kmmcrafts Posted July 18, 2018 Report Share Posted July 18, 2018 Those of you that bought the new blade chucks... are the thumb screws etc the same? Specifically the inserts that go into the end of the thumb screw? While looking at the sites that sell these I run across some reviews on the pegas clamp.. one person asked if they sell replacement inserts because they damaged one, they asked if the site sold them as they was different than the OEM ones.. Now I'm not one that is typically a over tightener on those thumb screws etc.. Have all the originals in my DeWalt after a lot of use for 10 years doing production fretwork.. rebuilt the saw a couple times but the clamping system is still what came with my saw.. I just wondered since many of you replace these a lot.. might be worth looking into before a need arises and one assumes they are the same.... Maybe they are the same... I only asked because the review i read made me believe they are different.. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted July 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Apparently no body knows if the screws are the same or not.. I have a set of these clamps in my shopping cart ready to buy.. My issue is.. I've read the set screw and thumb screws are different from the OEM ones.. I have yet seen the sites that sell these offer any parts for them.. ( Ie Thumb screws and tension levers ect.) NOT about to buy a $100 clamp set that you can't get parts for easily.. Scrappile and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Moreton Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 I do know that the set screws have a lock nut on the end and it does not vibrate out of center in the clamp head. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrollerpete Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 The thumb screws are included in the blade holder kit and also somebody just post on another site that so far he has more than 120 hours and not even one blade slippage occurred. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted July 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Thanks for the comments.. Guess I should just take the plunge and buy a set.. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) 21 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said: Thanks for the comments.. Guess I should just take the plunge and buy a set.. Kevin, have you thought of calling whoever you're going to buy from? Or the original seller? I think it was Bear Woods. Or, how about Pegas themselves? They should have an email address or some sort of website. Just sayin.............. Edit: Edited July 19, 2018 by octoolguy kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted July 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Yeah Ray, I was thinking about doing just that if I hadn't gotten any replies.. Just figured someone might have tried the OEM Excalibur thumb screws and knew something about it.. Also just figured someone else may have talked to Pegas before buying them.. $100 is a lot of $$ if you can't get replacement parts for them.. granted they are made better and whatnot but I'm sure someone will wear out either a thumb screw or the tension lever sooner or later... The tension lever looks different than the OEM one so I assume they are special to the Pegas clamp.. also read the thumb screws are also different size.. so also probably a Pegas only part.. The webs sites selling these should list the parts if they are Pegas only parts.. apparently everyone assumed these parts was the same and haven't questioned it.. Maybe they are not different.. I don't know because I haven't bought a set yet.. All the reviews are geared toward the performance of the clamp.. nothing is mentioned about replacement parts for the clamps.. Probably just too new and nobody has needed parts yet.. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustLarry Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) This same discussion is on on another forum. Should answer some questions on replacement parts. https://forum.scrollsawer.com/forum/scroll-saw/general-scroll-saw/858962-pegas-blade-chuck Larry Edited July 19, 2018 by JustLarry kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Moreton Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Does your blade slip or lose tension?. Does your tension lever release for no apparent reason? I was wishing I never bought my EXCALIBUR. The upgrade fixed it. For what I spent it was worth it. OCtoolguy and kmmcrafts 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodmaster1 Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 The thumb screws are the same. I used my old set because of the comfort knobs I already had. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted July 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Woodmaster1 said: The thumb screws are the same. I used my old set because of the comfort knobs I already had. Thank you for the report.. I really appreciate it. I believe I'll order a set.. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 16 hours ago, Woodmaster1 said: The thumb screws are the same. I used my old set because of the comfort knobs I already had. I see a lot of folks using those knurled aluminum knobs. Where do you get them? I must have overlooked them at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted July 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 I got some of those knurled screws with my Hawk... and for me.. they are harder to use than the OEM wing style ones.. I took them out and replaced them with the original style. Now.. the knurled heads of these was quite small... maybe if they had a bigger head on them they'd bee better.. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 3 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said: I got some of those knurled screws with my Hawk... and for me.. they are harder to use than the OEM wing style ones.. I took them out and replaced them with the original style. Now.. the knurled heads of these was quite small... maybe if they had a bigger head on them they'd bee better.. Just for the heck of it, I went over to advanced Machinery and priced the ones from Hegner. Of course, they come with the clamp but $34.95 is a bit much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodmaster1 Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 2 hours ago, octoolguy said: I see a lot of folks using those knurled aluminum knobs. Where do you get them? I must have overlooked them at some point. I got mine from scrollsawcomfortknob@gmail.com Marcus Bailey is the contact person. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Woodmaster1 said: I got mine from scrollsawcomfortknob@gmail.com Marcus Bailey is the contact person. I went to Steve Good's site and found that name and address. Thanks. I'll have to get a pair for each of my saws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgiro Posted July 22, 2018 Report Share Posted July 22, 2018 The thumb screws from the Dewalt, Excalibur, and Pegas clamps are interchangeable. The set screws on the Pegas are longer to accommodate the lock nuts, but the thread size is the same. Before rushing out to buy new thumb and set screws, have you tried dressing up the old ones? Here is a trick I learned from Ray at SeyCo. NOTE - You need an aligned drill press to drill holes at good 90° angles in wood. 1. Take a 2" X 3" piece of wood about 5/16" to 3/8" thick. 2. Drill two 7/32" holes complete through the wood. 3. Screw the thumbscrew and set screw into the wood so the faces of the screws are just flush with one side of the board. 4. Place a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. Sand the face of the board with the faces of the screws showing until any marks on the faces of the screws are cleaned away. If you want to, you can repeat with finer grit papers until you are polishing the faces. I have never done that. 5. Remove the screws from the board and put them back in the clamps. Remember to align them correctly in the clamp. I do this every 6 - 9 months during a maintenance period and I have never had to replace the thumb or set screws in the clamps. I have had to replace the old OEM bottom clamp on my EX, because I'm guilty of over tightening and keep spreading the clamps. I haen't had this problem on the Pegas clamps, yet. kmmcrafts and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted July 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2018 20 minutes ago, tgiro said: The thumb screws from the Dewalt, Excalibur, and Pegas clamps are interchangeable. The set screws on the Pegas are longer to accommodate the lock nuts, but the thread size is the same. Before rushing out to buy new thumb and set screws, have you tried dressing up the old ones? Here is a trick I learned from Ray at SeyCo. NOTE - You need an aligned drill press to drill holes at good 90° angles in wood. 1. Take a 2" X 3" piece of wood about 5/16" to 3/8" thick. 2. Drill two 7/32" holes complete through the wood. 3. Screw the thumbscrew and set screw into the wood so the faces of the screws are just flush with one side of the board. 4. Place a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. Sand the face of the board with the faces of the screws showing until any marks on the faces of the screws are cleaned away. If you want to, you can repeat with finer grit papers until you are polishing the faces. I have never done that. 5. Remove the screws from the board and put them back in the clamps. Remember to align them correctly in the clamp. I do this every 6 - 9 months during a maintenance period and I have never had to replace the thumb or set screws in the clamps. I have had to replace the old OEM bottom clamp on my EX, because I'm guilty of over tightening and keep spreading the clamps. I haen't had this problem on the Pegas clamps, yet. Thanks for the tip on dressing the screws.. I do this but never heard of the method.. I've never been an over tightener until I got my Excalibur... from day one straight out of the box I've had the loose tension / blade slippage issues with it.. always thought it was user error being a new to me saw.. But.. those clamps aren't that much different than the DeWalt that I had been using for the last 10 years. (which happens to have the original clamps and set screw /thumb screws in it ) and is still working flawless for me.. The saw itself has worn out twice and been rebuilt.. but clamps and hardware still the same.. I'm going to buy the Pegas clamps and see if this will take care of my issues.. Love the saw when the blade actually holds good, LOL.. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrollerpete Posted July 22, 2018 Report Share Posted July 22, 2018 With the new Pegas clamps you will find that you barely need .to apply pressure to the screws and after 5 days of cutting not one slippage, love my new Pegas clamps. kmmcrafts and OCtoolguy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted July 22, 2018 Report Share Posted July 22, 2018 5 hours ago, tgiro said: The thumb screws from the Dewalt, Excalibur, and Pegas clamps are interchangeable. The set screws on the Pegas are longer to accommodate the lock nuts, but the thread size is the same. Before rushing out to buy new thumb and set screws, have you tried dressing up the old ones? Here is a trick I learned from Ray at SeyCo. NOTE - You need an aligned drill press to drill holes at good 90° angles in wood. 1. Take a 2" X 3" piece of wood about 5/16" to 3/8" thick. 2. Drill two 7/32" holes complete through the wood. 3. Screw the thumbscrew and set screw into the wood so the faces of the screws are just flush with one side of the board. 4. Place a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. Sand the face of the board with the faces of the screws showing until any marks on the faces of the screws are cleaned away. If you want to, you can repeat with finer grit papers until you are polishing the faces. I have never done that. 5. Remove the screws from the board and put them back in the clamps. Remember to align them correctly in the clamp. I do this every 6 - 9 months during a maintenance period and I have never had to replace the thumb or set screws in the clamps. I have had to replace the old OEM bottom clamp on my EX, because I'm guilty of over tightening and keep spreading the clamps. I haen't had this problem on the Pegas clamps, yet. On that same track of thinking, I took my clamps screws, both sides, and hit them with some 150 paper to "rough" them up a bit. I read that somewhere that to polish them would make them lose their gripping power. I also take a couple of swipes at the ends of my blades to rough them up and make sure there is no oil on them. So far, so good. I only want to get the knobs for the comfort of how they feel as opposed to the "wing" style knobs. In the end, it's a matter of what appeals to each user. For my Dewalt, I took a couple cherry scraps that I had and traced the pattern of the wing screws on them and cut out the pattern to fit the screws. I shaped them into larger wing screws that better fit my fat fingers and thumbs. Then I epoxied them in. I had never given any thought to creating a vibration problem and I guess I got lucky. No vibration that I could feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted July 23, 2018 Report Share Posted July 23, 2018 It is my understanding that the US distributor for Pegas blades and chucks are these folks: www.grobetusa.com The Website for the company that makes the Pdegas blades and chucks are these folks: www.scies.ch/ OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted July 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2018 Ordered my Pegas blade chucks earlier today.. So maybe I'll start cutting on that saw once I get them and give them a trial run.. Pretty sure I'll gravitate back to my Hawk though OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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