I’m recently retired and in the process of setting up my shop again after moving into a new home and am hoping someone reading Knots can help me with a small problem. I inherited a Sears AutoScroller Saw, Model 31517280, which I’ve not used before. When attempting to use it recently I discovered there seems to be no way to secure the blade in the blade holder so that it doesn’t flop loosely in the holder. There’s a screw which passes through the blade but does not clamp the blade. It merely holds it from falling out. Thinking I was missing some parts I checked the parts diagram on Sears website but cannot see anything there that would solve the problem. The Owners Manual, which I don’t have, is no longer in print as the saw must be 15 or more years old. I’m hoping someone out there can offer some suggestions or perhaps have this particular saw and/or Owners Manual. I’ve looked at new Scroll Saws at Sears but they are made quite differently now and all seem to have blade guide mechanisms which this saw does not. Surely the blade can’t just flop around in the blade holder and be expected to cut properly! It would be easy enough to just discard it and buy new, but I like the challenge of fixing things.

Any suggestions?