# Scroll Saw Help



## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

I bought a scroll saw at a garage sale last summer and I decided to try to give it a little cleaning and tune up tonight. However I soon discovered I am scroll saw illiterate. :blink:
I tried to find some info on scroll saw maintenance but came up empty. So I'll just pick your brains. :sarcastic:

I took the bracket in the picture off and cleaned it up and was cleaning out the little hole it covers when I found the two small springs inside. I assume there is something missing here. I imagine the springs should be pushing against something that pushes against the bracket to keep the arm centered when moving?
Any ideas what the missing part might look like and if I can find a replacement? I am thinking ball bearings of some sort.
Also does anyone have any tips on scroll saw maintenance/tune ups?
The saw is a Light Industrial Tools Model 1S-28 (Made in Taiwan). Nothing came up in a Google search for it.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Deb

This is a shot in the dark, but looks like you are missing some ball bearing..

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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

> This is a shot in the dark, but looks like you are missing some ball bearing..


LOL Bob thanks for confirming what I guessed. I'll have to round up some ball bearings and see if I can find a couple that will fit.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Deb

If you have some old bikes around,take a look at the bearing in the rear wheel or on the crank sprocket, they look about the same size and are easy to snap out of the ring.. 
Don't forget the crank sprocket nut is left hand thread 

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CanuckGal said:


> LOL Bob thanks for confirming what I guessed. I'll have to round up some ball bearings and see if I can find a couple that will fit.


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

My Hegner Multimax-2 is made differently. There is spring tension on the tension arm, but at the pivot point. 

The black bracket on your looks like it might have been added to solve a bearing problem farther back on the arm? To the left of the tube, it also looks like the arm might have been welded. Can't tell from the pix. Check the arm to see how much lateral "slop" there is. 

Assuming theres a small space between the ends of the tube and the bracket, you'd probably want a ball bearing on both sides that will just fit inside the tube, but not fall through the spring. An auto parts place might have them, if you don't find them on the floor.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Ralph there was a LOT of grease on the bracket and arm, I cleaned most of it off but I think what you are thinking is a weld is just some grease I missed. It does look like there should be a ball bearing on both sides of the arm, I may have to make a new bracket as there are wear marks in the bracket and I am assuming that is how the bearings fell out in the first place. 
I actually used this saw a few times before I decided to clean it up. It worked great, although it was incredibly noisy. I am assuming this was part of the problem. 
Looks like the bearings have to be just under 1/4". I am going to run up to Fastenal tomorrow and see what they have. I will probably have to buy a hundred to replace 2 
I might as well get new springs while I am at it. 
Tool tune ups always seem to open a can of worms. I only paid 35.00 for the saw so a few more bucks invested in it won't hurt.
Thanks for the help guys


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

That looks like the saw that PS Wood Machines sells (only theirs is orange). Woodworkers Supply sells the same saw (Green and Yellow). Their saw's catalog number is 140-063. You might try contacting them to see if what you need is available. 

I once tried to buy the Woodworkers Supply model, but of the three that they had in stock, all had manufacturing problems and were'nt fit to sell. I ended up with a Delta scroll saw instead. As a result of that effort I had bought a quick blade release kit from PS Woodworking that I ended up never using. If you want it, send me a PM, and it's your's for the shipping costs, but first you need to get it running properly. 

CharleyL


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Deb

Sounds like the best way to go is with a new bracket made out of
UHMW I'm almost you can find some in town or send off for some
and it's a good job for your new band saw 

* Characteristics:*​ 

*The highest abrasion resistance*
*Outstanding impact strength even at low temperatures*
*Excellent sliding material due to low coefficient  of friction*
*Self-lubricating*
*Easily machined with common woodworking tools*
UHMW Plastic Sheets and Strips

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CanuckGal said:


> Ralph there was a LOT of grease on the bracket and arm, I cleaned most of it off but I think what you are thinking is a weld is just some grease I missed. It does look like there should be a ball bearing on both sides of the arm, I may have to make a new bracket as there are wear marks in the bracket and I am assuming that is how the bearings fell out in the first place.
> I actually used this saw a few times before I decided to clean it up. It worked great, although it was incredibly noisy. I am assuming this was part of the problem.
> Looks like the bearings have to be just under 1/4". I am going to run up to Fastenal tomorrow and see what they have. I will probably have to buy a hundred to replace 2
> I might as well get new springs while I am at it.
> ...


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Charley that saw is close but not the same. Looks like where the bellows is on the WS saw is where my bracket is. My bellows are at the back of the arms. So I don't know if the blade release kit would work on mine either.

I found some ball bearings from Fastenal I am going to try. Unfortunately they weren't in stock. I'll get them sometime next week | As long as they fit I'm good to go. I did have to buy a hundred of them so if anyone needs any 7/32 steel balls let me know lol.

Bob I would think UHMW would be a little too flexible unless I made the bracket a lot thicker and I don't have the room between the arm and the frame. I can weld up a new bracket at work this weekend. But a thin UHMW liner on the inside of the bracket that could be replaced when it wears.... now that's an idea! I have siome kicking around that I made a couple of router fences out of. I may give that a try!

I knew you guys would have all the answers


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Deb

I'm a welder from a long time back ,,it's hard to get it true with heat pulling it to one side or the other but now if you can get to a mill that would work nice 

The UHMW or Alum. is very rigid in the 3/4" or the 1 1/4" thick stuff, I think I would use a chunk of it and just cut it out on the band saw..all in one piece thing for a long time fix but the bearing just may work also..)

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CanuckGal said:


> Charley that saw is close but not the same. Looks like where the bellows is on the WS saw is where my bracket is. My bellows are at the back of the arms. So I don't know if the blade release kit would work on mine either.
> 
> I found some ball bearings from Fastenal I am going to try. Unfortunately they weren't in stock. I'll get them sometime next week | As long as they fit I'm good to go. I did have to buy a hundred of them so if anyone needs any 7/32 steel balls let me know lol.
> 
> ...


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

I am beginning to think this bracket was a home made add on. But it is becoming the least of my issues.
Is there some way to adjust the stroke of the arm? It seems to be hitting the bottom of the table screw on the up stroke and the down stroke goes far enough past the bracket that the ball bearings are sure to fall out. Something is out of whack.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

I popped into Lee Valley today and was looking through the scroll saw handbook and found my Scroll Saw!  It's an older Axminster FS18 copy(see link). Unfortunately Axminster has an updated model and no longer has the manual for the older model on their website. So close.....


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

I temporarily lined the bracket with thin strips of UHMW just so I could finish the tune up. Although I suspect the bracket is home made, I wonder if it was a replacement for the original. I learned a whole lot about this saw in a couple of days and some long research. It's a 26" C Arm with a single speed 1/8HP 1720 RPM motor. It was made in 1988. 
I had it all in pieces earlier today and surprisingly it is in excellent shape. There is no serious wear on any of the parts (other then the minor wear on the bracket). The only real rust I ran into was on the single HH bolt that held the motor guard on. A little WD40 cleaned that up. 
The stroke issue was resolved with a new blade and proper tensioning. I also put a small rubber pad on the bolt below the table that was getting nicked on the up stroke. I think I am just going to replace it with a smaller head bolt and that should get rid of the problem completely.
That little tune up made all the difference in the noise ratio. Now I think if I put a rubber mat under it and then bolt it back to the stand and put some rubber feet on the bottom of the metal stand it should make the noise a little more tolerable. Once I get the new bearings and springs in it I should have a pretty decent scroll saw 
One day I'll do something with it. Right now I am too busy routering


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Arch supports for the saw's feet, eh? Sounds like a good plan.


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