Hyd-Mech S20 clamping won't hold on angle cuts

I just recently got this saw used as part of a package deal. It of course holds fine at 90deg cuts, but when trying to cut 45's I cant get it to hold the material worth a dang. (already killed one blade when the material slipped) This saw has the sliding cam lock style clamping system. Is there a way to make that engage better? I did look at it and play with the adjustments but it didn't change the force applied much. Should I just put some tooth on the jaws? Though I feel like that won't necessarily help if it is a lack of clamping force issue.

Anyone else have experience with this issue? It is frustrating when I am backed up with work, and now having to fix this saw to get through a stack of tube. Thanks for any help!

Here is a picture just to clarify the clamping style.

I had one of those apart years and years ago..................I think the cam can be adjusted? Or is the cam itself just plain worn out? Never had problems cutting miters...............

I have yet to completely disassemble the clamp. It appears as though it is a piece of plate with a through hole that engages the shaft to lock it in place. Possibly the hole has just become too enlarged from use, and doesn't grab like it should.

That said though the rod does not slip backwards once locked, so it seems to be holding on well. The problem seems more that it just isn't applying enough clamping force to the material being cut in the first place. I am going to go try playing with the adjustments some more now, but I hate to keep finding out that it is not holding by ruining a $60 blade every time.

Try putting various things between the work and the vise jaws. I'd start with brown kraft paper. Then I'd try some kind of sandpaper. Also, clean your vise jaws if they're covered in cutting oil.

metalmagpie

metalmagpie said:

Try putting various things between the work and the vise jaws. I'd start with brown kraft paper. Then I'd try some kind of sandpaper. Also, clean your vise jaws if they're covered in cutting oil.

metalmagpie

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I did take some 80grit and roughed up the jaws a bit, as well as made sure they were clean. I have just temporarily been adding a bar clamp on the jaws to hold the material down in place to get through my work.

david n said:

I had one of those apart years and years ago..................I think the cam can be adjusted? Or is the cam itself just plain worn out? Never had problems cutting miters...............

Click to expand...

I think that I need to remove the cam and inspect all the wear areas closer outside the mechanism, and that this may be the issue once I get a better look at it.

Thanks