How to change the blade of a bow saw?

How is the blade attached?
	The bow saw has a removable blade fixed in a metal frame. As with all gang saws, the blade must be taut to cut effectively. The blade is held in place by two metal pins at either end of the frame, which hook into two matching holes at either end of the bow saw blade.

Blade removal
	Step 1 - Turn the wing nut counterclockwise. Locate the wing nut and turn it counterclockwise. The wing nut controls the movement of the metal bar under the handle that holds one end of the blade. Turning the wing nut counterclockwise moves this bar forward so the blade no longer stretches in the frame.
	Step 2 - Unhook the Blade  When sufficient tension is released, you can remove the blade by disengaging it from the pins. First detach the side closest to the handle, then turn the saw and unhook the other end of the blade.

Blade installation
	Step 1 - Loosen the wing nut Make sure the wing nut is loose before hooking the blade onto the pins again. Hook the side farthest from the handle first, then turn the saw and hook the side closest to the handle.
	Step 2 - Turn the wing nut clockwise. Once the blade is in place, turn the wing nut clockwise. This moves the metal rod back towards the handle, pulling the blade in the frame.
How tight should the blade be?
	If the blade is too loose, it will move over the pins and may even fall off. A blade with too much movement will flex in the material and it will be difficult to control the saw during operation. However, stretch the blade too much and it may break, resulting in injury. As a general rule, you should tighten the blade just enough so that it doesn't move on the pins, but can still flex a little in the middle.

Posted

February 21 2023

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