I am probably the last one to know this.

[jerry1939]

Recently got a new Delta and quickly became a "top feeder."  When the arm is raised, there is a lock to hold it up.

 

1.  It's too darn far back and cumbersome to reach.

2.  It locks too high up.  You have to hold the wood up to keep the blade threaded.

 

Steve Good has a pattern for "a man" to prop under the arm to hold the height that you want.  I started using a 1 X 4 and learned by the location of a decal on the arm where to position the board.

 

Found a MUCH BETTER way.  Hold the arm up with your right hand.  Thread the blade through the wood and slowly lower the arm.  About a third of the time, the bottom of the blade will get hung up on the bottom clamp.  You now have a free left hand to guide it.

 

I like that much better and it eliminates extra motion(s) when switching holes.

 

jerry

 

 

[dgman]

Yup, been doing it that way for many years! Doing it that way eliminates the need for any kind of lift or holder upper.with a little practice, you don't need to look under the table to mount the blade to the lower blade clamp. I do it all by feel.

[amazingkevin]

I fumble a lot trying to find the slot for the blade on the bottom clamp .Most of the time i get it.No explanation why i miss sometimes.My lights add extra weight to the top arm on the dewalt ,so i wired the spring closed some that helps. I forget the name of my lifting helper for the dewalt ,been along time since i got it.

[amazingkevin]

Recently got a new Delta and quickly became a "top feeder."  When the arm is raised, there is a lock to hold it up.

 

1.  It's too darn far back and cumbersome to reach.

2.  It locks too high up.  You have to hold the wood up to keep the blade threaded.

 

Steve Good has a pattern for "a man" to prop under the arm to hold the height that you want.  I started using a 1 X 4 and learned by the location of a decal on the arm where to position the board.

 

Found a MUCH BETTER way.  Hold the arm up with your right hand.  Thread the blade through the wood and slowly lower the arm.  About a third of the time, the bottom of the blade will get hung up on the bottom clamp.  You now have a free left hand to guide it.

 

I like that much better and it eliminates extra motion(s) when switching holes.

 

jerry

I found the name of my top arm holder upper   Making a Spring-Loaded Lift Arm for a DeWalt 788...

www.jamesriser.com

[kardar2]

Wow no way to tighten the bolt up that arm rotates on. The Excalibur let's you tighten the stiffness you like.

[LarryEA]

Jerry, _{You are not the last to know!} Bottom feeders will be the last.

[Scrolling Steve]

Hi, My name is Steve and I am a bottom feeder !!

[GrampaJim]

Jerry, I am like you - forcing myself to learn bottom  top feeding.  The more I practice, the easier it is getting.  Learning, always learning.

Edited September 29, 2015 by GrampaJim

[dgman]

Hi, My name is Steve and I am a bottom feeder !!

Just when I thought you where one of the good guys Steve!!😀😀

[ike]

I  bottom feed with no problems. as far as keeping the arm up there is a Click and lock that does the job . I took one look at it and decided I could make one. I went and bought a nylon bolt and 2 metric bolts and nuts to replace the ones on the scroll saw  at the cost of a little over $4 it took me about 20 minuets to make it It has lasted a little over 3 months with no sign of wear,

[Phantom Scroller]

I also feed the bottom.......................and my arm stays up on it's own, off course it's a EX-21 say no more. Roly 

 

PS; when I'm bored I top feed

Edited September 27, 2015 by Phantom Scroller

[Smudger]

On the ex16 the arm just stays up by itself so no time wasted.

[TripleJScroller]

I also have the Delta and honestly have never given a thought to top feeding until reading this post.  I've had a lot of trouble with not being able to see the holes on the bottom of the wood to feed the blade through.  I might just have to give this top feeding thing a go.  Thanks for the explanation of how you do it too, makes it seem so easy.

[wbr]

Jerry your command center post and this one gave me an idea.

Would it be feasable to put a wood arm above the saw and use screw in eyelets to thread a string down to a foot pedal?

Then you could raise and lower the arm hands free.Maybe left foot for arm and right foot for power pedal.

Excuse the terrible drawing but it's just to show the idea.

[dgman]

The original Excalibur saws had an optional pedal to do just that!

[jerry1939]

TripleJScroller - Try it for a day and you will stay a top feeder.  One thing I learned the hard way:  I was installing the new blade on the top, but mounting it too low.  Ended up occasionally bending the bottom of the blade.  Someone on another site called this the "hockey stick effect."  I have since learned to judge how high up to mount the blade by a "shape??" on the top blade clamp.  Anyway, if you bend the bottom of the blade with lower clamp, you are installing the blade too low.

 

WBR - Good thought.  One problem.  Do you think an old geezer like me could tell my right foot from my left?  Just kidding Friend.

 

jerry

[JustLarry]

On my Delta I tightened the arm pivot bolt about 1/4 turn and arm stays up without any assistance.  Been doing this for over 3 yrs now.  I release tension, loosen blade clamp and raise arm in one motion all with the right arm.  Then slilght pressure to bring arm into place to tighten blade.

 

Larry

[Larry A. Blakely]

I bottom feed with no problems. as far as keeping the arm up there is a Click and lock that does the job . I took one look at it and decided I could make one. I went and bought a nylon bolt and 2 metric bolts and nuts to replace the ones on the scroll saw at the cost of a little over $4 it took me about 20 minuets to make it It has lasted a little over 3 months with no sign of wear,

Ike, we all would like to see you dance 20 minuets! lol. Or a waltz would do.

 

Edited September 29, 2015 by Lorenzo

[ike]

I take a awl and make the bottom of the hole a little wider and have no problem feeding. It takes me about 30 seconds or less to feed the blade thru.As I said before I made a click and lock myself no problem.

[Scrappile]

I am a bottom feeder.  I've tried top feeding many times, but feeding a 3/0 spiral blade down through a hole drilled with a #70 bit (against the cutting direction of the teeth), just does not work for me.

[dgman]

I am a bottom feeder.  I've tried top feeding many times, but feeding a 3/0 spiral blade down through a hole drilled with a #70 bit (against the cutting direction of the teeth), just does not work for me.

Yup, using spiral blades is difficult to top feed. But it's a good tool to keep in your Arsenal of tricks.

[Sparkey]

There is a bolt going through the side of the DeWalt under the back of the table. If you tighten that bolt the arm will stay up by itself just like the Excalibur.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Sparkey