Hawk Upper Blade Clamp Question

[jbrowning]

I bought a new upper blade clamp for the Hawk 226VS Ultra. How do you remove the pin that is holding the upper blade clamp to the upper blade arm? These isn't enough of the pin showing so I could get it with a pair of needle nose pliers. I don't think I would want to use a small punch to punch the old pin out. Any suggestions? I'm sure someone else has had to replace the upper blade clamp at sometime or another and I don't find anything on youtube showing me how to do it.

Thanks in advance

Jim

[kmmcrafts]

4 minutes ago, jbrowning said:

I bought a new upper blade clamp for the Hawk 226VS Ultra. How do you remove the pin that is holding the upper blade clamp to the upper blade arm? These isn't enough of the pin showing so I could get it with a pair of needle nose pliers. I don't think I would want to use a small punch to punch the old pin out. Any suggestions? I'm sure someone else has had to replace the upper blade clamp at sometime or another and I don't find anything on youtube showing me how to do it.

Thanks in advance

Jim

I changed the whole upper tension mechanism on my old 220VS which required removing the pin that holds it on..  but never needed to change the blade clamp itself.. I used a pin punch ( bought a set from Harbor Freight ) and used two blocks of wood to put right close to either side of the pin so I wouldn't be bending the arm or something.. and first soaked it good for a day or so with PB Blaster.. came right out.. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Yes a pin punch is what you need or a steel rod that size. I actually did not hammer the roll pin  out but use pliers to push the rod into pin and push the pin out.  Did not want to hammering on that arm. Not good. This photo shows the section I replaced because the tension handle would pop open due to wear on the wedge portion. Was easy to do. 

Edited September 11, 2018 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[jbrowning]

Thank you Kevin and John T. I will head to Lowes tomorrow and get me a set of pin punches and get that pin out. I knew using a hammer would be a mistake. So I will try pushing it out with something else while supporting the opposite side of the arm.

Jim

[stevan]

I removed the upper arm and then was able to use a hammer and pin punch (laid the upper arm on its side). And I used some WD40.

[kmmcrafts]

Yes, I should have mentioned that I took the arm off... pulling and hammering a pin out with the arm on would be asking for trouble for the arm or bearings as that is a long arm that when pulling or hammering on puts a lot of torque... and as for hammering the pin out... don't need to whale on it just tap on it lightly.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Yea I did not even take the arm off. As I said I used a pair of pliers and basically pushed it out. Glad it worked for you.

[OCtoolguy]

Just for the sake of information, they do make a "roll pin punch" set. I used to sell quite a few of them. The roll pin punch has a protusion on the end the centers in the hole of the roll pin and there is a shoulder around the outside of the protusion to contact the wall of the pin. I like the way that John T. did it though by using a "press" of sorts to push the pin out with some control over the force exerted. A C-clamp and a screw of the right diameter would do the trick.

 

[kmmcrafts]

I tried to use my arbor press.. but I didn't have enough room between the bottom and top of the press.. and didn't really want to cut my roll pin punch down just for that job... and couldn't find anything that'd work either

 

[OCtoolguy]

14 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

I tried to use my arbor press.. but I didn't have enough room between the bottom and top of the press.. and didn't really want to cut my roll pin punch down just for that job... and couldn't find anything that'd work either

 

Sheet metal screws work very well if you take the time to grind them down a bit. They are very hard and come in many lengths so one of them, a c-clamp and a nut of the right depth on the other side work great. I've had to do it a few times when the punch wouldn't fit or like you had to move a pin sideways.

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I believe I used a cut down finishing nail of equal size . Those pins once you get them moving come out easily. I used a pair of channel lock pliers and pushed it out easily and used same pliers to put new one back in. Those pliers are adjustable so easy job. 

[rdv464]

Best use a roll pin punch, you can remove it fairly easy but make sure you back up the arm good. Any thing other than pin punch and your taking a chance on burring the end or getting something wedged in the pin itself!!

rdv

[Oldmansbike]

How much play should there be in the upper blade holder without tension on the blade? I checked mine this morning and without tension it moved back and forth quite a bit. Tension the blade and no back and forth movement at all. The saw is 22 years old and had lots of use so it may be time to replace it. Sorry to hijack this thread but it seemed like the place to ask rather than start another thread. Thanks.

[Rockytime]

3 hours ago, Oldmansbike said:

How much play should there be in the upper blade holder without tension on the blade? I checked mine this morning and without tension it moved back and forth quite a bit. Tension the blade and no back and forth movement at all. The saw is 22 years old and had lots of use so it may be time to replace it. Sorry to hijack this thread but it seemed like the place to ask rather than start another thread. Thanks.

If I understand what you are saying it sounds normal. That's what my saw does.

[Oldmansbike]

Thanks Rockytime I was referring to side to side movement without tension on the blade. Sometimes I don't explain things correctly.