Thanks to Bob Minchin I have recently acquired a nice Rapidor Major power hacksaw at a bargain price (thanks again Bob).
However, having stripped and reassembled it, I'm now puzzling over how it is intended to operate. The key question is whether it should cut on the push or pull stroke.
I notice that the blade is set at an angle to the frame, so that it moves progessively lower as it moves forward. This means that the frame lifts as the blade rides across the workpiece. For this reason it seems to me that the blade should be set to cut on the push stroke, the oil-filled dash pot then holding the blade clear of the work piece on the pull stroke.
Against this, a book I have on machine tools says that power hacksaws all cut on the pull stroke, and as delivered the blade was fitted so as to cut in this direction. It also seems a good idea to cut with the blade in tension, rather than compression.
Can someone out there with a similar saw offer some advice? Thanks
Mike