Breaking blades on a vintage Craftsman 24" scroll saw

Pics of your saw would help us diagnose.
Bill

-- [email protected]

I’m guessing that what you have is either a 103.0403 or 103.0404 which was built back in the 40’s and made by King Seeley… The parts list/operating guide can be found here if you don’t already have it:

103.0403/0404 Craftsman 24 inch Jig Saw-Operating Instructions & Parts List

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

I’d snoop around over at the vintage machinery (OWWM) site for an answer.

The design of your saw will not work with blades that small. The blade grips require the use of pinned blades and they are not available in those blade sizes. Also, the saw design uses a spring to pull the blade up and power to pull it down. If the blade binds in the cut and the spring cannot pull it up the blade will buckle and break. To use pinless blade in the sizes that you have selected, you need a more modern design of scroll saw that mechanically pulls the blade both up and down. It will also have different blade grips that allow you to use pinless blades.

Charley

I rebuilt a 24” Craftsman model # 103.0404 for my daughter. It uses pinless blades. There’s no provision in the jaws for pins. Put a blade in and turn the machine by hand. Is the blade breaking on the up (most likely) or down stroke? If it’s bending and breaking on the up stroke try taking the upper plunger apart and cleaning and lubing it. It’s probably binding inside.
It’s been a few years since I did the rebuild on my daughter’s machine. IIRC I had to put a piece of wood (anything stiff the right size will work) where the blade goes and run it in a bit before the upper plunger would travel freely after I rebuilt it. There’s a leather washer that pushes air down to blow the sawdust away inside. The new one I made had to work in a bit before it would move freely.

-- Rodney, Centralia, WA, USA www.etsy.com/shop/ASturdyStick