# Complete newbie with old Draper FS400 fretsaw - please help!



## tekno.mage (3 Sep 2011)

Hi all, hoping for some advice from the scrollsawing community here (I usually hang out in the woodturning section!)

I have acquired an old (1992 vintage) Draper FS400 fretsaw which I am hoping to use to rough cut the "hook" shape in turned crochet hooks. I currently use a full size bandsaw for this, but it's rather agressive of cut and very difficult on the smaller hooks (3mm - 6mm diameter). 

The saw arrived with one blade already fitted and no instructions :-( Predictably, I have already broken the blade, which although it seemed sharp to the finger, was probably blunt as it didn't seem to cut a small piece of 4mm thick birch very well before I broke it!

So - some questions....

Where can I get some instructions for this saw - in particular blade changing and tensioning. I know where the tensioning knob is but have no idea how to check if blade tension is correct. I've not tried to take the old blade out as yet and don't know what type it is (ie pins on the end or not) and have no idea what type of blade I should be using - and there seem to be a huge variety of types out there.
Some recommendations on what blades to use would be very useful.

I've also no idea how quickly a saw like this should cut - obviously nothing like as fast as a big bandsaw - but how much slower should it be? I didn't think it was cutting my test piece very quickly at all, I also didn't think I was pushing too hard against the blade - I was feeding the work very gently when the blade broke after cutting a mere 1/4".

Any help would be gratefully recieved


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## pren (20 Sep 2011)

Hey! No idea about your particular saw. Maybe posting some pics of the blade holder might help with some advice? My saw is a pin blade one so it has a small lever at the front of the upper arm that flips up to release the blade and flips down to roll over a cam which tensions the blade.

It could be the blade that broke was already on its way out. Blades do tend to snap more when you're just starting out with a scroll saw, in my experience. It's very easy to slide the wood sideways as you cut, forcing the blade to bow sideways as well as backwards as it cuts. Practice gets you to a point where you can hold the wood fairly lightly so the blade naturally keeps it in line. Not sure if that makes sense! 

As for feed speed, it depends on the tpi of the blade, the speed of the motor and the thickness of the wood. In my experience, you shouldn't need anymore than a light pressure with your fingertips to feed the wood through. I tend to have my fingers on the piece, about 1" either side of the blade with most of the pressure being used to hold it down. 

Hope this makes sense!


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## Blister (20 Sep 2011)

Kym


Best contact Draper direct for your answers 

http://www.drapertools.com/b2c/b2ccontact.pgm

I think they use pin type blades 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Kf9h2C ... re=related
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ba8m_L7 ... ure=relmfu
.
.
:wink:


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## tekno.mage (20 Sep 2011)

Thanks for your help guys - I've since managed to source some draper blades for the saw, which seem to be working ok with these. I think the original blade was very blunt.

The saw seems to be able to take pinless blades or ones with pins - although my attempts to use a small hacksaw blade were particularly unsuccessful - as the blade kept breaking


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## chrispuzzle (30 Sep 2011)

For tension there's some trial and error as obviously thick, stiff blades will be different from thin, more flexible ones. But you must leave some play in the blade - if you can push it 1/8" - 1/4" to the side that should be OK. Also it ought to make a clear bell-like ping when you flick it with your fingernail. If it sounds like a cracked pot rather than a crystal wineglass then it's not tight enough yet.

So if you can push it at least 1/8" and it makes a nice clear bell like sound when plucked, you are close to the sweet spot for tension. The rest is practise.


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## mac1012 (29 Oct 2011)

the more tension you get on the blade the better in my experience , as has been said on here a nice ping sound is what you looking for , with very little sideways movement.

Pinless blades are the way to go especially if the cut is a small one , radius etc , as you can go a lot thinner blade than pinned one,

I use niqua no 7 blades from hegner with reverse tooth for most of my work , the trick is to use biggest tpi blade you can get away with to do what you want to cut, not the smallest blade.

I use no 7 for most of my work and maybe no 5 if smaller detail , any smaller and you need more skill and the smaller you go the longer the cut takes.

really thin blades you only need for intricate work but for what you doing a pinless no 5 or 7 would work well . its suprising how tight you can cut even with like a no 5 or no7 grade blade.

Hope this helps 

Mark


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## Steveo18 (19 Oct 2015)

Hi Kym
I see your old posting but I have only just joined this Forum and noticed you acquired a Draper Fretsaw.
If you are still interested I have a copy of the Instruction Manual.
Regards
SteveO


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## Chippygeoff (19 Oct 2015)

Hi Kym. Going on what you have said the saw should easily cut through 4mm thick wood without any problems at all. With regard to tension. I have the blade quite tight with lots of tension. You will find that with more tension you will cut more accurately and the cut will be faster. Cutting the crochet hook on a scroll saw should be a piece of cake and I would have thought a number 5 or even a number 3 blade would foot the bill. If you attack the bottom end of the blade first and then the top I would hold the top arm down as you tighten the blade clamp, this will then give you maximum tension when you push the lever down.


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## marcros (19 Oct 2015)

the post is 4 years old!


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## scrimper (19 Oct 2015)

marcros":v1c9ywk6 said:


> the post is 4 years old!



Indeed! Don't you just hate it when that happens, I do, you don't notice the date and read through the whole damn thread thinking you might be able to contribute then right at the end you find it has been resurrected from several years ago for no good reason! (hammer) #-o


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## Chippygeoff (19 Oct 2015)

Doh


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