knob not just the quick release. After the blade is installed tension it with the knob and only use the quick release when you are feeding fretwork holes. I was in the same situation when I had my Hitachi. Try it, it works. It's a good saw. Pat

Burdez · 03-19-2009, 01:59 AM

Anne:
I had the same problem I took the thumb knob off of the hold down and put it in place of the one in the blade holder since I don't use the hold down anyway this helps on that problem also before you put the new knob in take a piece of sandpaper and lightly sand the end of the screw part to rough it up a bit Hope this helps a little
Erssel

Steviegwood · 03-19-2009, 02:13 AM

Another thing also that may be part of the problem if you have not already checked this. The blade holder itself may have an oily residue on it. Try wiping it with mineral spirits and roughing it also. Just a thought. Steve

bubbantenn · 03-19-2009, 06:07 AM

I don't know what brand of saw you are using but I had this same problem with my Excalibur 19 inch. On mine there are two replaceable face clamps that hold the blade in place. One is a allen head screw and one sets into the thumb screw itself ( it pops in and out and is held in place by an o-ring). I replaced these faces and Jim Dandy is like new again. I love my Excalibur.
Good luck with your problem.

Bubba

scrollpup · 03-19-2009, 06:55 AM

Anne, that was probably my post about my Craftsman.The knobs were chewing my fingers up.If yours has a knob to adjust the clamp,go to any hardware store and replace it with a hex bolt,then get a cheap nut driver to tighten or loosen it.Good luck!

Jerry C

southpaw · 03-19-2009, 01:36 PM

I went from a shopsmith to the dewalt saw and the other day I changed the blade from a PGT #5 to a 2/0, this blade was made the old way, punched out on a press, I had a hard time making it hold when I added the tension, I measured it against the PGT blade and it was a little shorter and I had to put a little more pressure on the arm to push the blade down for the blade holder to grab enough blade to hold it in place, is there a specific length for a blade, are all blades equal, I wonder.

Jim McDonald · 03-19-2009, 09:34 PM

Anne:
Had a smiliar problem with my CW40 out of the box. If you remove the panel on the left side of the base (three screws), you will probably find another blade nut just like the one on top. It has a 3mm hex screw in the center for the blade wrench to allow you to snug the blade better.

I went one better and bought a set of metric T-handles at Harbour Freight and use it instead of the supplied Allen wrench. (I also left the cover off the side to better allow my big hands under the table to access the lower holder. It also makes it easier to blow out the sawdust periodically)

With the knob stlpe holders in top and bottom I have never had a blade slip out, escept when I forgot to give them that last little snug with the T-handle. And it doesn't take much torque on the T-hadle to get it plenty tight to hold the blade. I cut with a lot of tension and have actually broken a few small blades just tensioning, but they never slipped out of the holders.

Anneh · 03-19-2009, 10:16 PM

Thanks all for the info. We're off to Lowe's to see about getting the T-handles or whatever else we can find. Your information is priceless. Thanks so much!
Anne

Jim McDonald · 03-19-2009, 11:33 PM

Anne
Check for a PM about your saw.

Also, back your tension off about 1/2 turn and then tighten as needed.

03-18-2009, 11:40 PM	#1
Anneh Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 365	Sean's being a bad boy! Hi all, Sean keeps popping his blade out. I can get the bottom of the pinless blades hooked good and tight but as soon as I flip the tension knob, the top pops out. I guess I just can't get it tight enough. I tried wiping the blade down with mineral spirits and roughing up the ends but no luck. Seems like someone posted about a "gadget" from Lowe's or somewhere that replaces the knob so can be made tighter. I hate having to call hubby each time I change blades. What can I do short of slapping the daylights out of him? (Sean - not hubby) I know this is on here somewhere since I vaguely remember seeing it but I can't find it. Could someone point me in the right direction, please? Thanks, Anne

03-18-2009, 11:54 PM	#2
pat c Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Woodbine,Ga Posts: 433	Is your upper blade clamp a round knob? If so, dump it and replace it with the "T" shaped clamp bolt that holds the useless hold down. Also when you replace a blade loosen the tensioner by turning the the large knob not just the quick release. After the blade is installed tension it with the knob and only use the quick release when you are feeding fretwork holes. I was in the same situation when I had my Hitachi. Try it, it works. It's a good saw. Pat __________________ Woodworking is Therapy.... some of us need more therapy than others.

03-19-2009, 02:13 AM	#4
Steviegwood Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Arthur, WV Posts: 2,146	Another thing also that may be part of the problem if you have not already checked this. The blade holder itself may have an oily residue on it. Try wiping it with mineral spirits and roughing it also. Just a thought. Steve __________________ If This HillBilly Can't Fix it Then it Ain't Broke!!! My Gallery steve03@frontiernet.net

03-19-2009, 09:34 PM	#8
Jim McDonald Workin' for the Weekend Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: On the Other Side of the Monitor Posts: 944 Blog Entries: 6	Anne: Had a smiliar problem with my CW40 out of the box. If you remove the panel on the left side of the base (three screws), you will probably find another blade nut just like the one on top. It has a 3mm hex screw in the center for the blade wrench to allow you to snug the blade better. I went one better and bought a set of metric T-handles at Harbour Freight and use it instead of the supplied Allen wrench. (I also left the cover off the side to better allow my big hands under the table to access the lower holder. It also makes it easier to blow out the sawdust periodically) With the knob stlpe holders in top and bottom I have never had a blade slip out, escept when I forgot to give them that last little snug with the T-handle. And it doesn't take much torque on the T-hadle to get it plenty tight to hold the blade. I cut with a lot of tension and have actually broken a few small blades just tensioning, but they never slipped out of the holders. __________________ Jim Exuberance can be corrected; dullness is incurable. --E. Deters "Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." Last edited by Jim McDonald; 03-19-2009 at 09:35 PM. Reason: fat fingers trying to type

03-19-2009, 11:33 PM	#10
Jim McDonald Workin' for the Weekend Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: On the Other Side of the Monitor Posts: 944 Blog Entries: 6	Anne Check for a PM about your saw. Also, back your tension off about 1/2 turn and then tighten as needed. __________________ Jim Exuberance can be corrected; dullness is incurable. --E. Deters "Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

03-19-2009, 01:59 AM	#3
Burdez Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: I'm an American living in San Miguel De Allende Mexico Posts: 1,124	Anne: I had the same problem I took the thumb knob off of the hold down and put it in place of the one in the blade holder since I don't use the hold down anyway this helps on that problem also before you put the new knob in take a piece of sandpaper and lightly sand the end of the screw part to rough it up a bit Hope this helps a little Erssel

03-19-2009, 06:07 AM	#5
bubbantenn Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Clarksville, Tennessee Posts: 704	I don't know what brand of saw you are using but I had this same problem with my Excalibur 19 inch. On mine there are two replaceable face clamps that hold the blade in place. One is a allen head screw and one sets into the thumb screw itself ( it pops in and out and is held in place by an o-ring). I replaced these faces and Jim Dandy is like new again. I love my Excalibur. Good luck with your problem. Bubba __________________ "The worst evil that could be inflicted upon the youth of the land would be to leave them without restraint and completely at the mercy of their own uncontrolled inclinations." ~Calvin Coolidge~

03-19-2009, 06:55 AM	#6
scrollpup Avatar by Casey Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hot Springs,Arkansas Posts: 1,732	Anne, that was probably my post about my Craftsman.The knobs were chewing my fingers up.If yours has a knob to adjust the clamp,go to any hardware store and replace it with a hex bolt,then get a cheap nut driver to tighten or loosen it.Good luck! Jerry C

03-19-2009, 01:36 PM	#7
southpaw Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: wedgeport, ns, can. Posts: 45	I went from a shopsmith to the dewalt saw and the other day I changed the blade from a PGT #5 to a 2/0, this blade was made the old way, punched out on a press, I had a hard time making it hold when I added the tension, I measured it against the PGT blade and it was a little shorter and I had to put a little more pressure on the arm to push the blade down for the blade holder to grab enough blade to hold it in place, is there a specific length for a blade, are all blades equal, I wonder.

03-19-2009, 10:16 PM	#9
Anneh Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 365	Thanks all for the info. We're off to Lowe's to see about getting the T-handles or whatever else we can find. Your information is priceless. Thanks so much! Anne

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