Ryobi SC164VS scroll saw.

[tdub4ever]

I know not many people use the Ryobi scroll saw but hopefully someone has an idea. I've been using this saw faithfully for a year and have no problems except for the tension rod, which I have replaced. The other day the tension rod was getting hard to tighten so I cleaned it with WD40. Put it back together and now, I tighten the blade up, which tightens very easy now, but when I turn the saw on to use it I watch the tension nob loosen. It turns and loosens very fast. I took the rod back out and cleaned with dish soap to get the oil off and it still does it. It will not stay tight, it loosens as soon as I start my saw and at any speed. Anyone have any ideas? All help is appreciated. Don

[lefty1011]

i have 2 of the ryobis i use, ive replaced the rods twice in each one, the first one stripped ,thye second one had burrs in the threads and a small crack , it was doing the same thing as yours i just got fed up and bought new tensioning rods they both work fine now

[daveW]

Did you check the tensioner knob at the rear of the saw....? if the "INTERNAL " threads are worn it can cause the same problem.....then, IF you have a wornthreaded shaft it can compound the problem.......replaceing one without replaceing the other will TEMPORARILY cure the problem.....replaceing BOTH at the same time will result in longer lasting satisfaction.....neither are very expensive.


my saw is about 5-6 yrs. old and still holds the adjustment well.....most of my work is "FRET" so the handle is used quite a bit.........also the rubber collar at the top of the shaft just under the black knob helps to hold it in position.....kind of a lite friction. be sure it has NOT been removed or hardened. It also acts as a cushion

[tdub4ever]

Thanks so much for your replies. The threads LOOK ok, and it worked well till I cleaned it. I"m probably going to just buy a couple, the shipping is the worst part, to have some spares. I just hate having to wait the 7 to 10 days to do any scrolling. I have a 24" 2 speed craftsman, but the 2 speeds are just not what i need. The low is too low and the high is TOO high. Guess I'll just make do. Again, thanks for your replies. Don

[evilbadger]

Don

I don't have a Ryobi but loose threads sound like the culprit from the other responses. Maybe some blue loctite or some teflon tape would work until you get the parts.

[tdub4ever]

Thanks Tim for the Teflon idea it works pretty good! Thanks again, Don

[evilbadger]

Don

Glad it worked for you. Maybe if you put the Teflon on the new pieces right away they might last a little longer. Most threads are kind of sloppy to begin with, if you take any screw and a nut and try rocking the nut perpendicular to the screw you will see what I mean. This is usually not a problem when you are using screws to clamp things together but with the tension rod being pulled tight and then loosened every time you change blades or holes I can see where it could cause problems.