Creative Woodworks & crafts 1999-01, страница 30

continued on page 28

■Feeling the tension

Have you every had a day where you just can't seem to keep your scroll saw blade tensioned? You just threaded the blade through a hole, set the tension, and started to cut one of those cuts that you sort of hold your breath on, when suddenly the blade doesn't seem to respond to your touch? So you struggle through, and when you stop the saw to disconnect the blade you notice that there seems to be a little slack. On ihc next hole, you take the extra precaution and add more torque, but after a while it does it again.

Sooner or later, this scenario will happen to you, if it hasn't already. What actually happens is that the surfaces of the blade clamps becomc work-hardened from repeated blade changes, and in turn arc polished to the point that it takes progressively more torque to keep them tight in the clamps, if you do nothing but keep applying more torque cach time, you will eventually strip the threads of the screw or the threads of the clamp itself.

I've tried every delaying tactic possible to stave off the inevitable, such as filing or grinding a bit off the surface, cutting fine grooves in the face, sanding, anything to roughen the surface. About all you get from efforts such as these, however, is the realization that you have to break down and buy new clamps. That is, unless you've already stripped the threads—if I you did that, you probably needed the rest anyway.

■ Clamping down on the problem

Changing blade clamps is not really difficult, especially on a Hegncr or RBI Hawk. Folks T know that own these saws usually keep a number of spares on hand in different sizes. On others, such as Excalibur, Delta, Dewalt, and Scars, it is only

a matter of undoing a few screws or tapping out a drift pin.

Before you start, check your owner's manual and become familiar with all the parts and how they are mounted on your saw. If you have Quick Clamps from Scyco, the Scroll Saw Specialists, all you have to do is replace the clamp screws while the clamps are mounted on the saw.

P.S.—here's a blade recommendation

I had occasion recently to meet Alex Snodgrass and Barbara Peters of PS Wood Machines. Besides their well-known scroll saw, they also distribute Timber Wolf band saw blades, plus other woodworking equipment and patterns. The reason J bring this up is that 1 got one of their band saw blades. If you have a band saw and resaw your own thin material, you really should try one of these blades.

Until next time, be careful out there and don't breathe the sawdust! P.S. You can reach me via e-mail at <unclewes@warwick.net>. Si

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