# Scroll Saw Blade Clamp Problem Resolved



## Trev_Batstone (Jul 29, 2011)

I am a relatively new scroll sawer (about 8 months now) and my scroll saw is an entry-level *Skil 3335*. I've become addicted to scrolling and use my saw almost daily for a few hours. I encountered a problem with the cheap blade clamps and blade clamp screws on this saw, in that the screws in the clamps are very prone to *stripping*. After several attempts to resolve this problem, I finally, so far, (fingers crossed) seem to have resolved the problem. I drilled out the screw hole just large enough to accommodate a 1/4-20 thumb screw and use a 1/4-20 nut and star washer with same. The first thumb screw I tried was black steel and it also *stripped*, so I decided to try a stainless screw and this thumb screw setup is working wonderfully for me, and it also makes it a lot easier and quicker to change blades. For a little preventative maintenance, I applied a small amount of white lithium grease on the screw thread where the nut sits.. this makes for smoother and assured tightening. Just don't get any grease in the slot of the clamp where the blade inserts or this could be catastrophic. Other saw makes such as Ryobi, Mastercraft, Craftsman have similar clamp systems, so hopefully this topic may be helpful to others who may be encountering the same problem with their blade clamps.


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## SawTooth1953 (May 7, 2009)

Looks like a good solution for your saw. I've used several brands of scroll saw and the methods used to hold the blade under tension is varied… I've not seen a "great" system yet. Blade slippage is a common problem. For some reason, there is no correlation to spending more money and getting better engineering. I'm not familiar w/your saw, but as far as I can tell from your pic, what you have now is better than I've seen on Hegner, Hawk, and DeWalt saws.

Spence


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## billwelchel (Aug 23, 2011)

I have the aforementioned Ryobi saw and have the same problem. I was hesitant to drill out the hole in the blade clamp itself but I think I will follow your lead and see how it goes.

Did you replace the spring in the clamp assembly with a larger spring or did the original fit on the larger bolt?

thanks!!


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

thank´s for sharing the tip 

Dennis


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## Trev_Batstone (Jul 29, 2011)

Bill, on my saw (Skil 3335) there is/was no spring in the clamp assembly. By the way, I've also modified the lower blade clamp in almost the same way, with a stainless steel screw with the nut tack-welded to the side of the clamp, and I use a #2 Robertson screwdriver for the lower clamp, keeping that screwdriver on my scroll saw table exclusively for that purpose.. works really well.


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## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

That looks like a good solution to a common problem. Also remember that many blade manufacturers package their blades with a greasy coating when they ship them so they won't corrode during storage. I keep a small plastic container of mineral spirits near to clean them before I use them. I just dip the ends in the jar and wipe them dry with a paper towel. It also helps a great deal to prevent slipping of the blades. Every once in a while I also clean the blade holder with this too just to make sure that there is no oil of grease on it.

Thanks for the tip!

Sheila


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## Trev_Batstone (Jul 29, 2011)

Sheila, those are also good tips about cleaning the ends of the blades. So far this modification has been working well for me.. just hope it continues. Keep up your great work!


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