Victim of the Rollers...

[Kierri]

My machine: Awfs18
My problem: Rollers

As many have encountered & mentioned in older threads, the plastic tubing on the quick release tension lever on my Ax has perished and in a quick period of time & with little usage. (I've owned it for a few months, but used it very much - fear of failure & all that.)

I've sent a quick email to Ax to request replacements, but with it being the weekend, I'm sure they won't get around to sorting it for a whole, I think someone mentioned having to wait a while for deliver. Remembering what others have noted, I was wondering if there was a way I could fix this quickly. The lever is impossible to move without them - for me anyway.

Someone mentioned cut tubing, someone mentioned bearings... No one mentioned sizing or how to actually do it. I don't want to try, fail and make it worse. After caring for & losing my late-Mama, I do have some oxygen tubing knocking about - somewhere - it may be appropriate. Though the word "somewhere" is the operative word here.

Many thanks in advance of your wonderful advice,

Kierri xx

 

[Claymore]

Mine went first time i used it and as i mentioned recently just used the rear tension knob to change blades..... I did get some replacements from Axminster but still haven't fitted them 8-( I think the bearings would be a better mod and maybe last longer, forgot who it was who had used them but its on here somewhere. These things usually happen at weekends? Grrrrrrrrrr when you can get now't done

Brian

 

[rob39]

Mine have just disintegrated aswell

Rob

 

[Chippygeoff]

In the larger B and Q stores they sock a wide range of tubing in various diameters and in different materials, like aluminium, steel, copper etc. This may be the answer to a quick fix but then again may last a long time, it could be a week before you get replacements from Axy.

 

[redmoorphil]

I used a couple of bearings from small router bits that I no longer needed. I then just popped some tight tubing on the ends to hold them in place. Worked a treat.

 

[Kierri]

Thank you for your replies.

I don't think I'm going to have an opportunity to get to B & Q today, but will ASAP. I found the original threads which mentioned the bearings. 7mm OD & 4mm ID. But when googling found a million different varieties of bearings, cage bearings, ball bearings & other such technical garb. I learn fast, but still not with it to experiment and find what works.

I cut out something very badly yesterday, but it's not as bad as expected and needs sanding and finishing. Just so long as I can still use the machine with the tension knob, I can wait for the lever to be fixed. But after internal cutting yesterday, I discovered just how awesome that lever it and also the Hegner quick clamp. Saved so much time! Thinking of getting the lever Brian (Claymore) mentioned for bottom clamp, as trying to get blade in the middle and tighten with Allen key at same time, is tricky. For me.

Now I just have to think of a nice finish for Spruce & think about bearings & tubing... Also pondering saving for disc or belt sander. Scrolling has stolen my heart.

Thank you,

Kierri xxoxx

 

[Scrollerman]

Hello Kierri.

The plastic sleeves as supplied on the AWFS18 are designed as sacrificial components.
The reason for this is twofold.
First, it allows the company (as with most companies !) to make exorbitant profit from really cheap spare parts !
Second and most importantly, the sleeves are meant to be softer than the aluminium arm.
This is to stop wear of the aluminium over time as the plastic wears out before any aluminium degradation takes place.
Brass or Copper tubing should work OK as a DIY replacement as wear would be far less than steel but more than plastic.

Even so, I think the bearing idea is the best solution as long as you take into account that bearings are hardened steel and much harder than the aluminium arm.
This will wear the arm over time but just how much will depend on how much you use the saw !
The advantage of bearings is a much smoother action which has to be a big plus.
If I took the bearing option, I would superglue a thin slither of steel (about 1mm thick) with rounded ends onto the flat between the 2 locating half-round indents of the arm.

Check out the link below for some nice images from someone who did a bearing conversion :

http://stevedgood.com/community/index.php?topic=10528.0

Hope this helps.

 

[scrimper]

I have had my Hegner since 1999 and the plastic rollers are still fine so perhaps they are much better than the Axminster ones, as the Axminster looks like a perfect copy of the Hegner would it not be better to buy some Hegner rollers at £1.48 for the pair?

http://www.hegner.co.uk/plastic-rollers ... lease.html

 

[Kierri]

Thank you everyone! Your replies have been most helpful. The bearing conversion looks ace and I can see the benefits thereof. I might pop into B & Q before I go tutoring tonight, just to see what I can find. I did get a reply from Ax about replacement rollers and the guy said they are in the post. I appreciate they're sacrificial and understand the logic behind it. But I am tempted by bearings, as they do seem to make the overall process easier and more fluidic. I'm also tempted by the Hegner rollers and might get some just to compare.

Thank you everyone! You are a helpful bunch and I appreciate you greatly.

Warmest of wishes,

Kierri x

 

[scrimper]

I'm also tempted by the Hegner rollers and might get some just to compare.

Kierri, I have no experience of the Axminster saw you have other than noticing it looks a dead copy of the Hegner saws and I can't guarantee the rollers would fit but I bet they will! What I can say is that my Hegner quick tension clamp has had massive use, I do hundreds of internal cuts and the rollers are being used all day long and my original rollers are still working perfectly after 15 years use. I can only assume that the plastic is of a better quality on the Hegner for them to last a lot longer than those on the Axminster. I reckon at £1.48 you would not have much to lose by trying them.