# Newbie Questions Delta 40-694



## RadicalDad (Oct 25, 2020)

I just purchased a new Delta 40-694. I've never owned a scroll saw before. Set it up and did some test cuts. Some odd things happening, wondering if this is normal or I need to do additional setup.

Three of the four arms (two on top, two on the bottom) have significant play side-to-side. Likewise, the device that holds the blade has a fair amount of play on the arms, again both top and bottom. It looks like this can be adjusted. Should I tighten that up? Any recommendations for how tight the attachment nuts should be?

The machine runs smoothly, but the blade shows significant play side to side, even when under tension. Again, is this normal for a Delta 40-694? Perhaps if I tighten up the arms and blade attachment hardware this will go away?

I noticed right away that there is a detent for setting the table at 0 degrees, yet even with the table set at the detent, I'm not getting a 90 degree cut. Have I got a lemon? There seems to be no adjustment for this.

The table came oiled and wrapped in plastic. I cleaned off the oil and put down a layer of wood paste wax. The table feels smooth, and it is flat according to my L-square, but it looks horrible. It has several blotches that look like the beginnings of corrosion, or perhaps it was corroded and then polished poorly. There are several polishing grooves that stand out as being significantly deeper than the others, and the whole thing is kind of ugly. Not that I expect my tools to be a thing of beauty, but I do expect finish quality better than this on a mid-quality piece of equipment. Do these blotches spell trouble down the line?

The puffs of air coming out of the air hose seem anemic, especially at slow speeds. Again, is this normal for the Delta?

The manual says the saw should run at 400 strokes per minute (SPM) at the lowest speed up to 1750 SPM at the highest setting. Checking with a strobe, my saw runs from 375 SPM to 1560 SPM. Is this a problem? I don't have a power problem in my shop - plenty of amps and 60 Hz from the power utility.

All-in-all, I'm not exactly impressed. If it gets good results, I will be pleased, but so far, this seems like trouble rather than something I can use with ease.

Have I got a lemon here? Are there adjustments I should have made that aren't shown in the almost-useless manual? Many thanks in advance.


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## GrumpyGolfGuy (Apr 29, 2020)

As it appears that you bought the saw new you will need to set it up. So, for a few of the issues, I wouldn't expect the table to be a spot on 90 from the bow. With mine I made sure the saw was level then used a digital meter to set the table at 90. As for the speed, don't get hung up on numbers, over time you will find speeds that work for you.
As for the side to side play, sounds like some things need to be addressed, my go to source is YouTube for working on my saws. Delta is a good name, mine is a Delta, an older model, P-20, weights a ton and still runs great.
For what it's worth, all new saws need some kind of work to set them up for operation, this is not unusual, go to YouTube and look up videos on your saw, there will be several that will address your problem.

Good luck and enjoy the new saw….

Chris


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