# AWFS18 Blade Changing...



## Kierri (20 Oct 2014)

Hi all, 

Well I finally cut out my first piece on my new scroll saw and I cant tell you just how great the distance is between this Axminster and my old SIP. It cuts so much better, cleaner, smoother, far less vibration and makes scrolling a pleasure, even giving me hope that I may well be able to get good!

One problem, I keep forgetting what order I'm supposed to use to change blades. My old saw just had a tensioning knob and tension release, all in one. As you will know, this new one has not only a tensioning knob at the back, a tension lever at the front AND another knob that holds the upper clamps in place. I'm going to have to print it put and put on the wall. But I released the all tension things in all the wrong order, while re-threading the blade to make an interior cut. Now, the blade is slightly bent just below where the clamps hold it. I don't know if this is too much blade tension or if the clamps are slightly misaligned, or the clamp knob (on top of blade holder) is too tight. 

Any ideas?

Secondly, using the table guide will be useful, but I find re-threading and clamping the upper blade rather fiddly as it keeps falling out while I try tightening the bolt at the same time. Am I doing something wrong? Thirdly... Is the top of the blade supposed to go in between the bolt and the clamp, or under it?

So confused :-/

Many thanks 

Kierri xx


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## Claymore (20 Oct 2014)

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## Kierri (20 Oct 2014)

Thank you Brian, so I don't need to operate the lever at all? So I release tension via rear knob and then tighten the knob on top of the clamp? Why tighten it? Also, does the blade go between the bolt and clamp, or under the bolt and just between the clamp parts?

I'm sorry if I'm being a bit dense. The top clamp itself isn't always balancing correctly when the knob on top is tightened. The instructions state not to over tighten anything. As I mentioned, the blade is slightly bent at the top. 

Additionally, the machine came with some blades, but it didn't say what types of blades they were. The blades I have bought are also labelled differently than the American blades that the books state to use. I'm currently looking at doing the butterfly project by John Nelson. 

It may be possible that I am over thinking things and I should just get on and saw ...

Thank you for your help!

Kierri xx


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## Claymore (20 Oct 2014)

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## Chippygeoff (20 Oct 2014)

It has been interesting reading the above comments. I have a Hegner and to all intents and purposes is more or less the same saw but it would appear on mine things are done slightly differently. First of all once the rear tension knob is adjusted there is no real need to touch it again. The top blade clamp has the quick release knob, which is a God send. On top of the upper clamp is a knurled knob and this clamps down onto the blade clamp, but here lies a difference, with mine I tighten it down onto the clamp and then undo it a quarter to half turn, just so there is a little movement. I was advised to do thios by the techy guys at hegner and have never had a problem.


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## Claymore (20 Oct 2014)

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## scrimper (20 Oct 2014)

Sorry if I am being a dimwit but I don't quite understand some of the comments about not touching the blade tension clamp here? I thought the saw in question was to all intents and purposes a copy of the Hegner saw, now in my opinion one of the most useful things on the Hegner is the quick release blade tension clamp on the front of the top arm of the saw, it would drive me absolutely nuts if I had to do without this feature now. Normally I rarely need to adjust the tension knob at the back of the saw.

The way I do it is Flip the tension lever forward to release the tension on the blade, loosen the quick blade clamp knob, the blade drops out of the top clamp, remove blade from work just done, insert blade through next hole, insert top of blade in clamp and tighten quick knob then flick the tension clamp back to reset the blade tension.

Perhaps I have misunderstood what is being said here but if TBH I don't see the point of a quick tension lever if you just use the knob at the back of the saw?

Today I have done almost 100 internal cuts on one item, without the quick tension clamp I would have given up after 6! IMHO the quick tension clamp indispensable!


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## Claymore (20 Oct 2014)

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## scrimper (20 Oct 2014)

Claymore":18zxp81o said:


> I have tried to flip the lever forward but found it difficult due to my hand probs (i have very little strength in my fingers so cannot put enough leverage on it) also i think mine may be harder to move due to the plastic wheel/roller damage which i will have to replace and see how i get on.
> Sorry if i have come across as a numpty but i tend to do things to suit my disabilities and sometimes it doesn't work for others or is actually the incorrect way 8-( best thing to do is ignore me lol
> I didn't mean any harm just thought it might help as it works for me.



No harm done at all I just could not understand why anyone would not wish to use the quick tension release, now you have explained it I understand why.

Can you not put a little Vaseline on the rollers to make it easier? Are your rollers worn? only the ones on my Hegner have had lot's of use yet after 15years use are still unworn? Can you buy or make some new rollers they are only little plastic bushes and one could fashion some from your odds and ends box?


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## martinka (20 Oct 2014)

Brian, I understand you using the saw to suit your abilities, but the front lever makes the job so much easier. Maybe there is a way to extend the lever to give you more leverage so you can use it? Ideally you could simply drill the original lever and bolt or rivet an extension to it, but as your saw is probably still under warranty, that's not a good idea. Something as simple as a piece of thin walled pipe flattened so that it will slide over the lever would do it without making it permanent.

I don't know if Axminster sell the plastic rollers, but Hegner sell them for £1.48 apiece.


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## martinka (20 Oct 2014)

Kierri, it sounds like you are using the top clamp that came with the saw. A good bit of advice is to buy the Hegner quick release clamp for about £20. You'll wonder how you managed without it.
http://www.hegner.co.uk/quick-clamp-for-piercework.html

Something that can bend the blade just below the top clamp is if the blade is towards the back or the front of the clamp rather than in the centre. I'm not saying that's your problem, but it's something to watch out for.


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## Claymore (20 Oct 2014)

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## scrimper (21 Oct 2014)

Claymore":bbaf4m8z said:


> Thanks guys and maybe i should have explained better my probs with the lever. I will check out Axminster and get some new rollers.... mine broke the 1st time i tried moving the lever and i never got round to sorting it out. I use many weird and wonderful gadgets to hold and move bits of wood on my saw, my left hand is totally useless but i can use it to put a bit of leverage onto a push stick and steer with my right hand! looks a bit awkward when I'm using it but it gets the job done.
> Cheers
> Brian
> ps Keirri your best bet is to ignore my daft advice and Scrimper has the right idea



TBH you have my admiration using a scroll saw with a duff left hand, I find it difficult with two reasonably decent hands!


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## Kierri (22 Oct 2014)

Okay, so to be clear.... The lever at the front of the machine IS a quick release lever? Could someone describe what it's purpose is for and how to use it correctly, please? And the blade tensioning is at the back. Does the lever simply unlatch the arm so you have room to blade change? Secondly, apologies to Brian for not getting it, the blade sits between the clamps and not between the bolt and the clamp. Finally, what is the purpose of the knob on top of the upper clamps? I read somewhere that people were advised to tighten it and then reverse it by 1/4 or 1/2 a turn. But my instructions don't mention this. When it's tight, the clamp seems to be at an angle. 

My apologies for not understanding. I'm so thankful for all your advice

Kierri xx


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## scrimper (22 Oct 2014)

Kierri":17rj5v5b said:


> Okay, so to be clear.... The lever at the front of the machine IS a quick release lever? Could someone describe what it's purpose is for and how to use it correctly, please? And the blade tensioning is at the back. Does the lever simply unlatch the arm so you have room to blade change? Secondly, apologies to Brian for not getting it, the blade sits between the clamps and not between the bolt and the clamp. Finally, what is the purpose of the knob on top of the upper clamps? I read somewhere that people were advised to tighten it and then reverse it by 1/4 or 1/2 a turn. But my instructions don't mention this. When it's tight, the clamp seems to be at an angle.
> 
> My apologies for not understanding. I'm so thankful for all your advice
> 
> Kierri xx



The lever at the front is the quick release tension lever, the general idea is that you install the blade in the normal way with the lever forward and tension off, once the blade is in place push the lever back to tension the blade. Give the blade a 'twang' with your finger if it sort of pings like a guitar string then that's OK and you are ready to saw, if the blade sounds dull when you twang it then turn the knob at the rear (clockwise) to move the front of the top arm upwards to increase the tension. It's a lot more difficult to explain than do on the saw!

Once you have got it right you can normally leave the knob at the back alone and every time you remove the blade and reinsert you can just tension it very quickly with the quick tension lever.

The knurled knob on the top should normally be adjusted so that it holds the top blade clamp in place but still allows the clamp to pivot to keep the sawing action as parallel as possible. They suggest that it should be tightened down on the top clamp only when you are using the piecework clamp (commonly called the quick release clamp and not to be confused with the quick tension clamp I mention above).

Hope this helps.


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## Kierri (23 Oct 2014)

Ah ha... Thank you - I think I get it!  I will buy the quick release clamp when I have a little more spare cash, but can't wait to try it out, I'm sure it will make a massive difference. At the moment, for pierce work, I'm trying to hold the upper clamps in my hands and use the allen key to release the blade, which is fiddly. I'll try keeping it in the holders, but it's a bit fidgety. 

So, if not using the quick release clamp (as I don't have one yet), I shouldn't use the knurled knob at all with no clamping action at all or use it a little bit?

Best wishes,

Kierri xx


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## scrimper (23 Oct 2014)

Kierri":vuwo4oz4 said:


> So, if not using the quick release clamp (as I don't have one yet), I shouldn't use the knurled knob at all with no clamping action at all or use it a little bit?



The idea is that the blade holder is allowed to pivot on a knife edge so that it gives as near as possible a parallel action which results in a squarer cut edge, so the knurled knob should be tightened down on the clamp but then released so as to allow the blade to pivot but at the same time keep the holder from jumping out should the blade break. 

When doing lots of internal cuts it is better to have it a little tighter to make it easier to release and refit the blade quickly, I leave mine so that the bolt is barely touching the clamp but close enough to make blade changing easy. The slight loss of true parallel action is not that important unless you are cutting really thick material anyway.

IMHO the quick release blade clamp (piercing clamp) is 100% essential, I never use anything else. It is expensive for what it is but for the time saved and frustration avoided it is well worth having. You could actually fashion your own from odds and ends in the junk box if you wanted although the actual genuine Hegner version is said to have rotating parts inside that restores the parallel action with the blade clamp held tightly in the arm, however when I bought mine 15 years ago it did not have this feature and I don't find it's absence causes me any problems.


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## Kierri (24 Oct 2014)

Thanks, Scrimper - I now understand  I also realise that the Hegner quick release is essential, but I'm not sure when or if I'll be able to get it. It *is* a lot of money for what it is, but then again for the benefits of it, it's probably worth every penny. But everything is (currently) going disastrously wrong in my life, one problem after another or all at once. I'm unable to work due to disability (get out the violins) and am struggling at the moment, then this morning... I found that the shower has a leak underneath itself, only by lifting up a box and finding a big patch of mould in the bedroom adjacent. It's not covered by insurance apparently. 

Anyway - I will look forward to that day when I can place the order. I don't have anything I can do it myself with and so the Hegner it is. 

Once again, many many thanks for all your advice, it will improve my scrolling no end. )

Much love,

Kierri xx


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