Shopsmith Forums

Shopsmith offers only three blades for the tablesaw, all using a 1-1/4" arbor. There are many specialty blades available on the open market but most of them require a 5/8" arbor. Is it safe to use other blades with the Shopsmith 5/8" Molder/Dado Arbor?

Bill welcome here and you will get all the correct answers to your questions, I never have used a SS for a table saw, but I think so, but wait a bit, you will get a certain/concrete answer here soon.

Shopsmith makes 5/8" saw arbors for this purpose.
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... arbors.htm

The dado/molder arbor isn't made for saw blades.
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... oarbor.htm

It isn't recommended by Shopsmith to use the dado/molder arbor with saw blades. I don't know what all the reasoning is, but I do believe you will get interference with the tie bar guard if you try to push the table up against the rubber table spacer.

That said, Shopsmith also sells an excellent 5/8 saw blade arbor that will work with any 5/8 blade.

In addition, some blade makers (Forrest) will give you a 1 and 1/4 bore on their blades.

Lastly, I was a Forrest WWII snob until I ordered the three Shopsmith blades. They are excellent. And having an arbor for each blade makes changes a snap.

Incidentally, welcome to the forum, Bill!

Thanks for the quick replies. I guess I missed the 5/8" arbors when I was scanning through the catalog. Happy woodworking in 2016!!

Bill, I told you so!!!! I can a test that SS products are top of the line, now in a saw blade, I am a Freud man, some are Forrest, I never used a SS saw blade, but if you read some of the threads here, especially to a slow boat to no wheres thread on his canoe build, you can trust there knowledge.

algale wrote:It isn't recommended by Shopsmith to use the dado/molder arbor with saw blades. I don't know what all the reasoning is, but I do believe you will get interference with the tie bar guard if you try to push the table up against the rubber table spacer.

That said, Shopsmith also sells an excellent 5/8 saw blade arbor that will work with any 5/8 blade.

In addition, some blade makers (Forrest) will give you a 1 and 1/4 bore on their blades.

Lastly, I was a Forrest WWII snob until I ordered the three Shopsmith blades. They are excellent. And having an arbor for each blade makes changes a snap.

You must use the a locking tongue-washer with the dado/molding arbor if you use it for a 10" saw blade. Not Recommended. Over time, the spinning of the saw blade will unwind the nut when the motor is stopped if a locking tongue-washer is not used. I know from experience. A loose saw blade spinning inside the table insert is very dangerous. I have been unable to find a replacement 5/8" locking tongue-washer for the dado/molder arbor as it gets lost/misplaced when used Shopsmiths are sold.

billmayo wrote:

algale wrote:It isn't recommended by Shopsmith to use the dado/molder arbor with saw blades. I don't know what all the reasoning is, but I do believe you will get interference with the tie bar guard if you try to push the table up against the rubber table spacer.

That said, Shopsmith also sells an excellent 5/8 saw blade arbor that will work with any 5/8 blade.

In addition, some blade makers (Forrest) will give you a 1 and 1/4 bore on their blades.

Lastly, I was a Forrest WWII snob until I ordered the three Shopsmith blades. They are excellent. And having an arbor for each blade makes changes a snap.

You must use the a locking tongue-washer with the dado/molding arbor if you use it for a 10" saw blade. Not Recommended. Over time, the spinning of the saw blade will unwind the nut when the motor is stopped if a locking tongue-washer is not used. I know from experience. A loose saw blade spinning inside the table insert is very dangerous. I have been unable to find a replacement 5/8" locking tongue-washer for the dado/molder arbor as it gets lost/misplaced when used Shopsmiths are sold.

I have heard about this washer when using the Dado blade before but don't know much about it and what it looks like and when to use it. Anyone have a picture of it and when I should be using it (forgive me for hijacking thread but it links to topic sort of.)

Also, I have really only used shopsmith blades and they work great for me, primarily the combo blade, but I'm also still very new to woodworking, amateur at best.

Here's photo.



The washer is bottom right in the group of four. Notice the little square projection toward the center. It fits in the slot (keyway) visible on the threaded part of the arbor.

ALWAYS USE IT when using this arbor.