Those of you that own the Excalibur, DeWalt or new Delta scroll saws may not be happy with the stock blade thumb screws. Many people find them uncomfortable after extended use. In past posts I have shown you how to make replacement knobs. They worked okay for some but came with their own issues.
One of the US distributors of the Excalibur brand of scroll saw is Seyco. One of the accessories they sell is a round replacement knob. This knob will fit the saws mentioned above. I tested it on the excalibur and the DeWalt but not the new Delta. I'm almost positive the Delta uses the same thumbscrew however.
In the picture above you see the Excalibur standard thumb screw installed. Notice the tip of the round replacement knob. The tip is a bearing that pivots as you tighten the knob. This helps prevent blade bending at the point of contact.
To install simply unscrew the old thumb screw and replace with the new one. The bolt lets the knob extend out about half an inch from the blade holder. This gives you plenty of room to grab the knob easily.
My only disappointment with the replacement knob was that the back side of the plastic knob was sharp enough to make gripping it uncomfortable. I solved this with a little sanding. The knob also could be a little bigger but I understand why it's not. The bigger the knob the more likely it will bust your knuckle while the saw is running. 
The picture above shows the replacement knob on my DeWalt scroll saw also.I have only used the replacement knobs for a short while but they do seem easier on the fingers after I sanded the back of the plastic.
The knobs are available for $29.95 a pair or $16.50 for an individual knob. This allows you to only replace the top know or both if you prefer. The bottom knob gets much less use so you may be okay with leaving the standard thumb screw in place there. I know the price seems high for knobs but the bearing makes this a fairly advanced piece of hardware.
I purchased the pair. Shipping and handling from Texas to Kentucky was $7.50 which brought my total to $37.45. The replacement knobs are not shown on the website. You have to download the free catalog to find the part number for the order. #QKM-06 is the number for the pair and #QKM-05 is for the individual knob.
Click the catalog link on Seyco's web site to download the digital catalog or request a paper version be mailed to you.
Ray Seymore is the owner of Seyco. He has been a fixture in the scrolling community for years. He is know for his superb customer service. Ray and his wife attend most of the scroll saw picnics around the country selling their products. If you are in the market for the Excalibur line of scroll saw make sure you visit Seyco.