L-R Arm Alignment on Hegner Scroll Saw

[John Rutherford]

I have a Hegner scroll saw that I've used off and on since I bought it used a few years ago. Lately I'm noticing a whole lot of vibration from the machine. On closer inspection I found that the top and bottom arms are not aligned properly. They are not parallel. Even if the blade is properly seated in the top and bottom clamps, the blade itself is not perpendicular to the plate -- it is diagonal. The top arm is sitting just to the right. I can use my finger to bend it to where it "wants" to be to be aligned with the bottom arm, but I can't find any adjustment on the underside of the machine to try. I tried adjusting the two tension spring screws towards the back of the arms, but these are not really for repositioning the arms.

I read through the manual, which didn't say anything about left to right alignment of the arms. The Hegner has a plate with a notch cut out of it in the shape of a "T". In the manual, the photos show the blade sitting just at the joint in the "T". On my saw, the blade sits in the right fork of the "T". This seems to be a separate problem from the arm alignment, because when I push the top arm into alignment, the blade still does not sit where it should. It seems like the blade is supposed to be able to move back to front and not hit the plate, but on my machine it is almost touching the plate, and occasionally does during use.

I'm not sure what to do as I live in Los Angeles and lost my paperwork for the machine many years ago. I am stuck fiddling with it or mailing it to Delaware for service.

Any Hegner owners out there with advice? I've got some photos below.

250478250477250476

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John,

Looking at the manual at this site http://www.advmachinery.com/manuals/H-manual.pdf on page 18 there is a good readable mechanical drawing and parts breakdown. It appears there is no adjustment.

In you photos it seem that the two arms are not parallel.

Looking at page 18 in the previously mentioned manual, it appears that item 9 is a bolt on which a bushing (item 8) rides. The upper arm rides on the bushing and the bolt/bushing/arm assembly.A spring on the bolt head end of the bolt appears to put tension on the arm and keep it pressed to the right side as viewed from the front. The bolt screws into (item 301) the C-frame.

Based on your reported symptoms and photos, it would appear either (1) the bolt is loose or (2) the bushing is worn or (3) the arm is bent or (4) the C-frame is bent.

With power removed, I would suggest checking the first two probables causes.

[John Rutherford]

Thanks Ken. I checked these bolts and they are tight and the bushings and springs are fine. I think what I'm dealing with is a bent arm. I guess I was hoping someone with the same model saw might be able to advise. There is about 2mm of back and forth play on the blade when the saw is operating. Is that normal?

[Andrew Kertesz]

My first thought is that even though you have not used this saw on a regular basis it is not a bent arm. If that was the case you would have noticed it from the very start. Even looking at your pictures it doesn't look like the arm is bent. Is it possible the bolt mounting the arm is bent/twisted to cause the issue. I would think that looking down on the arm from the top if it were bent as much as the picture shows it out of alignment it would be visible to the naked eye. You say you want advice from someone with the same model saw but don't mention the model number. I have a Hegner 22v but yours doesn't look like mine.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Thanks Ken. I checked these bolts and they are tight and the bushings and springs are fine. I think what I'm dealing with is a bent arm. I guess I was hoping someone with the same model saw might be able to advise. There is about 2mm of back and forth play on the blade when the saw is operating. Is that normal?
I remember looking at Hegners before buying an Excalibur, there shouldn't be any back and forth play at all. Is it possible that it has been taken apart and reassembled wrong? Looking at the diagrams, the springs tensioned by the bolts #9 that Ken mentions should take out left to right play if there is slop. It's possible the springs are shot. I'd call advanced machinery and see if they have a suggestion, or perhaps they're doing one of the woodworking shows in LA and could look at it. There also are also a few scrollsaw forums I've occasionally read, perhaps with more owners someone might have experienced the same problem.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John,

Though a bent arm would explain the arms not being parallel, it wouldn't explain the left-to-right slop in the arm you describe unless it caused unusual wear in the bushing the arm rides on. Did you remove the bushing to inspect it?

Standing on the left side of the machine, wiggle the arm left to right and see where the arm is pivoting or moving. The bushing (item #8 in the drawing) that the arm rides on should be snug enough that it doesn't allow it to pivot on it and allow the arm to move left to right.

[Larry Frank]

I have an older Hegner that look just like yours. One of the things that they recommend is to lubricate the bearings on the arms on a routine basis. If these have not been lubricated routinely you could have wear that would cause the slop. The machine is not that complicated and there are only a few things that can be wrong.

As suggested on the Scroll Saw forum where you also posted this, the best thing would be to call Advanced Machinery and they have always been very helpful to me.