Help needed for Excelsior Anniversay Edition 21" saw

[dansnow]

Need help folks. I have an Anniversary Edition Excelsior 21" saw where the jaws have moved apart. the distance from the upper to lower jaw in the clamped position is around 5.38".

I had noticed the last few times I'd used it that either the blades were shorter or something was out of adjustment but wasn't real concerned. Then this morning 

I went to change the blade and realized that one of the arms had moved, increasing the distance between the heads by around an inch!!

I've had the saw from new, but of course I have absolutely no idea where the manual has gotten to.

Sorry for the blurry photo, but the bottom of the blade is in the upper right hand corner of the photo, showing the gap I now have. I'm hoping for two things:

1) That the way more knowledgeable folks than me on this forum can tell me what I need to do to fix it

and,

2) that it is nothing more than a simple adjustment.

Thank you in advance folks!!

[Paladin]

I'm not 100% familiar with the Excelsior brand, but does it have the knob on the top/back like most of today's saws?  Adjusting that knob should change the distance between the blade clamps for you.

[Roberta Moreton]

13 minutes ago, Paladin said:

I'm not 100% familiar with the Excelsior brand, but does it have the knob on the top/back like most of today's saws?  Adjusting that knob should change the distance between the blade clamps for you.

My thoughts exactly. I have a EX 21. That pesky knob will turn on its own. 

[kmmcrafts]

Sounds like you're going to have to buy a welder and start welding two blade together to get the length blade you need.. 

Okay so seriously here is what you need to do. 

First take a tape measure and with the upper arm in the down as low as it'll go position measure  the distance between the arm and the table top at the back of the saw and then at the front of the saw.. They're supposed to be parallel so you need to turn the knob at the back of the saw and bring that upper arm down until it's the same distance and both ends of the arm. 

This is a common issue with these as they get older as the threads get worn in the threaded shaft and in the threaded block that it threads into. My saw started doing this and then got real bad.. just cutting for one small cutout the blade tension would change during the cut and I'd have to adjust it so I took the saw apart and added blue colored loc-tite to the threads and I haven't had any issues since then. A lot of folks just wrap a rubber band around it in some way to hold the thing enough. There is a few topics out there on this issue.. one of which I did on taking it apart and doing the loc-tite fix and then there are some on how to wrap the rubber band around it to hold it from moving. 

 

[dansnow]

That was it, exactly!!!  Many thanks folks, many thanks indeed. I think I was grabbing the knob when I occasionally had to move the saw around, not remembering what it did,

 

Again, many thanks.

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, dansnow said:

That was it, exactly!!!  Many thanks folks, many thanks indeed. I think I was grabbing the knob when I occasionally had to move the saw around, not remembering what it did,

 

Again, many thanks.

When you lift your saw, use the motor and the front edge of the table as lift points. DO NOT lift by the upper arm.

[dansnow]

My saw is on a stand with wheels. By moving it I meant rolling it around. I figure I was occasionally grabbing the knob when I moved it.

[kmmcrafts]

2 hours ago, dansnow said:

My saw is on a stand with wheels. By moving it I meant rolling it around. I figure I was occasionally grabbing the knob when I moved it.

Maybe how it got moved but with these saws it very common for the threads to get worn and have that turn on it's own from vibration of the saw when lifting / lowering the upper arm.. then as they get worn more it'll move from just the very minimal vibration of the saw running.. so just be aware of it.. If you have one with a line / mark on the knob take note of it's position and see if it is moving.. when the issue first starts happening it's very confusing as to what's going on..  

[OCtoolguy]

2 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

Maybe how it got moved but with these saws it very common for the threads to get worn and have that turn on it's own from vibration of the saw when lifting / lowering the upper arm.. then as they get worn more it'll move from just the very minimal vibration of the saw running.. so just be aware of it.. If you have one with a line / mark on the knob take note of it's position and see if it is moving.. when the issue first starts happening it's very confusing as to what's going on..  

I painted a line on mine and it does move a bit. I keep an eye on it and have to turn it a quarter turn back ever couple of hours of cutting. The more drill holes, the more it moves. 

[kmmcrafts]

1 minute ago, OCtoolguy said:

I painted a line on mine and it does move a bit. I keep an eye on it and have to turn it a quarter turn back ever couple of hours of cutting. The more drill holes, the more it moves. 

Yeah, as you raise the upper arm it takes tension off the threads of the shaft and the threaded block.. if you drop it down hard that is hammering those threads so to speak and in the same spot because you don't turn them. eventually those threads take enough beating to sort of wear them down.. then it spins easier as time goes on. Thread locker will sort of hold them tight again for a few years but it'll come back again. That's a good time to take the saw apart and grease it etc.. and add thread locker to it again. Buying new shaft and threaded block is also an option but as I said.. it just comes back again and a bottle of thread locker is much cheaper and useful on the set screws and other things too. Actually believe the thread locker has lasted longer than just replacing them, LOL

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, kmmcrafts said:

Yeah, as you raise the upper arm it takes tension off the threads of the shaft and the threaded block.. if you drop it down hard that is hammering those threads so to speak and in the same spot because you don't turn them. eventually those threads take enough beating to sort of wear them down.. then it spins easier as time goes on. Thread locker will sort of hold them tight again for a few years but it'll come back again. That's a good time to take the saw apart and grease it etc.. and add thread locker to it again. Buying new shaft and threaded block is also an option but as I said.. it just comes back again and a bottle of thread locker is much cheaper and useful on the set screws and other things too. Actually believe the thread locker has lasted longer than just replacing them, LOL

Or you can wrap a rubber band around it.

[dansnow]

The knob on mine does have a white line on it. Now that I know what to watch out for I'll try to remember to keep an eye on it.

[TAIrving]

I have not had this problem yet but will paint a white line on mine just for peace of mind.  

[Roberta Moreton]

I have tried the rubber band thing, it laughed.

[OCtoolguy]

3 hours ago, Roberta Moreton said:

I have tried the rubber band thing, it laughed.

You must not have done it right. It works great but you have to replace them fairly often. I use the 1/4" wide bands that are not too large so there is a good tension on them when wrapped a couple of times around the shaft and then stretched down to the right and hooked around one of the bolt heads. 

[kmmcrafts]

August will be 3 years on the blue thread locker stuff and it still stays pretty good does move a 1/16 turn every month or so now.. but this is 350 hours run time.. probably 6-10 years for a average scroll sawer, LOL... didn't have to buy thread lock as I keep it around for the set screws that go into the blade clamps as the locking jam nut doesn't seem to stay where I put it so I tossed the jam nut in the junk drawer and use the thread lock .. I know you have to take the saw apart to do that and it's about a 1 hour job to take just the adjustment rod apart and apply the thread locker to it and re-assemble it.. about a half day you can take the whole saw apart and re-grease the bearings etc. so that seems like a better deal to check the saw all over good. Honestly now that I've had the saw apart a couple times.. thinking I could do the threads on the rod and toss it back together is 30 minutes.. first time I was just being careful and taking my time.

Again, rubber bands work too.. for some people anyway, LOL and also cheap or free.. I just feel the thread lock is a more permanent or longer lasting option. at the end of the day you have to do what works for you though.. I can tell you I was so frustrated with how bad mine got to be I was ready to weld it solid, LOL.. Kinda glad I was calmed down when I actually made the repair..  

[amazingkevin]

Great tips an tricks for a book!!!