dewalt 788 cuts to the right

[arkanscroller]

Hopefully someone can help me solve this problem. Recently my dewalt scroll saw has started cutting to the right.
I have cut several projects out of 3/4 maple this week and all of a sudden my saw starts acting up. I have tried different blades and even different woods and the result is the same. It cuts off so bad that I cant stay on line for as little as a 1/4 inch with out it veering off and always to the right. I've tried different speeds and feeds all with the same results.
This morning I removed the table, checked the bearings in the arms and tightened all the bolts but it still cuts off and always to the right.
Has anyone experienced this problem? Any help will be appericated.
Thank, Randy 

[countryscroller]

Ive never met a scroll saw that cuts straight. Let the blade do the work and don't force the wood into the blade. You just have to adjust the angle you put the wood into the blade so you can follow a "straight line".. hope that helps

[Billy in Va]

Make sure your blade is in correctly   - cutting on the down stroke. 9 time out of 10 when I have this problem it has been blade direction. after that tension and speed.  How thick is the maple you are cutting?

[arkanscroller]

The maple and walnut both are 3/4 of an inch thick. I have had this saw for at least 7 years. No matter what the feed it still leads to the extreme right. I have never had any trouble cutting straight with it before and I was in the middle of a project that was going fine and then all of a sudden it started cutting off to the extent that I had no control of it . At first I thought it was the blade because I had just changed it, as I had been doing while cutting hard maple. So I tried another blade with the same results. Even with different size blades the results are the same although not as extreme with thicker blades.
Also when I do the circle test to see if my blade is parallel with the table the waste piece will neither come out the top or bottom of my board. As if the piece is bigger in the middle.
I am fixing to  change the set screws that hold the blade in thinking maybe they aren't holding and the blade is flexing some.
I will let you know, thanks
 

[dgman]

Do you have enough tension on the blade. One of the biggest problems with the blade clamps that the DeWalt and Excalibur use is the blades slipping in the clamp. if the blades slip you will lose tension and the blade will not track properly. The reason is the anvil on the end of the thumb screw wears down. Also the oil on the blades accumulate on the anvil and make it slippery. First, remove the thumb screw. Lay a piece of 220 grit sandpaper on your scroll saw table. Very carefully sand the end of the anvil without rounding the edges. You want to sand until it is no longer shiny. Sand both the upper and lower. Next, you want to sand the ends of the blades before you mount the blade. Use a folded piece of 220 grit sandpaper with the grit facing in and gently sand the ends.
Hopefully, this will take care of your problem.

[arkanscroller]

I will try that tomorrow when I get off from work, thanks for the help.

[arkanscroller]

OK dgman, I did what you said with the clamp screws and then I reset the blades on center of my table. Made sure that my blade is square with the table top and now it cuts just like it did when I bought it. Thanks to all who offered advice it is greatly appreciated.

[dgman]

I'm glad it worked for you!

[Becky]

It makes me feel a little stupid to post this but it might help someone else.

I put a piece of sandpaper by my saw as dgman suggested and always used it on both ends of my blades before inserting them.  After a while though, I was losing tension all the time and nothing seemed to help.  Drove me nuts.

Folks, remember to change out that piece of sandpaper every now and then!  DOH

We need a smiley that whacks itself in the head because that would be perfect for this post.   

[Billy in Va]

Earlier this spring, I started having some of the same type problems.  I just could not keep a blade in the bottom holder of my Dewalt. Sometimes I could cut 8-10 frets before it would slip out and bend or break. Other times just one or two. After several day of frustration I started over and cleaned all of the set screws, reset them evenly and locked them down. I used thread tape on the two set screws as I did not have any loctite. ( So far they are still good). I made sure the two thumb screws were clean and flat.  Things worked great for a while and then the problem started again.  I then started cleaning all four sides of the blade with sand paper  AND each time I change a blade, I clean and flatten the bottom thumb screw.   That has pretty much solved my problems with blade slippage and tension.  Before I was using a tension of 2 1/2 to maybe 3 1/2 mostly because the blade would slip so badly. Now I start at 31/2 and go up as needed.  I also keep and emery stone on the saw table and round the back of the blade when I change it. I check that the blade is square to the table most of the time but unless I have adjusted something it stay square even with a blade change.  I post this  because at one point I was ready to see if a two or three day dunking in salt water would fix it!!!!! Hopefully it may help someone avoid the hair pulling.

[lion1234]

hi all only just joined ,started scrollsawing after retirement so i am a novice,however i have made a few of steve,s patterns and every thing going well,that is untill this week when my saw started cutting to the right,so sorry to drag this out but my question is do all saw,s tend to cut to the right,my saw is a clarke,not the best i know but ok for me starting,ther are adjustment screws as stated with dewalt.any idea,s please.

[Keefie]

lion1234,     My original saw was a 16" Clarke with adaptors to take the pinless blades. after a while I found the allen key screw on the top arm that holds the blade clamp came loose and it swiveled slightly to the right, it wasn't by much, just a degree or two, but it was enough to make it cut to the right. Might not be your problem, but worth a look.

[lion1234]

thank,s for that tip as it crossed my mind today as i was cutting ,but as i am new to this i was afaid to disturb the clamp but i will have a go tomorrow,many thank,s lion.