Top Feed Blade Ideas

[Larry B]

Good day fellow scrollers.

Have a question that I've seen on these forums, but the theads are rather old.  My question is top feeding a blade on a Dewalt 788.  I've been scrolling for 6 years and have always bottom fed the blade.  I can do a blade change in 12 seconds.

However I've been toying with portraits and the larger sizes are crimping that routine. I need to learn to top feed the blade.  I've looked a videos and read remarks, but honestly I tried a few times this past week and I bet I fumbled for a couple minutes to get the blade into the bottom clap (without looking) and then on my Dewalt I find to get good tension I need to push the top arm down slightly when clamping the blade.  This move really requires three hands.

So is there any update on top feeding techniques for a Dewalt 788?  Pointers, modification to clamps, suggestions?

Thanks all.  I'm going to post this across several forums to get good coverage so I appologize in advance.

Larry

[fredfret]

I use both hands to guide the blade into the clamp hold the clamp with blade inserted in my right and push the arm down with the left tightening the clamp with the right. I hope this helps. I seldom have a problem. 

Fredfret

BM-26 and DW788

[jollyred]

A little while ago Steve Good showed using a laser light to locate the position to top feed, with the work flat on the table.  I had tried top feeding and did not like it at all, but after watching his video, I put together one using his ideas.  It works great, now I will start using top feeding.  This shows his idea.

Tom

[Rockytime]

I'm a bottom feeder on my Hawk but what a clever thing for lots of things.

[hineps]

My lasers should be delivered today. Should make things much easier. I have made the transition to top feeding  and liking it a lot.  Makes life a bit easier when doing the fretwork.

Phil

[trackman]

With the blade pointing down it will be over the hole in the table. Just move blank hole under the blade. 

[TripleJScroller]

Every time one of these threads comes along I get it in my head that I need to try top feeding.  It always ends the same... bent/broken blades and a lot of frustration on my part.  This time I'm resisting the urge... Bottom feeder for life!!

[jerry1939]

I only top feed.  With the right hand, lift the arm.  Left hand to insert the blade into the  hole of the wood & table. You can normally tell if the blade is pointed straight down.  With the right hand, move the blade side to side and into the back of the clamp.  Us the left hand to hold the clamp up & the right hand to tighten the knob.

I would never go back to bottom feeding because of how close together the holes are on some patterns.  Also, if it's a tiny piece already cut out, I would at times thread the blade up into something I had already cut.

Whatever is easiest for you is the way to go.

jerry

[ike]

I bottom feed and I use a awl to clear the hole on the back side and have no problem.

IKE

[heppnerguy]

An additional idea, that someone mentioned a year or so ago, that I sometimes use is...if I am drilling really small entrance holes in a piece of fret work that has a lot of small pieces, I first use my small awl on the back side of the piece to help open the hole  a little to help me as I guide in my blade, but also you can take a pencil and stick the lead into the hole and give it a twist. This really helps to see the entrance hole, if you bottom feed, as I do. If you have not tried this method, use it one time and I believe you will see what I am saying could be very helpful. 

Dick

heppnerguy

[trackman]

On 5/1/2018 at 11:22 AM, TripleJScroller said:

Every time one of these threads comes along I get it in my head that I need to try top feeding.  It always ends the same... bent/broken blades and a lot of frustration on my part.  This time I'm resisting the urge... Bottom feeder for life!!

Don’t know how you bend blades to the point of breaking them. You can feel if the blade is not over the table hole if it stops going down. If not over the hole move the blank a hair.  When I started scroll sawing I tried both ways an right away seen that it was much easier to see the hole on top instead of raising blank for each hole. I will sometimes not pick up the blank until the pattern is cut. 

[TripleJScroller]

12 hours ago, trackman said:

Don’t know how you bend blades to the point of breaking them. You can feel if the blade is not over the table hole if it stops going down. If not over the hole move the blank a hair.  When I started scroll sawing I tried both ways an right away seen that it was much easier to see the hole on top instead of raising blank for each hole. I will sometimes not pick up the blank until the pattern is cut. 

I don't know, I usually work with 2/0 and 3/0 spiral blades and just find it very easy to bend and break them, especially when trying to fumble under the table of my saw.  Bottom feeding has never yet been a problem for me, I have zero problems with it even when cutting large pieces.  Sure its easier to see the whole from the top, but to me that's the only part that easier and not so much easier that I feel it's worth it.  Its just a comfort thing, we all do what we find most comfortable.

[Scrappile]

I have never been successful with top feeding and don't even care anymore.  Feeding a 3/0 spiral blade down through a hole drilled with a #70 bit,,, means your are going against the teeth which makes it very easy to bend the blade. 

I have said this before, but I find for bottom feeding grinding the top of the blade to a sharp point really helps also.  I have a grinder near my saw and it takes a second or two to do.  I do it on all my blades.

[jerry1939]

After reading the opinions on this subject, it's like asking a school kid "Which is better, Ford or Chevy".  Do whatever you are comfortable with.

I once knew a used car dealer that when he was trying to push a certain car onto a buyer, he would say, "That's the only one I have that you would look really good in".

Feed you blade anyway that you feel that you look good doing.   

jerry

[Karl S]

12 minutes ago, jerry1939 said:

After reading the opinions on this subject, it's like asking a school kid "Which is better, Ford or Chevy".  Do whatever you are comfortable with.

I once knew a used car dealer that when he was trying to push a certain car onto a buyer, he would say, "That's the only one I have that you would look really good in".

Feed you blade anyway that you feel that you look good doing.   

jerry

If that's the case Jerry I had better sell my saw, I don't look good at all any more!

Edited May 3, 2018 by Karl S

[ike]

I have used 2 ft. X 2ft. and bottom feed them I use an AWl I don't worry about what others say  That is the easiest way for me, and I am tooo lod to learrn new tricks.

IKE