blade clamp not holding

Hi. everyone

Only had my saw for two weeks and the blade clamp is not holding.Is this a common problem or maybe specific to SIP machines.I know you get what you pay for but two weeks seems very unreasonable.Have mailed supplier to send replacement but should not have to do this so soon.Anyone know how to get by until parts arrive? Already feel Ihave lost an arm and my wife is waiting for her next ornament.The clamp is held on arm with an allen screw and tightened with allen screw also.The screw appears to tighten but as soon as tension is applied the blade just pulls out of the clamp.Could use pinned but need to feed blade through small entry holes so not practical.Any advice greatly welcomed.

Couple of suggestions....1. take some steel wool to the blade ends. this will help remove the oils that are on the bade. #2 take out the screw and make sure the ends are flat. just take some sandpaper and sand it down a little bit to flatten it out. Also read your directions.....if your saw takes pinned blades also the clamps may have to be reversed to hold the blade properly. My old sears saw is that way.

Good luck

I'm not familiar with your particular saw brand. However, I wanted to offer some encouragement since I too have been through the hell of trying to figure out in the beginning why all of a sudden my blades wouldn't hold.

First off, take the blade chuck apart and clean it with a piece of emory cloth. Oil is applied to blades at the factory to combat corrosion. This oil wears onto the blade holding surfaces, making it easier for blades to slip.

Next suggestion one might make is overly simple. How tight are you tightening the blades? If you like real tight tension like me, then the blades have to be clamped into the chuck pretty tight to keep from slipping.

All this being said, I'll get to the main point of my reply. I have personally found that what works for one person doesn't work for everyone, especially when it comes to scrolling. I now have five different scroll saws in four different brands. Yet, every single one of them has had modifications to suit my style and quite simply just to satisfy me. My favorite saw is my Delta. It has the quick clamp II system on it. While this is a great clamping system overall, it still give me problems. Because of how tight I need everything, both of my Deltas had broken top clamps a week after purchasing them. I had to drill out the holes on them a 64th larger to put a more tempered machine screw and wing nut in them. While this is not the proper way to fix this, it works for me and the parts at Home Depot are much cheaper than ordering replacement parts once aa week when I break the top screw or strip out the plastic nut that comes originally on it.

Now for my bottom clamp. Once again, I tend to over tighten things. On one Delta, Simply keeping a spare supply of the proper size machine screws has done the trick. On the other one though, I completely busted the little square block that holds the blade. I had to search all over town to get a suitable replacement square piece of metal, then drill and tap it to make myself a replacement part that was stronger than original.

My whole point is that you need to look at it closely and see what you may be able to do to make it suitable for you. While cleaning the clamping surfaces with a piece of emory cloth may cure the whole problem, it may take more. I like to think of it as making the machine a part of me. My saws are reworked to a point that I allow noone to touch them. Sound to me though that you are having similar problems as mine in the beginning. If that is the case, then factory replacement parts aren't going to do you much good. Just remember that whatever you decide to do with it, all it has to do is hold the blade. With all the fancy smancy frills different companies put on these saws, the blade clamp does one function only, clamp a blade. Remember that and it makes it a little simpler to figure out a way to fix it.

Scroll saw blades do have oil on them, so a bit of steel wool or sandpaper to scuff up the ends will help remove the oil and give the tension screw something to bite on. But I'm guessing your main problem is the tension screw. Often these screws have a little nib from the manufacturing process. This nib will cause it not to tighten completely. Remove your tension screw and look closely at the tip and see if you see a nib left over. Use a file or sandpaper to completely flatten the tip, being careful not to accidentally bevel it. I think that will probably do the trick for you. I know I had to do the same thing on my saw. You might also see if you can find a thumbscrew version of that tension screw. You'll be thrilled when you want to change a blade and not have to reach for another tool. Just take in the tension screw to your hardware supplier and tell them you want this same one, but with a thumbscrew. They should be able to hook you up.

If none of the previous posts work i had a similar problem with a ryobi saw i bought. I got after market blade holders but to get through in the mean time i glued a piece of fine grade emery paper in the blade holder so the screw pushed the blade into that. Got me through but it was definately only that, i in no way suggest it was the best way to go about it but i was addicted from the start and the thought of a week without sawing was too much to bear. Good luck and hope somthing works for u

One other thing to consider, is to take a really good look at the blade clamp. Many of the clamps on the value priced saws are made of a small piece of machined metal with a 2 to 4 mm cut taken out of the center. The right side will usually have been drilled and tapped to accomodate the screw for tightening. It's not a bad design, but if blade change requires a wrench of some sort, it's extremely easy to over tighten it. What ends up happening is that a small crack forms at the back of the blade clamp. Every time you tighten the screw, the crack prevents the clamp from holding the blade securely. I had this happen on my first scrollsaw. It all depends on how much material they left after machining the center portion where the blade goes.

Barry

Thanks to everyone for the tips regarding blade clamp not holding,am getting by just by inserting a piece of paper in clamp until a friend can make me a sturdier part.Can't help thinking though that with modern technology and materials a better system could be designed.Anyway going to suffer withdrawal symptoms as Ihave a heap of work to do around the house which must be done so no spare time for scrolling for a while,pity really as I was improving every day and was surprising myself on what I was able to make in such a short space of time.

Hi,

Might be a little late to help, and also I'm guesssing about the type of clamp! I had problems on a cheaper machine that I've got. I cut one side of the clamp as I reckoned that the poor old bolt (screw) had to fight the clamp as wella s hold the blade.

If I can do it I'll post a picture of my adaption. Mind I'm no engineer - nor draughtsman as you'll see. It works for me.

Hope it helps.

Regards, Bob H.

Bob,

That's actually a great drawing of what I was describing. That's exactly the type clamp I was referring to. Since all you're doing in a clamp like this is bending the metal back and forth, of course it's going to break over time. Really like you solution. Simple but effective.

Barry