SS Saw Blades

[jon]

Hi Guys,

Now that I have my old 510 cleaned up, I am moving on to the box of accessories that came with it. I have 2 (somewhat) rusty carbide saw blades. One is a SS Rip and one is a SS crosscut blade. After I looked at the cost of new ones, cleaning up the old ones seemed like a good idea! So here are my questions:
1. After I clean and wax the blades, I want to have them sharpened. Are there any questions I should ask, to make sure I get a quality job?
2. Why does SS use a 1 1/4" arbor hole and everyone else use a 5/8" arbor hole?
3. My Christmas budget can only stand the impact of purchasing 1 blade. Should I buy the SS or one of the many other 5/8" blades out there? After looking at some of the threads, I would also have to buy a 5/8" arbor too.

Thanks!

[wa2crk]

Jon;
WELCOME!!
Definitely clean the sawblades but do not wax them. The wax may gum up or transfer to your work from the heat generated when sawing. Use a product such as Drycoat for the blades.
The reason for the 1 1/4" hole in the SS blades is that that is the normal size for a 10" diameter blade when SS was first produced back in the 50's. The large hole required a larger diameter washer to hold the blade and provided some additional stability at the outer circumference of the blade.
As for the budget I would recommend that you get two 5/8" arbors from SS and a good quality blade from another source. Nothing wrong with the SS blades, they are good but with the price and shipping local shopping may be a bit better. You can mount a second blade for a special purpose such as plywood cutting on the second arbor which makes changing blades more convenient. Buy the best quality blade that you can afford!! You will only have to cry once:eek: . You won't have to cry a second time when the first economy blade doesn't do the job for you.
Bill V

[8iowa]

jon:

I use the 50T combination blade for about 85% of my cuts. With this blade, the 60T crosscut, and the 24T rip blade you will have covered almost all of your needs. Many of us like the "thin kerf" blades because they cut with less HP required and less sawdust. By all means, get the 5/8" arbor (555608). This will enable you to use specialty blades such as an 80T plywood/laminate blade.

A few years ago when I attended a Shopsmith week-end, Nick Engler recommended Shupert & son sharpening service, 99 Avondale Dr, Dayton OH, 45404 (937 233 5144)

[jon]

Guys,

Thanks so much for the feedback. It is a bit embarrassing asking, what I am sure you guys think are simple questions.

I like the idea of getting 2, 5/8" arbors. The quick change over is a good idea.
So I will get my 2 SS blades sharpened, buy 2 arbors and then save up some money for a good quality combination blade.

Bill good point about the wax. I never would have thought about that!

Every time I get on this website, I learn something new! Thanks again for your help!

[dusty]

I love this site because of the diversity of information and opinions that can be gathered here. This is just another example.

You have received advise that I would reject if I was on a limited budget and needed to give myself sawing capability. If your blades can be cleaned and sharpened (I don't know how bad they are), I would go find out how much it will cost to sharpen and balance them. A quote from a reputable sharpener is needed. The one you have been given is excellent but you must consider shipping. Finding a reasonable source in your area (to avoid shipping costs) may not be easy.

Two arbors are going to cost about $70 with shipping. Sharpening the blades I would guess $20 per. With no shipping, you have spent $110.00.

With that $110.00 I would have purchased a Combination, Carbide blade (555958) for $60.47 plus shipping from Shopsmith and made it work until I could do better.

Just one more OPINION to wrestle with.

BTW, are your blades carbide tipped or are they steel blades?

[jon]

Dusty,

I believe they are carbide. They have the little bits of gray metal soldered/welded to the tip of each tooth. That's why I think sharpening might be a good idea.

You also make a good point. I can spend the same amount on a good combi blade, versus sharpening the other 2 + buying arbors for future purchases.

Perhaps the fastest and cheapest way is to buy the new combi blade and then, when the budget is back in line, get the other 2 blades sharpened. That way I will have 3 blades to handle all my jobs. I am thinking it would be a long time before I had to buy another blade with this approach.

It is easy to get confused with all the great ideas, huh?

[stephen_a._draper]

I prefer the 1-1/4" arbors. There is a reason that Shopsmith prefers them. Quite frankly they offer superior stability and less play than other arbors. Just about any blade you order can be requested with this larger arbor size. I have used the Shopsmith blades for decades with excellent results. I have their carbide combination, rip, and crosscut blades. I have never needed anything else. Plywood and laminates can be done just fine if you put masking tape on the downside face and use a zero clearance insert. The arbors can be found fairly inexpensively on e-Bay. After cleaning up the blades of all rust and pitch you may find they do not need sharpening. I have a separate arbor on each blade and they hang on my workshop wall. It is a breeze to just change one out with the SS Allen wrench.

You might want to try this first before investing a lot of money. It is nice having the separate blades. Remember that a rip blade is the only one that will give you a true flat bottom cut.

[dusty]

Here is a source for getting blades sharpened.

Yes, based on your description, I would say that you have carbide tipped blades. If they have never been sharpened before, they are probably good candidates.

This site will give you a bit more information to ponder. There is some interesting reading and good information.

Do you know what brand of blades you have. If they are "old" Shopsmith blades, my guess would be that they are Freud.

[JPG]

FWIW 'way back' in the fifties the blades were 9" and the 1 1/4" hole was a bitch factor then. It was better then(in spite of the naysayers) and is still better today(in spite of the inconvenience).

I agree with Dusty re frugal approach. Get good(new) general purpose from ss now, look for 1 1/4" arbor deal(s) on EB and sharpen the cc and rs blades as it becomes possible($).

If the blades be rusty, electrolytic removal be a good idea. I am amazed at how sharp(relatively so) an apparently destroyed by rust blade is after doing so.

[ddvann79]

Jon,

Harbor Freight sells a blade sharpener. You can use this $20 off coupon until 12-31-10.

There are also 5/8" arbors available on Ebay for half the price of new.

I cleaned up an old blade with rust remover and stiff paint removal pad on a drill motor. I plan on bluing it but haven't sharpened it yet.