Clarke scroll saw CSS 400

[DAPPH]

Has anyone successfully managed to locate where you can get the bellows air blower device for sawdust removal for a Clarke scroll saw CSS 400 .If so where did you get them ?

The bellows on my scroll saw have finally died big time , they are 27 years old so well perished ( given it a few days ago along with a shed load of old 240 v little used power tools ) .

I have successfully repaired these dust puffer bellows several times using shoe sole heat cured glue for friends machines , but this time it is too far gone , it's like a sponge.

 

[bourbon]

That Machine is still being made. Phone spares. I'll get a phone number for you tomorrow

 

[DAPPH]

Thank you kind sir .

 

[bourbon]

Found it in my van!
Tel: 0115 956 1805
Email: parts@machinemart.co.uk

 

[DAPPH]

Machine Mart guy sent me a pdf that is a manual & spares list.
Sent him the part numbers I want . I have now heat sealed back to back pages off the PDF , hole punched them ready for stringing like a book & store them with all my other manuals & part lists

Thanks once again .

 

[bourbon]

Glad it's all sorted for you. despite what some say on this forum. We Know what we are selling and will help as much as we can

 

[DAPPH]

Alas , alack , got an email this afternoon , " Spare parts are no longer available for this machine model , we do not sell it any more ..

Didn't trouble the lad to see if a comparable bellows was on the later models . ( Sort of none on the computer but five on the card and six in the bin ........ but it's on the kin shelf there and there )

I'll see if I can blag a 240 double or single diaphragm aquarium air pump . I have a single diaphragm one ( free cycle ) but it is in my seed sucker / sower thingy

 

[bourbon]

Who signed the e-mail? The only thing different is the last letter. It changes every couple of years, But it essentially the same machine.

 

[DAPPH]

A guy called " Dean Mundle" ,
List item part name & number ,
# 84 Balloon seat SD400 84
# 86 Bellows SD400 86

 

[bourbon]

I don't recall him. I'll try and get another phone number for you.

 

[MattF]

On a tangent, what are those machines like; Decent? Variable speed, or single speed?

 

[DAPPH]

Mine is single speed , had to spend half an hour or so using a multi tool to de-rust the cast iron plate once I'd removed it for de-rusting .

Gave it a bash on 1/2 inch thick pine cuts lovely , had a tendency to try to follow along hard wood grain paths so you have to be aware of this tendency and gently compensate for it . Cut a few inches of 15 mm plastic " Stok Board " like a dream but a lot slower than cutting the wood .

When the blade is tensioned correctly it is a very quiet machine , the hand book estimates about 2 hrs continuous cutting with a new blade before it needs to be changed . So it's sensible to have several blades of each type for what you intend to cut. ( £8 ish for a mixed pack of 12 high carbon from a UK made company )

It cuts nicely with the table tilted , set it up square with a small engineers square and adjusted the angle indicator to zero , reasonable accurate angles related the the indicator readings but once the machine & bed are properly level & secured I'd use a digital inclinometer on the table top for super accuracy . When I got the machine it was chock a block full of compacted sawdust's , it's a simple job to take off a side panel and vacuum it out

 

[bourbon]

OK, been back onto tech. The early models had a completely different bellows set up to the ones currently sold. my idea that the latter ones would fit, won't work I'm afraid. have a go at using the aquarium pump, what have you got to loose?

 

[MattF]

What is the pump setup/assembly like, Dapph?