Shopsmith Forums

Howdy,
I need some advice setting up my scroll saw please.

Just purchased a used scroll saw (not the jigsaw) and do not yet have the instructions. (Will order one tomorrow) The first blade I put in worked like a champ. Was cutting fine detail right away. I put a new blade in, and it immediately tracks to the right (my right looking at it). About a dozen attempts at adjusting the blade in the holders has not changed the results. I have tried a total of 3 new blades. Same results...blade continuously pulls to the side. It acts like a band saw. Strange. Since the first blade worked fine, I suspect that I have the blade incorrectly mounted or aligned in the blade holders. I even tried twisting the blade with pliers after it was mounted and tensioned. The supporting block behind the blade has been adjusted every way I can conceive, and I have increased and decreased the tension, breaking one from too tight, and bending one from too loose. No difference.

Please tell me how to correctly clamp the scroll-saw blades in the holders, and get the allen bolt tightened.

Thanks,

Jeff

sailseahawk wrote:Howdy,
I need some advice setting up my scroll saw please.

Just purchased a used scroll saw (not the jigsaw) and do not yet have the instructions. (Will order one tomorrow) The first blade I put in worked like a champ. Was cutting fine detail right away. I put a new blade in, and it immediately tracks to the right (my right looking at it). About a dozen attempts at adjusting the blade in the holders has not changed the results. I have tried a total of 3 new blades. Same results...blade continuously pulls to the side. It acts like a band saw. Strange. Since the first blade worked fine, I suspect that I have the blade incorrectly mounted or aligned in the blade holders. I even tried twisting the blade with pliers after it was mounted and tensioned. The supporting block behind the blade has been adjusted every way I can conceive, and I have increased and decreased the tension, breaking one from too tight, and bending one from too loose. No difference.

Please tell me how to correctly clamp the scroll-saw blades in the holders, and get the allen bolt tightened.

Thanks,

Jeff

I assume the blade holders are as pictured below.


[ATTACH]17323[/ATTACH]
Not easy to see, but the back of the blade must be positioned against a ridge.


[ATTACH]17324[/ATTACH]
Notice the blade holders are reversed.

JPG,
Thanks, and yes, those are the blade holders. One of my settings did have the blade against the end, and I tried with the teeth pointed both directions. No difference. I have also been using the alignment slots in the back of the table to hold & align.

I'm begining to think I have a bad batch of blades. The one that came with the machine was dull, but worked fine.

I'll try again as you pictured.

Any other ideas.?

Sailseahawk

"Stamped" scroll saw blades have a burr (from the manufacturing process)on one side of all teeth, so blade drift on a straight cut is normal. A little practice and you learn to compensate for it.

"Precision ground" blades (for example, Olsen PGT) do not have a burr on the teeth, so they track straighter, but are more expensive.

I recommend the Shopsmith link for general scroll saw instruction, and Sheila Landry's link for more specific info about blade selection.

There's lots of scroll saw videos, forums, and other instructional stuff on the web.

http://www.shopsmith.com/academy/scrollsaw/index.htm

http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/arti ... -selection

Gary