Old Craftsman 20" contractors Scroll Saw Needs Repair???

[Randy Meijer]

I'm trying to help out a neighbor who has a busted scroll saw and is not comfortable on the Internet. He has a old Craftsman 20" contractors scroll saw model #113.2364300. I think it is somewhere between 10 and 15 years old. He used it for a couple of years and one morning it would not turn on.....totally dead.....no hum, no buzz, no nothing. He set it in a corner and forgot about it.....Just that kind of guy?? He set is out for a yard sale at $15; but it did not sell and was headed for the trash heap. I hate to see that happen and since I like to tinker and repair things, I told him I'd look into the possibility of getting it running so now I am looking for some help from you guys.

He thinks it might be the board of the VS system....I haven't looked at it so I don't know. Might be something as simple as a broken wire or a blown fuse?? I can check the thing out pretty well, electrically and mechanically...no problem there. What I would like to know is:
1. Are there any known common problems with this saw?
2. If it turns out that the VS controller is bad, would they still be available from Sears or the original mgf.(Emerson Electric) or some third party parts supplier?
4. If the VS system is bad, could I buy something like a router speed controller and wire that in to run the saw??
5. Are there any other questions I should be asking and what are the answers to them.
6. Is this saw worth putting out some money and effort to repair or should it be converted to a boat anchor??

Thanks for any help that might be forthcoming.

BTW, I did look at the brushes and they are just fine. Randy

[Tony Falotico]

I use to own one of these gems (use to being the key words). I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

1. Are there any known common problems with this saw?

IMHO, it's not the best. It's a 'C' arm which is by nature an aggressive cutter and not as accurate as other types.

2. If it turns out that the VS controller is bad, would they still be available from Sears or the original mgf.(Emerson Electric) or some third party parts supplier?

Try the sears parts website

4. If the VS system is bad, could I buy something like a router speed controller and wire that in to run the saw??

The VS system is part of a circuit board. I had problems with mine, the board if I remember correctly was $200 to replace. After bellyaching at the local sears guy, he offered to pay half if I replaced the board (mine was only a year or so old at the time). I opted NOT TO, a friend of mine looked at the board and found a melted (broken) connection and soldered it for me, amazingly it worked.

5. Are there any other questions I should be asking and what are the answers to them.

??

6. Is this saw worth putting out some money and effort to repair or should it be converted to a boat anchor??

IMHO, NO it's not worth fixin, especially if it's the control board. Maybe you can wire something different in, but you still have IMO a less than desireable saw. The basic nature of a "c" arm scroll saw is an aggressive not so accurate cutter. Circles do not cut as cylinders, they tend to cut as cones making puzzle making almost impossible. My experience was just before DeWalt introduced it's scroll saw, I was the first on my block to get a Dewalt and have not regretted that move.

PS. Good luck dumping it, even the boat people shy away from it.