new/old toy

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Wed May 23, 2012 9:58 am

Here's the official story of the beginning.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/history.htm

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Wed May 23, 2012 4:14 pm

JPG40504 wrote:Close. He bought a SawSmith without a blade at a yard/garage sale thinking obtaining a blade would be a simple matter. Wrong! So he then thought there would be a market for blades to fit, so he approached Magna American intending to get rights to manufacture blades. They offered him the whole kit and kaboodle.

I always find this curious as the Sawsmith can use both 5/8" bored sawblades (no arbor required, just the nut) and 1-1/4" bored sawblades (with the special 'reversible' sawsmith arbor). I suspect that Folkreth lacked both the reversible 1-1/4 arbor and the 5/8 arbor nut and no EBay to boot!;)

damagi · Post by **damagi** » Wed May 23, 2012 6:19 pm

[quote="SDSSmith"]I always find this curious as the Sawsmith can use both 5/8" bored sawblades (no arbor required, just the nut) and 1-1/4" bored sawblades (with the special 'reversible' sawsmith arbor). I suspect that Folkreth lacked both the reversible 1-1/4 arbor and the 5/8 arbor nut and no EBay to boot!]

The RAS saws and many miter saws have the same feature - a 5/8" shaft, plus the ability to use an adapter to use larger diameter bored blades. Perhaps the sawsmith was the first, or it was simply following the lead of other tool makers.