I'm new to this forum and to the shaved ice business. I recently bought a used Swan SI-100E off Ebay and am having some major problems with it. I believe these problems revolve around my blade adjustment knob: it doesn't seem to be working. The blade sits approximately 1/2 a centimeter above the surface of where the ice sits, and no matter how much I turn the adjustment knob, it stays in the same place. The result is very little ice being shaved, and I literally have to have my wife hold the machine to keep it from shaking violently. Any thoughts on how to fix this problem are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Daniel

Hello Daniel, what your problem is a common problem with the Swan machines. The issue seems like either the adjustment spring is worn out or the blade adjustment knob itself is just stuck/broken. You would need to remove the blade bracket assembly and see if anything is worn down.

Thanks for the reply! I took apart the blade/bracket assembly and put it in CLR to remove any buildup. I then used WD-40 to really lubricate the mechanism and I'm happy to say that the adjustment knob now works very well.
The only problem I'm having now is that the snow is getting caught between the blade and the blade holder. Once that gets clogged up, it begins clogging the entire opening where the shaved ice falls down into the cup. I have ordered a new blade holder and will be putting it on today, so I really hope that's my problem. Has anyone else ever had this same issue? I'd love to hear how you might have resolved it.

Hi Daniel,

I'm a newbie to this shave ice obsession, but one concern I had reading your post was with the WD-40. Might want to look at using a "food-grade" lubricant since you don't want to be consuming the WD-40. Check with restaurant supply companies--they usually stock lubricants specific to ice machines.

Good luck,

Fred

I think the clogging issue has something to do with the metal that is used for the shaving plate. I could be wrong though.

One YEAR post update! haha AUGUST 27, 2010 and now AUGUST 23 , 2011.

A lot of people has experienced this on their swan machine(s). Especially for novices. Using WD-40 will remove any type of moisture or minor rust that is binding the handle on to the plate, i've used it before and it works great. BUT, keep it mind you will always need to remove and clean off any WD-40 that can potentially get onto the ice once you free the handle. To maintain it, you would need to buy a FOOD-GRADE lube and lube it once awhile. I've been doing that since I got my machine for years, and it has never ceased up on me. Problem solved.