Gene Howe Posted December 29, 2022 Report Share Posted December 29, 2022 Do you folks use the hold down or is it just in the way? OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted December 29, 2022 Report Share Posted December 29, 2022 When I first started scrolling it was on my saw for a day. After that it is trash. Now if I get a new saw, it is gone before I even setup the saw. barb.j.enders, scrollingforsanity, ChelCass and 5 others 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Howe Posted December 29, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2022 Thanks, Scott. It's as I surmised. Off it comes! OCtoolguy, John B, scrollingforsanity and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgman Posted December 29, 2022 Report Share Posted December 29, 2022 31 minutes ago, NC Scroller said: When I first started scrolling it was on my saw for a day. After that it is trash. Now if I get a new saw, it is gone before I even setup the saw. Ditto OCtoolguy, John B, danny and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill WIlson Posted December 29, 2022 Report Share Posted December 29, 2022 I kept the hold down on my first saw, for some time. I was just learning how to scroll (trial & error) and I had a tendency to do things that caused the blade to grab and lift the wood. The hold down was actually somewhat useful for this. After I got a little better at controlling the cut, selecting blades, etc, I found the hold down was far more of a nuisance than a help, so off it came. I'm on my third saw now and I've never used a hold down since. scrollingforsanity, John B, OCtoolguy and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Knappen Posted December 29, 2022 Report Share Posted December 29, 2022 I, too, removed it as I set up the saw. scrollingforsanity, danny and OCtoolguy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted December 29, 2022 Report Share Posted December 29, 2022 Unless laws have changed over the rest of the world, The USA is the only country that requires that hold down piece to be placed on the saw before it leaves the manufacturer! It is supposed to be a safety item to hold down the work piece! Your hands do a much better job of holding down what you are working on! Not only that the hold down piece will be in the way and could break the finer cuts as you are moving the project around for the blade to do its thing! Just my 2 cents worth! Erv OCtoolguy, danny and scrollingforsanity 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted December 29, 2022 Report Share Posted December 29, 2022 I've bought and sold quite a few saws and always seem to forget to give the new owner the hold-down. I've got a box full of them. I'm thinking of making some sort of artwork out of them. LOL. Gene Howe, scrollingforsanity, John B and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new2woodwrk Posted December 30, 2022 Report Share Posted December 30, 2022 I asked the same question here when I first started and got the exact same answers! So, off it came and when I get a new saw that is the first thing I do... Remove the thing! OCtoolguy and John B 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted December 30, 2022 Report Share Posted December 30, 2022 6 hours ago, OCtoolguy said: I've bought and sold quite a few saws and always seem to forget to give the new owner the hold-down. I've got a box full of them. I'm thinking of making some sort of artwork out of them. LOL. You and me both.. I could probably take them in to the scrap metal recyclers and get enough out of them to buy another saw, OCtoolguy and Gene Howe 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted December 30, 2022 Report Share Posted December 30, 2022 Gene, I have about 1/2 dozen in cupboard down the shed, Why I keep them.............................. "They may come in handy one day " I left mine on, on the 1st machine for a couple of days (I New no different) but it came of and the others are off almost before the saw is out of the box. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted December 30, 2022 Report Share Posted December 30, 2022 We should all send them to one person and they can put them all together and make a "hold-down" tree. danny and John B 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted December 30, 2022 Report Share Posted December 30, 2022 Hold down? Oh, yeah, where did I put that thing? Haven't used one in over 20 years. OCtoolguy and John B 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAIrving Posted December 30, 2022 Report Share Posted December 30, 2022 I attached my vacuum hose to the hold-down on my saw. I can lift it up and down as needed and I can rotate it out of the way. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Moreton Posted December 31, 2022 Report Share Posted December 31, 2022 10 hours ago, TAIrving said: I attached my vacuum hose to the hold-down on my saw. I can lift it up and down as needed and I can rotate it out of the way. Now, that’s interesting! danny and OCtoolguy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharleyL Posted January 1, 2023 Report Share Posted January 1, 2023 I have been leaving them on, but set high and turned around backwards. This is because I have frequently taught newbies to woodworking how to use the saws, and made them start with the hold-down guard in place. When they start complaining, they have learned enough for me to allow them to turn it around and set it high. Then use their fingers and downward pressure to hold the work down safely. Charley OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crupiea Posted January 2, 2023 Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 Used to use it religiously but one day took it off and never looked back. Funny that I was cleaning out some stuff the other day and found it and it took me a few minutes to figure out what it was. John B and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old sarge Posted January 2, 2023 Report Share Posted January 2, 2023 I do use my hold down but infrequently. Most of the time it is up and out of the way but ready when necessary. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James E. Welch Posted June 14, 2023 Report Share Posted June 14, 2023 Years ago I had a craftsman scrollsaw and I flipped the hold down upside down and out of the way, leaving it in case I needed it someday. There is sat until I wore the saw out and in the trash it went with the saw, still in the flipped over position. Now I just remove them before ever turning the saw on. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted June 14, 2023 Report Share Posted June 14, 2023 Never even put it on. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted June 14, 2023 Report Share Posted June 14, 2023 I've bought and sold many used saws. I have all the hold downs in a box. I always forget to re-install them on the saws that I sell. Oh well, they aren't needed anyway. I guess I'm doing the buyer a favor in a way. Now they never have to ask what to do with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James E. Welch Posted June 21, 2023 Report Share Posted June 21, 2023 On 6/14/2023 at 12:26 PM, James E. Welch said: Years ago I had a craftsman scrollsaw and I flipped the hold down upside down and out of the way, leaving it in case I needed it someday. There is sat until I wore the saw out and in the trash it went with the saw, still in the flipped over position. Now I just remove them before ever turning the saw on. Update -- Now I flipped it over and zip tied my dust collection loc-line to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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