Scrollsaw Workshop Community -Please register to enable posting.
General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: berighteous on October 09, 2012, 07:05:58 pm
-
Hi!
I just got one of those craftsman scroll saws steve showed in his videos. I was able to cut 1/2" oak as my fist project ok, but the saw vibrates a lot. I tried some 1/4 alder and it just chewed it up. The saw was shaking so much I couldn't see the blade (5r) well and It just ate through it at will no matter how much I tried to steer it. the table was shaking and the stuff on it started moving around. I was trying to cut a keyfob for my mother in law - looks like it's been in a road accident. yikes.
Anybody have any ideas how to cut down on the shaking? I can't bolt it to the table. I noticed that I can wiggle the bottom blade holder a bit. Any way to lock that down better?
Thanks
-
As far as chewing up the wood is your teeth pointing down? And other than that, I fixed the problem by upgrading to a Dewalt.
-
I have the same saw, and had the same problem. Try adjusting the speed, make sure the blade is going down and BOLT IT DOWN. That solved my problem
-
As far as chewing up the wood is your teeth pointing down? And other than that, I fixed the problem by upgrading to a Dewalt.
Sure spending an extra $600 on a new saw would fix the problem... sheesh.
-
Well it works. Trust me I'm not rich, just got lucky enough to get that saw. I started on my grandpa's 16" variable speed craftsman. It was old and didn't have replacement parts anymore. so I had no choice but to get another saw, so I chose a better one than getting one that was not "useless" but not enough for what I was looking for. I didn't mean to brag.
-
The most important factor with the 16" saws is they have to be bolted to a stand. You will either have to buy or build a stand for your saw and bolt it down. Some folks even use sand to weigh down the stand. If you can't bolt it down, you will have to live with the vibration!
-
What kind of stand would I need? I don't mind getting a dedicated stand for it. I dunno what I'm looking for. The heavy workbench it's currently sitting on is on our back patio, and it's getting cold soon. I'm looking to start scrolling inside when it gets too cold to do it outside. Are there any adjustments I can make to the machine?
-
Check Rockler.com...they have a general purpose stand kit for about $40...
~~~GB~~~
-
Go to home, do a search for scroll saw table, should help ya.
-
I have a harbor freight around the corner from me. They have a stand that should work I guess... I dunno how bolting a shaky saw to a metal stand will do anything but shake the metal stand...
-
One of the main differences between the entry level saws and the more expensive ones is weight. Simply put, a heavier saw just vibrates less. My first saw was the Craftsman 16". I bolted it to a piece of 3/4" plywood, then clamped that to my workbench when I wanted to use the saw. Still vibrated, but much less than with the saw just sitting on the bench.
I upgraded from the Craftsman to the Porter Cable. This saw came with a stand. Big difference in handling. However, I wanted to cut down some of the vibration even more, so I laid two 70lb sandbags across the cross-members of the stand. Worked like a charm, significantly reducing the vibrations.
I now drive a Delta 40-690, with two sand bags on the cross-member. Almost no vibrations now.
The part that interests me about your situation, is that you were able to cut before without too much trouble. Are you sure you had the blade installed correctly, AND properly tensioned. A saw will vibrate like crazy if you haven't tensioned the blade. Trust me on that one! ;)
-
I was cutting thicker and heavier/harder stock. I cut a 1/2 inch oak cross and I was able to do ok with it, same blade, same tension, but the 1/4 alder seems so much softer and lighter. I just made a mess with it.
-
You mentioned a 5r blade for the the oak, in my book a 5 is ok for 1/2inch oak or whatever, but for 1/4 inch timber/lumber personally I wood use a #2 or 3. #3 would be my choice.
Living at the bottom of the world I can't help a lot with vibration but as others have said Sand bags and your speed wood be the most obvious answer.
***Merlin***
-
I appreciate all the advice. I'm really enjoying the forum here. Lots to learn. I dunno anything about what blade to use in what wood. I got a hundred ryobi 5R's from ebay ( I ordered 3 packs and got 9, lol) so I've been playing with those. The teeth on those are so tiny I need a magnifier to even see them.
I have too many questions, lol. Need to start another thread for them. BTW I get that knocking problem *sometimes* when I turn the tension near all the way up. Sometimes I don't get any knocking at all, but the vibration seems higher.
-
A tip for the teeth of the blade was stated by Steve," run your finger down it and if it is rough then the teeth are pointing up, if smooth then they are down" With time you will gain a lot of experience and I wish you the best.
-
I use a sand bag with my saw stand to help with vibration, it helps a lot. another thing you can do is to put a carpet pad under your saw and clamp it down (bolting it would be better, but you said you can't bolt it down)
You can build a stand for the saw, or buy something. Pay a little attention to how tall you want the table to be and what you plan on sitting in. if you have an uncomfortable set up you will get less use out of it.
I find that using too large of a blade with thin wood is almost worse then too small of a blade. the piece will jump and be really hard to control.
good luck, and ask lots of questions. We are here to help!
-
you need to order a variety of blades from Mikes workshop. you can't go wrong with his blades. they are 10 times better than any other blade. they are also notched so you know which end goes up. i think they are 15$ for the variety pack. you will have to check to make sure. the blades will make a big difference.
-
Brighty:
Don't take offense at countryscollers suggestion that you upgrade to a better saw. If you decide you really love the hobby you will do it anyway. Most of us started out with a saw like yours and when we decided to really commit to scroll sawing we upgraded to the best we could afford. For me that was the Dewalt 788. The Excalibur would be the next step but is about $300 dollars more. It all depends on how far you want to go. If you just want to make gifts for family and friends and cut a few things for yourself to display and enjoy you're Craftsman may well be enough. But if you want to become a production cutter and do craft shows and such you'll want to upgrade.
Regards,
Terry
terrysscrollshoppe.com (http://terrysscrollshoppe.com)
terrysscrollshoppe.blogspot.com (http://terrysscrollshoppe.blogspot.com)
-
Vibration is a compilation of several problems. Light weight stands, loose blades and quality of the machine etc;.
There is a small fix which will help but will not eliminate it. If you are bolting the saw down to a stand or bench you can add small dense foam pads between the saw and bench and use pads on the bottom of the legs of the stand.
Old mouse pads are great for this. Industrial machines are mounted on small rubber pads
I fixed my vibration for $2.98.
-
I didn't see the Craftsman Scroll Saw you refer too, but the issue of a Craftsman saw and vibration struck a cord with me. - wood reference
Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree but here is what happened to me and my Craftsman Scroll Saw, circa 2006. - another wood pun
I have been using it a lot since I bought and it has always worked very well. However, recently, all of a sudden it began running like an out of tune Model T Ford. I checked it out and discovered that the drive bearing on the upper arm had completely blown out and in addition to being missing, the shaft had completely distorted the upper arm to to about a half an inch clearance. It vibrated awfully.
Being a former Sears employee and a Craftsman fan, I knew that replacement parts were readily available. Don't laugh there are a lot of us Craftsman fans out there and we vote.
I easily disassembled the machine, quickly ordered new parts for the damaged parts in addition to new bearings, etc. They came within a week and I reassembled the machine and it now runs like a sewing machine. Quiet, no vibration, smooth operation.
Say what you will about Craftsman machines, but if needed, repair parts are readily available on-line and they are relatively inexpensive. This is not to say that Craftsman machines break more frequently, but that the Parts and Service facilities are as close as your phone or computer.
FWIW - When I worked at Sears 5 years ago the RIKON representative was the one who came in to the store to tutor us and service and clean the display machines and check inventory.