Refurbing a Scroll Saw

[paulrussell]

Thanks guys. Funny thing about the Rustoleum Hammered Dark Bronze. The colors can vary quite a bit from can to can. From near-brown like my headstock to near gray on the legs of the scroll saw stand. Thankfully I did anticipate this, and was sure to do final coats with enough in the can to finish the job.

I did take both the motor and the speed control apart. The motor had a bit of a surprise in that the main bolts which hold the motor cover on have a dual purpose of holding the brush guides in position. Clever, but very non-intuitive.

[JPG]

Rustoleum hammered is a dual(as well as carrier) pigmented paint and requires extreme shaking to fully meld the two pigments etc..

If not well mixed, the color can vary during use of the can contents.

Shake often when spraying. Makes the hammered effect more consistent also.

[reible]

The time had come for me to do a little work on my scroll saw. As I had mentioned here and else where there was a lot of play in the upper arm. More then I thought it should have anyway.

Since you can not get the bushings from shopsmith and since they seem to be non standard I opted to do what JPG did and buy ones with the larger flange and then "mill" them down.

His use of the 5/8" arbor seemed like a good idea so that is what I did too. I went with a carbide tool and it seemed to work quite well at about 900 rpm. I just cut it down until I stared getting a some shine on the 13/16" part of the bearing. It cuts pretty easy and the oil I'm sure helps. It went pretty fast as well. Some one with a metal lathe could I'm sure do a better job but sometimes you work with what you have.

I have an arbor press so that is what I use to both remove the old and put in the new bearings. That worked very well as well but as it has been shown you can make do with other equipment.

I got new arm shafts (#80 514972) as it turns out that was unnecessary. The new parts and the old parts were identical size wise to the precision of the tools I have. You can read that as no wear to speak of. I didn't really expect there to be any but for completeness I added them to the order.

I had pre-ordered a spring (#23 514980) as I knew going in to the project that it was needed. The old spring broke near one of the attachment points and it was more then likely due to age. I also order a couple of extras to make sure I can replace then as needed without having to place another small order.

My unit did not have the wave washers but I added a couple to just one side of the arm, only had enough for that and I'm not really sure they are needed.

The unit is back together except for one small issue. I had the air pump to attach so I was getting things lined up and had the parts laying next to the saw ready to go. I looked at the other side of the saw and when I looked back the little spring (#44 514353) was gone. OK it must have rolled on the floor, right?

The spring must have fallen into a worm hole and is somewhere in the 8th dimension because I have spent over an hour looking for it and can not find it. It is a spring but still can't figure out where is decide it would bounce to. I'm going back out there tomorrow and look some more but I don't have high hopes. I do have a spring collection but it is in the deep recesses of my shop. One way or the other I'm hung up until I have that spring or a replacement.

I still have to put the legs and table back on but other then that is is ready to test. Even now I can tell the top arm is much more stable, not perfect but it is in that 1/16" range which I take it is normal.

Spring less in IL,

Ed

[JPG]

'Sweep' the area with a magnet?

[reible]

'Sweep' the area with a magnet?

Yes, two different types....... one on a long arm to get into places that I could see very well even with the aid of a flashlight. Also moved things, checked places it might have bounced to, looked on the bottom of my shoe.

Will open the garage door and see if some sunlight helps. Might even move somethings outside so I can look way under things. Wish I had a movie to see what went on in the few seconds then it vanished.

Should have known things were going too smoothly.

Ed

[reible]

Now that that winter solstice thing is over I went back out this morning and continued my search for the elusive spring. Add about another hour of searching and a small pile of "other" small parts that I recover I was about ready to let it win. Moved a tool chest that I had moved yesterday and there behind one of the 5" casters it showed up. That was one of the first places I looked yesterday but did not see it or probe it. It must have been in the area but hidden from sight and the magnet.

So I'm still working on getting it ready to run. Found a scratch on the table top that I need to polish out and then there are the legs and that adjustment. Shopping this afternoon so perhaps this evening I'll be ready to power up.

Ed

'Sweep' the area with a magnet?

Yes, two different types....... one on a long arm to get into places that I could see very well even with the aid of a flashlight. Also moved things, checked places it might have bounced to, looked on the bottom of my shoe.

Will open the garage door and see if some sunlight helps. Might even move somethings outside so I can look way under things. Wish I had a movie to see what went on in the few seconds then it vanished.

Should have known things were going too smoothly.

Ed

[lyall]

Here is a pdf file that I make for JPG Refurbing s Scroll Saw

Refurbing a Scroll Saw by JPG.pdf

(806.04 KiB) Downloaded 1187 times

[tucsonguy]

You mention getting replacement 5/8" x 13/16" x 1" flanged bushings. Where did you get these and do you have a part number?
thx

[JPG]

I mentioned MSC but it might have been McMaster Carr.

[tucsonguy]

I did find a source for bushings at bronzebushings.com. just type in the dimensions, easy. $2 & change. Like jpgs bushings, the flange is too thick so they need trimming.