Craftsman 315.216090 Operator's Manual page 17

CHOICE OF BLADE AND SPEED
The scroll saw accepts a wide variety of blade widths and
thicknesses for cutting wood and other fibrous materials.
It uses 5 in. long blades of either the pin end or plain end
style. The blade width and thickness and the number of
teeth per inch to use are determined by the type of mate-
rial and the size of the radius being cut.
NOTE: As a general rule, always select narrow blades for
intricate curve cutting and wide blades for straight and
large curve cutting.
INSTALLING BLADES
See Figure 11.
Scroll saw blades wear out quickly and must be replaced
frequently for best cutting results. Expect to break some
blades while you learn to use and adjust the saw. Blades
generally stay sharp for 1/2 hour to 2 hours of cutting,
depending on the type of material and speed of operation.
PIN BLADES
Removing the Saw Blade:
n Turn off the saw and unplug from power source.
WARNING:
Failure to turn the saw off and unplug
the saw from the power source could result in ac-
cidental starting causing possible serious injury.
V-NOTCH
SAW
BLADE
BLADE
CLAMP
SCREW
OPERATION
TENSION
RELEASE
BLADE
TENSION
KNOB
Fig. 11
n Pull up on the tension release.
n Turn blade tension knob clockwise to decrease (or
loosen) blade tension.
n Pushing up from under the saw table, remove the
throat plate.
n Loosen both the upper and lower blade clamp screws.
n Pull up on the blade and push down on the saw arm
to disengage the upper pin in the V-notch of the upper
blade holder. Push the blade downward to disengage
the lower pin in the lower blade holder.
n Remove the blade.
Replacing the Saw Blade:
n Turn off the saw and unplug from power source.
n Place the new blade through the opening in the saw
table with the teeth to the front of the saw and pointing
down toward the saw table. The pins on the blade go
under the blade holder in the lower blade holder.
n Pull up on the blade and press the upper arm down to
position the upper end of the blade in the V-notch in
the upper blade holder.
n Securely tighten the upper and lower blade clamp
screws.
n Push the tension release back down.
n Turn the blade tension knob counterclockwise until the
blade has the desired amount of tension.
n Replace the throat plate.
NOTE: If the blade touches the drop foot on either side
then the drop foot must be adjusted. See Adjusting Drop
Foot in the Adjustments section of this manual.
PLAIN BLADES
Removing the Saw Blade:
n Turn off the saw and unplug from power source.
n Pull up on the tension release.
n Turn blade tension knob counterclockwise to decrease
(or loosen) blade tension.
n Pushing up from under the saw table, remove the
throat plate.
n Loosen both the upper and lower blade clamp screws.
n Remove the blade.
Replacing the Saw Blade:
n Turn off the saw and unplug from power source.
n Place the new blade through the opening in the saw
table with the teeth to the front of the saw and pointing
down toward the saw table.
n Position blade and tighten the lower blade clamp
screw securely.
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