The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums - Anyone got a Powerbase Excel jigsaw? Need advice!

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Anyone got a Powerbase Excel jigsaw? Need advice!

I've actually got two jigsaws - one is an old Black & Decker, the other (as per title) a more recent Powerbase model. I think this is a Homebase own brand?

Anyway, the time is nearly upon me to lay the laminate floor! :D I don't have any suitable blades for either. Now my dilemma is that I can't seem to easily source blades for the B&D ("U" shaped top fitment) and although I can find "T" shaped blades for the Powerbase...... I can't get the old blade out! :mad:

There's a black switch in the saw body above the blade, which slides from right to left to release the blade, but try as I might - WD40 and a pair of locking pliers - I just can't pull it out

I'd welcome any brainy ideas on how to release it, or even some telling me "you're a pudding - that's not how you change blades"!

Quote:

Originally Posted by uk_dave&gill (Post 1241785)

Not had one of that make but try rotating the blade 90 degrees , then pull. One of my old jigsaws you had to do that with. Can't remember what make it was

Quote:

Originally Posted by XPart02 (Post 1242533)

Not had one of that make but try rotating the blade 90 degrees , then pull. One of my old jigsaws you had to do that with. Can't remember what make it was

Never thought of that! Let's hope it's that simple and that I am indeed being a pudding!!!!

(if not, I'll have to rig something up where the blade is held tight, and then I switch it on and hopefully shock it out, trying to keep finger loss to a minimum....!)

yup sounds like it could be a twist release. Jigsaws in my experience either have a 90degree turn (usually with some sort of release handle), a screw on top of the handle or 2 screws near the blade to release them.

Tried the twisting the blade idea and it still wouldn't budge....

Academic now as I decided to take the saw apart and see if I could free the blade. Went quite well until most of the innards "sproinged" out and now they won't go back in :(

Well, I've been around all 5 hardware shops in town this morning, and not one does the U-shape fittings for the Black & Decker

:(

I've since tried sticking one of the T-shape blades into the B&D and it "sort of" fits! It's sitting into the holder quite well and holding firm, so wondering if this might be a way to go forward? I guess the worst that can happen is that it falls out?

Cheers!

Should have tried them in the first place tbh, but forward planning deserted me!

In the end I didn't try using T ended instead of U ended blades, as not only did it turn out that I couldn't get these either (all the local places closed at 12:00 and Homebase didn't have any) but also because it would probably have ended in tears. Instead I had to make a 30 mile round trip to Wickes.... :( Pack of 5 laminate blades for £9.69 which didn't seem too bad, until I read your Screwfix link - 79p each!

Anyway, job all done now. Took eight hours solid, and we ache like achey things this morning, but on the plus side, we have a new floor! :D