Shopsmith Forums

kas20amc02 wrote: Sat May 31, 2025 3:55 pm Yes, I saw people recommending regular thickness. I guess my question is, does the SS motor handle the standard width without problems?

It should be fine. If you're ripping thick enough and hard enough wood you may have to slow down the blade and/or the feed. Unlike most table saws you can control the blade speed on a Shopsmith.

My comment above is that I find the thin kerf binds on the riving knife. But apparently Chris doesn't have that issue

Got it.

Many thanks guys. I think I have a good chance of success now. I plan on making a box just for fun and a mahjong tile rack for my wife first.

Thanks again. I will let you know how it turns out.

HopefulSSer wrote: Sat May 31, 2025 4:52 pm My comment above is that I find the thin kerf binds on the riving knife. But apparently Chris doesn't have that issue

I’ve been using thin kerf blades with the 510/20 upper guard ever since SS introduced the SawSmith 2000 in the 90’s. That’s when they introduced their first thin kerf blade. If everything is properly aligned they should work together. Scott

thedovetailjoint wrote: Sun Jun 01, 2025 6:49 pm

HopefulSSer wrote: Sat May 31, 2025 4:52 pm My comment above is that I find the thin kerf binds on the riving knife. But apparently Chris doesn't have that issue

I’ve been using thin kerf blades with the 510/20 upper guard ever since SS introduced the SawSmith 2000 in the 90’s. That’s when they introduced their first thin kerf blade. If everything is properly aligned they should work together. Scott

That's interesting. My riving knife & everything else is properly aligned. Though as I mentioned the boards I was having trouble with had a lot of temper -- perhaps they would have bound even with a full-kerf blade

I think a "full" kerf blade would bind 'worse'.

How does the difference between kerf and blade plate dimension vary between a full/narrow kerf blade?n

JPG wrote: Tue Jun 03, 2025 1:04 pm I think a "full" kerf blade would bind 'worse'.

How does the difference between kerf and blade plate dimension vary between a full/narrow kerf blade?n

Typically by about 1/32" -- full kerf is generally 1/8" and thin kerf is generally 3/32". So full kerf would give a little more clearance around the riving knife. Some manufacturers (I know Sawstop is one) don't recommend thin kerf for this reason. It would be interesting to know the thickness of the Shopsmith riving knife vs Sawstop's

HopefulSSer wrote: Sun Jun 01, 2025 6:56 pm

thedovetailjoint wrote: Sun Jun 01, 2025 6:49 pm

HopefulSSer wrote: Sat May 31, 2025 4:52 pm My comment above is that I find the thin kerf binds on the riving knife. But apparently Chris doesn't have that issue

I’ve been using thin kerf blades with the 510/20 upper guard ever since SS introduced the SawSmith 2000 in the 90’s. That’s when they introduced their first thin kerf blade. If everything is properly aligned they should work together. Scott

That's interesting. My riving knife & everything else is properly aligned. Though as I mentioned the boards I was having trouble with had a lot of temper -- perhaps they would have bound even with a full-kerf blade

I ran into this problem (about 2 years ago I think) when ripping pine 2x12s to make 2x4s. Tension relieved from the cut had the two parts moving toward each other and binding on the riving knife. I had my son push the board through from the end while I inserted shims in the cut just past the riving knife as it cut. These were not the straightest of 2x12s though.

Never encountered that with ripping hardwood although I don't recall ever ripping that far into a hardwood board.

Scott, it was using my SawSmith 2000 but it was a 3rd party thin kerf combination blade. I don't know if a full kerf blade would have worked better for this wood.

My earlier question was regarding the tooth set on the thin kerf vs the full kerf.

JPG wrote: Wed Jun 04, 2025 2:44 am My earlier question was regarding the tooth set on the thin kerf vs the full kerf.

How would that be relevant WRT to the riving knife?