Frustration

[mitramom]

I am so completely frustrated right now! I decided to tackle a pattern from my magazine by Charles Dearing. I'm thinking now that I started it is probably way too complicated for me, but as I am a stubborn Capricorn I will not stop! That's only part of my frustration however; my new DW and I have come to a love-hate relationship. I used to love it, and it used to love me....until I started calling it nasty names that is. The silly thing won't hold any blade smaller than a 5. I tried changing to a 3 for my pattern, but the bottom clamp just keeps spitting the 3 out...I can't get it to even start to hold. So I resign myself to using a number 5.....I get part of a cut done, and it spits that out too. If I put the tension to anything higher than 3 I'm hooped. Anyways, that is my whine for the day. I guess I have to take my saw in to be serviced...but I don't wannna!!! I wanna scroll!!!!!

[BobD (Archive)]

Try just rubbing the inside of the lower blade clamp with a bit of sandpaper to rough it up and give it a better hold.

I keep a scrap of sandpaper next to my saw and use it on both ends of each blade I put in; blades are packaged with a light oil to keep them from rusting...so if the oil built up in the blade clamp, the sandpaper will remove that as well.

And don't be afraid to really crank down on the blade clamps! I sometimes have trouble loosening my blade!

Bob

[Woodbutcher68]

I agree with Bob. Also, check the alignment of your blades. The set screw in the bottom blade holder might have backed out and you are tightening against the holder frame instead of the set screw. You should be able to see the set screw or at least part of it.