Scroll saw rejuvenation!!

[WoodNutOntario]

Hi All,

I came across a Craftsman scroll saw for a give away price.
Used once and then packed away for a year.
It is a 16" variable speed model.
Thought i would give it a go since it was a bargain and i am interested in doing some unique blanks!:biggrin:

The problem was it would not grip the thin pin-less blades, of course they are the ones i need!!!
So i searched here and googled a ton of websites to try and find a solution.
Took me a few days but i found one!!
No expensive upgrades or parts to buy, another bonus!!!:biggrin:

I have attached a picture from another forum to better explain the mod.
All you need is a fine hacksaw or a cutting disc in your Dremel tool.

The cheapo Craftsman works like a charm now!
Holds any blade and cuts perfectly smooth!

The only additional thing i did was to square the faces that grip the blade with a grinding stone. The faces are now square to each other and have a roughish surface perfect for that extra grip!!

Hope this helps someone else out!!!

Andrew

All credit goes to the owner of the diagram! I closed the site by mistake...

 

[Mark]

WOW. My scroll saw is a Craftsman 13" model. I'm definitely digging it out tomorrow night and see if the above process can work on it. I got the saw as a birthday gift in 1988. I think it's been used once since then.

WOW. Nicely Done. Enjoy your "new" scroll saw.

 

[workinforwood]

Laying your blades out so the ends hang over a table and then wiping them down with acetone makes a big difference. The blades are coated in oil so they don't rust..the oil makes them not hold as well in the blade holder, plus the oil gets on the blade holders as well..so you are clamping a blade with oil on the clamps and blades. No doubt roughing up the faces on the clamps will make a big difference, but had you simply cleaned inside the clamps it would have made a big difference too without any risk of damaging the holders.

 

[WoodNutOntario]

Hi Jeff,

I did read through all the post here, especially yours. I really respect your input and thoughts and your work is just plain awesome!!:biggrin:

The first things i did was roughen up the blade holders with sandpaper, then cleaned the ends of the blades. I even roughed them up with sandpaper but nothing worked. The blades just kept popping out, no matter how tight i tightened them.

The serious flaw with these saws is the way in which the jaws work.
Your fulcrum point is too far back, thus you only really close the very tip of the jaw. This is not ideal for gripping, a wide flat surface does a much better job of holding anything firmly.

This quick fix works by removing the fulcrum point and enables the one jaw to line up perfectly flat with the opposing non-movable jaw.

Since i cannot replace the jaws with better aftermarket ones, i had to find a solution. This is what i found and it works perfectly for me. I even contacted Frank who makes jaws for scroll saws and he said he had no solution for me.

It works and i am a happy camper!:biggrin:
Tried it out on a couple of peices of scrap Ebony and Blackwood and the blade stayed true and cut with no issues.

But as you say, this will damage the blade holders and the only way to get them back to normal would be to replace them with a new set.

If anyone tries this i take no responsibility for your jaws.
Only hope it works for some and it may bring old scroll saws put away for this reason back to life!:biggrin:

Andrew

 

[workinforwood]

I see what you are saying Andrew. You try the obvious and yet there is a flaw in the design that requires a tweak. This is not an uncommon occurrence regardless the manufacturer. If there was a saw made that was perfect, all the others would not exist! Blade holder designs always seem to top the list for problem areas too. Everyone is always trying something new and different all the time...in some ways they have to because of patent laws. Back when your saw was first made, it was probably all the rage..possibly one of the first saws with a quick release clamp, and of course, the guys that make the tools..they don't use them. I have Franks upgrade quick release on my RBI, and I could never go back to screw sets again, that's for sure. I'd be grinding on them if that's what I have to do.

 

[WoodNutOntario]

Pictures worth more?

Hi,

Had some requests to add more detailed pictures of what i did.
So here they are!
I performed the mod on both the upper and lower blade holder.

Top View of holder ( right hand side cut through)

Side view

2 views of the jaws apart to show that you MUST NOT cut the threaded part!! ( Threaded part on LEFT hand side)

You can see that the unthreaded part has been cut free

Hope this makes it a bit clearer for those brave souls out there that do not have a lot of money to spend on the best name brand equipment!

As stated earlier i do not claim to have come up with this idea and i am not held responsible for anything that may happen.

Andrew