Scroll Saw - Delta SS350

[Corey Hallagan]

My first post here. Recognize Jim from Iowa here. Recently bought the Delta SS350. Been busy getting the shop outfitted with cabinets and jigs and now ready to start using my scroll saw on some projects. This was my second scroll saw. I sold my old 2 speed Delta 2 years ago and had the bug to saw again so I went with the Delta SS350. I really liked that saw and I could change the blades very quickly on it. The SS350 has the newer style. Taking some getting use to those chucks to get the blade in there right the first time so they don't pull out or break. Anytips on using these newer blade chucks? Seems to run pretty good. Any tips on tuning this saw to it's highest peformance level. I know It isn't a Hegner and don't expect it to run like one but thought someone might have some tips on getting it to run at it's best!
Thanks,
Corey

[Jim-Iowa]

Hey Corey!

I bought an SS250 Friday, so can`t help you on the SS350.
I do understand the 250 can be fitted with the same lower clamp.
So will probably be doing that soon. I also will be interested in responses.

[Corey Hallagan]

Another problem I have found....

I realized whe tightened the blade was not 90 degrees to the table. In order to make the blade 90 degrees to the table I had to tilt the table. It is now square to the blade but the table is definitely not level. Is this normal. Possibly is the blade installed wrong?

Corey

[Jim-Iowa]

Boy it`s hard to say when not looking at the saw?
I assume you set the table up at 90 degrees before installing the blade?
If like the 250 there is a leveling bolt, mine incidentally was not at zero on the scale when squared up.
I noticed the top clamp on mine was way tighter than needed at first.
It only needs to be tight enough to hold it.
When I took the blade shipped with mine out to assemble the blade was bent due to being too tight?

On a side note, reading archives, everyone said the pivots were shipped nearly dry, so I took mine down while assembling and cleaned and oiled before running the saw.

[Corey Hallagan]

Yup yup....

Mine definitely was not at zero. Dang bi-focals... got close without my glasses on today and I had it a little off. When square, the table is a little off balance to the eye. I will have to get the directions out and see what it says about oiling.

Thanks,
Corey

[Jim-Iowa]

Forgot to mention, being blind in one eye things often look off kilter to me.
I took a speed square and set it on the table, and squared up to both sides of the top clamp. This put the indicator almost a 1/4" below zero on my saw(this is looking over my glasses to defeat my bifocals too
).
Cutting a kerf from the front and then trying at the back of the blade indicated it was truly square there.

Set up square my table apears to be slanted to the left?
I`ll have to see if I can move the indicator or shim the table to get to zero.

[Corey Hallagan]

Same here Jim. It slants to the left but the table is square front and back. I lubed the contact points on the SS350 ( probably a little different on the SS250) No noticeable difference but there is a noticable difference with the saw running square. Also practiced a bit with the blade chucks. Takes some getting used to but once set right for a given size blade not much adj. is necessary. When the tension is right ( another practice thing ) the saw works really nice. Cut for quite a while on a bunch of scrap, didn't break a blade and it felt like the saw was doing the work, not me! Just takes practice!

Corey