Help needed installing blades on Excalibur

[dianetha]

First I have the Excalibur 16 with the dust port and plastic thingy with a hole in it that the blade goes through. (My Woodcraft does not carry this machine in the store so I cannot ask them for help, because they don't know anything about it.  This is what they have told me.) they thought the plastic piece was packing but one of them called it "the zero clearance piece".  ok checked my manual, it's called the plastic shroud.

I drove my machine back to Woodcraft without even using it, when I realized the hole in the plastic shroud wasn't centered and the blade was bowed.  The arm also wouldn't stay up. They said the owner would look at it. He called the next day to say it was fixed. They said they moved the shroud. I said it looks like they made the hole bigger. I was told that was normal from them doing test cuts.

After cutting about 4 straight and curvy lines this morning, I released the tension and the blade was bent and bowed. I took it out to replace with a new one. I couldn't get it to go in straight. After some inspection of my saw, I realized that the arm had been raised about 1/4" from being parallel to the table. I put it back to parallel, and now this is where I am.

The bottom and top blade holders are loose, do I tighten them?
I can't even figure how to get the blades in there properly. When I have Put the blade in the top holder, and lower the blade through the shroud to the bottom holder, it is bowed. And is up against the front of the plastic hole now.

I would really like some help understanding how my blades should be, if that hole should be getting cut up all the time, and any and all other thoughts.

Thanks
Diane

[tbolt]

I would say take all that dust collection stuff off if you still have troubl there is something wrong with your saw you can always put it back on if you need it

[dianetha]

Here is a picture/ of what the blade looks like against the plastic, and what the hole in the plastic looked like when I picked my saw up.  Is this normal looking?

[pddesertrat]

Looks like mine.

[dianetha]

thanks for the info. Still playing with it to get the blade straight.

[pddesertrat]

Diane, if you grip the top of your saw arm, can you rock it back and forth, side to side?  Mine did and had to tighten it up.  That could account for yours being a little out of alignment.  There are two nuts in the back and two allen screws in front I had to tighten.

You can also call the experts at Seyco and they can help with any questions, at least that is what I've been told.  I have not needed them yet.

[pierre62]

thanks for the info.
I have EX-16 to.

[dianetha]

Hi Paul,
Yes, thank you! I did have that side to side looseness. I tightened that as much as I could, and then had my husband tighten it. There is wiggle in the tension arm attachment, that I have not been able to figure out how to get rid of it.  I have tried to tighten the screw and bolt, but they wouldn't budge. The other adjustments, tightening, upper and lower arms, helped tremendously.

I quit about 7 last night. I ended up with a horrible headache.  Woke up this morning with the space between my shoulders and right below my neck killing me.  I was also gritting my teeth the whole time I was scrolling! I'm taking a basic scroll saw class this weekend, so hopefully will learn some tips on proper posture. I am also purchasing the stand today.

Thanks so much for your help.
Are you using the dust port?  I have a rigid shop vac 6-hp 14 gallon. the suction is so strong, it holds onto my wood. Plus it is so loud. Now to find something for that. It's always something.
Thanks again

[dirtrider73068]

I left that stuff on mine for a little bit tried using a shop for dust collection and the issue came that it would create a vacuum and pull the wood down and seal it to the table making it hard to move, I removed that clear plastic part but left the black dust tube on. I never had issues with my baldes on my ex bowing, might remove that clear plastic if you want it back on use some double sided tape. Ray at seyco is great to talk to even if didn't buy the saw from him he will work with you to fix it, he is located in rockwall, tx if you live near there.

[pddesertrat]

I took the dust collection off of my Excalibur.  never even tried it.  i just know I am not going to scroll and listen to the vacuum going all the time.  Hang in there, the more I use my Excalibur the more I like it.

Also one of the most helpful things I learned here on this forum about scrolling, RELAX!  Take a deep breath before starting, breathe normal as you scroll, drop your shoulders, (I had my shoulders up around my ears when I first started) so after being told this I started concentrating on keeping my shoulders in a normal relaxed position, it really made difference for me.  Last, take your time, don't rush things, go slowly, speed will increase as you gain experience and confidence. 

[dianetha]

Before I remove the plastic sleeve, I am going to try to drill a few holes in it to relieve the vacuum. I noticed when I forgot to turn on my shop vac, the wood moves so much easier, and I'm not struggling, but I'm a mess afterwards.  I just bought a dust collector, and hope to have it in another room. Where it won't be so loud.  Thanks for the suggestions on relaxing, I did realize that I was so tense making sure I didn't go off the line, that I was killing my neck and shoulders.  I do know that soon, this will be relaxing.

[Toneman]

Diane, first of all, I own two EX21 saws and love them. I am not saying they are better than other saws, but, I did have to make adjustments on both saws. One is a 2011 model and the other is a 2013 model. The first thing I did on the 2013 model was remove the plastic shroud. On both saws I had to set the upper arm tension to my liking. I do not like it staying up on its own when changing blades; I have just learned to hold the blade holder with my finger while inserting a new blade. I purchased both saws from Ray @ Seyco and I called him before making any adjustments and he guided me through the procedures. I know for a fact, he will be glad to help you over the phone and will guide you through any adjustments. By the way, your blade holders should not need adjustments, unless you have purchased a used saw. Now, I have had to replace the blade holders, due to wear caused by the number of hours I saw. The threads on the thumb screw eventually wear. I also replace the set screws pretty regularly and I constantly check my blades to make sure they are square to the table. If the set screws are not in the same position on the top and bottom, you will find your blades bending. Hope this helps and not more confusing.

Tony,aka,Toneman

[dianetha]

Thank you Tony for your information and help.  I have finally gotten the hang of where I need to hold the blade to get it in position correctly.  I also found that the set screw was too far in, and I had to pull it out a bit and then the blade was lining up correctly.  I am enjoying learning about these. 

Do you have any advice on maintenance besides putting the petroleum jelly on the tension lever?

[Toneman]

The only things I do Diane is keep petroleum jelly on the lever and vacuum the dust from the blade slots and around the table guides underneath and I wipe the table often with mineral spirits and apply a fresh coat of Johnson Paste Wax. To keep the set screws clean, I take a small piece of 220 grit sand paper and gently rub the end of the screws. By the way, I always clean the ends of the new blades with 220 grit paper before using; this gets rid of the oil on the new blades and prevents slippage.

Tony,aka,Toneman

[EIEIO]

When I got my EX-21 the blade was not centered in the hole in the table. This limits your ability to tilt the head. Called Ray at Seyco and the fix is to loosen the bolts holding the table to the frame. There is enough clearance in those holes to move the table and center the blade in the hole.

Using the saw will cause the hole in the plastic shroud to open up. The shroud is just a peel-and-stick, and mine eventually fell off on its own.

You should get some blue Locktite for the Allen key setscrews in the blade clamps. Otherwise they will not stay in place. The Blue type will hold them but stays soft enough to get them out if needed. Adjust those setscrews so the blade is vertical as the arm moves up and down.

Most times the blade will look a little buckled when you release the tension arm. When installing, I usually drop the top arm, line up the blade in the bottom clamp so it is high enough to reach the screws in the top clamp, tighten the bottom clamp, put a little down pressure on the top arm (this puts a little tension on the blade even when the tension arm is released), then tighten the top clamp. Pluck it like a string and get used to the "right" sound for you. Listen for something like piano middle C with the tension arm set. I normally do not use the back knob except to reset the top arm to be parallel to the table. You might want to get it set then put some paint or tape to mark its position.

Be very gentle with adjusting the bolt to hold the top arm up out of the way. It takes almost nothing to go from not holding to jamming. The top arm should not feel like a friction rub when raising the arm - it is a spring mounted ball going into a small indent in the frame. If you adjust too far in, you'll hit the frame with the bolt and cause a friction rub that wears the frame. Adjust in 1/6 turn at a time (one flat on the Allen key).