Woodworker's Journal 1985-9-6, страница 74

Sears: A Decent Saw for a Decent Price

This ( .inii iv|k 20 in saw, is similar in many ways io the Delta 40-601, although n<>[ ,|in[ i illiiicJ While manufactured in Taiwan, the Sears Craftsman ('mitiait"i v V in saw was designed by Emerson Electric in the U.S.; it's by no means .1 laiw.mcM.* ■"copy" of the Delta.

Wlu-n I toied this saw at a recent Sears conference, I was impressed by how i.m-tiilv ii i.ui. ,n least in comparison lo the other two Taiwanese-made saws I t. i ii hist in make sure the demo machine I tried wasn't "tweaked" to improve I s iii K m.mce. I called a saw in for ihe review—it operated just as well as the demo nn>dcl s.iw vibration was minor. Surprisingly, the Scars has one of the smoother lahle-iilt mechanisms of (he saws I iried. The tabic rides on two sturdy cast-iron trunnions, and locks securely in place with a large, easy-io-access knob. Like the

Delia, the variable-speed control is readily visible to the operator.

The cumbersome blade-guard/hold dow n/dust blower assembly is virtually the same as the one on llie Delia, with minor design differences. On both machines, I'd be tempted to remove ii and simply tape the blower tube lo the upper arm. Two separate tools -a hex wrench and clevis pin—are required to change blades on the Sears' permanently-mounted blade clamps. (Delta uses a 2-in-l tool for this purpose.) On the Sears, you can store the tools and extra blades in a plastic accessory box mounted on the saw siand.

If you can't afford one of the pricier saws reviewed in this article, the Sears is worth investigating.

down the speed and feed rate lo put less stress on ihe smaller. blade, however, since il will be more prone lo breaking.

As mentioned, the double parallel link design of ihe Excaliber culs about as aggressively as the parallel arm saws. Bui. unlike other saws, the forward motion of the blade can be altered io give a more or less aggressive cut. To do this, you adjust (he length of the lower arm by means of two bolts that secure llie arm to the back casting. Extending the arm results in a more aggressive cut. and vice-versa. If you're mechanically inclined, you may be able to make this adjustment yourself: otherw ise, you can ship the saw back to the distributor, to have the change made for you.

('lumping Blades: Mow Easy? lien', two factors come into play: the amount of time il takes lo secure the blade in the upper and lower blade clamps, and the amount of time it lakes io release and rc-iighien ihe blade ten-

74

sion. Because scroll-saw blades are tinv and delicate, ihe teeth wear out quickly (generally a blade is good for about 20-30 minutes of culling before the teeth get loo dull to cut efficiently). Also, you can expect some blade breakage, even on the best saws. And. because scroll saws are designed for making inside culouts (something you can'i do on the band saw ). you'll want a saw that makes ii easy to detach the blade from the upper blade clamp and thread it through holes drilled in the workpiece. A quick-lension release on the upper arm and a clamp knob on the upper blade holder will save time doing this procedure.

Blade Clamps—To change the blade on all scroll saws, you fit the blade ends into small, pivoting blade clamps mounted on the top and bottom arms, then tighten down the clamps. However, each saw has a slightly different clamp design, rcsuliing in a different procedure for changing the blades. On the Delta and Excaliber. both the upper and lower

clamps are permanently mounted on the machine. The RBI saws have a fixed upper clamp and a barrel-type removable lower clamp. On the Hegner and Shopsmith, both upper and lower clamps must be detached from the arms to replace the blades. Even though I found ihe latter two saws lo be the most difficult lo change blades on. the Hegner does have an advantage: you can buy extra clamp sets and mount blades in litem, then simply switch clamp assemblies when you break a blade. A slot in the table enables you lo do (his in a few seconds without having to stoop under the table to see what you're doing.

The RBI 220VS and Excaliber II are the only two machines that don't require tools lo change blades. Instead, they have finger-tightened knobs on the upper and lower clamps. The RBI 216VS comes wiih a finger-tightened knob on the bottom clamp only—the upper clamp requires an Allen wrench and H-wrench. However, you can buy a knob-operated upper clamp as an accessory for the 216VS. On both RBI saws, you must still remove the bottom clamp to change blades. The rest of the saws require an Allen wrench to loosen and tighten ihe clamps, or in the case ol the Hegner, a square-drive "clock key." which makes beiier sense lhan an easily strippablc Allen screw.

I could spend several pages explaining the blade-changing procedures for each sjw: Suffice to say, one saw stood heads and shoulders above the rest in ease of blade change: the Excaliber EX II. Both permanently mounted finger-release quick clamps have large knurled knobs connected by a threaded rod to a pivoting foot that holds the blade. The foot grips ihe blade much like a C-clamp. You simply loosen the knob, msen ihe blade end, lighten the knob, and the blade is perfectly centered in the clamp. I found thai after practicing the procedure several times. I could replace a broken blade in about 20 seconds (Photo M). The clamp knobs on the RBI saws don't operate nearly as well, bul I still found them far more convenient than using wrenches.

Rarely do 1 rave about new innovations in tool design, but the Excaliber's finger-release quick clamps add a whole new dimension lo production scroll-sawing. The good news is that the originator of the clamps—Seyco Sales The Wood worker's Journal