# Got the Axminster AWFS18, an advise please



## AlbertoA (9 Apr 2009)

Hello, also thanks to this forum I purchased an Axminster AWFS18 fretsaw, I had a Proxxon that was extremely powerful, but blade change was a nightmare and the aluminum table was not that... great. 

The mass of this is impressive. I used to keep the Proxxon on a MD bench (not my "woodworking" bench...) and it was fine, this one would jump on it, so I placed it on a 16" jointer... no vibration at all . 
Thanks to someone here (I cannot remember whom to say thanks to)... I changed from the short stroke to the long. 
Started it and... tensioning the blade slightly more I had a "surprise", the saw started to really jump... Stopped it and I realized there was something wrong, the arm would not scroll freely. 
Releasing tension it would run free again. 
I discovered that behind the arm there is the "stop" 






and tensioning the blade or using a longer blade (I tried with those blades with pins that having no clamps sits directly on the "fingers") the rear of the arms hit this "pin" that is designed to stop the lifting of the upper arm. 
What would you do? I was going to file away some of it to gain a little room for tensioning or maybe shorten the distance between the two clamp holders to effectively shorten the blade (so the rear of the arm would be away from the pin)? 
Has any of the owners had the same problem? 
Thanks, 
Alberto


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## Geoffrey (9 Apr 2009)

Hi AlbertoA This saw takes 130mm blades pinned or unpinned 
use the clamps on the side of the Table too get the right size
I am away till next tuesday so cant help till then sorry.

Geoff  

ps Have you got the spring for the arms i cant see it.


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## AlbertoA (9 Apr 2009)

Hi Geoff,
Yes, the spring is (was) there, I just removed it to check where the problem could be, I removed the upper arm because I thought it might be the brass inside it...
To use pinned blades you remove the clamps?
If so I really think there's a problem with that "end stop" (sorry but I don't know how to translate something that limits the movement of a mechanism)... it's probably too close to the arm. With pinned blades I cannot even reach a minimum tension...
Alberto


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## Geoffrey (19 Apr 2009)

Hi Alberto i have tried putting pinned blades in my axminster and i got the same problems as you i think its best to stick to unpinned blades.
you get much more choice in blade size and its easy to do internal cuts as well and thy are cheaper as well.

Geoff


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## AlbertoA (23 Apr 2009)

Thanks Geoffrey,
You are right, I will stick to unpinned, but I still had some from the previosu saw! Also because changing the blade on this one is a dream, very fast.
The main problem was also with tensioning unpinned blade, when the bolt was tightened past a certain point the upper would touch that pin, simply for the fact that they became too close (the bolts acts like a lever on the distance of the two arms and indirectly on the tension).

By the way, in the end I filed a little bit the pin there and tensioning problem was solved.
I used it too little, but it really shines in quality...

Alberto


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## Geoffrey (26 Apr 2009)

Hi Alberto glad you are up and running now.
The end stop is there to stop the top arm from flying up to far if the blade snaps
its a safety feature it stops the blade from stabbing your hands or your work and it goes with a good thump when it does. :shock: 

Geoff


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