Shopsmith Forums

Hi,
I have to run my Mark V using an extension cord for now, and I have had trouble cutting thick hardwood. The motor would lag badly, and I would often trip a breaker. My usual saw blade is a Tenru Gold Medal.

A couple of weeks ago I had to cut some thick stock again, and I was getting tired of resetting the breaker. I thought that I remembered that I had a thin kerf blade, so I went searching for it. I had been given a freud Thin Kerf Crosscut blade, and even though I was ripping I tried it. It worked much better, and it was a dream when I had to do a crosscut.

I bought the Thin Kerf Rip Blade this week, and had to cut some 4" mahogany. I know that mahogany is not too hard, but not only did the Shopsmith not lag, I barely heard a change of sound when the blade was into the wood. I cut some harder wood today (quinta, I think), and both the rip and crosscut blades did an outstanding job.

One of the advantages to the Shopsmith is a generally quicker blade change, if you have additional arbors (which I do). I'll continue to use the Gold Medal for stock less than 1", but from here on out I'll use the freud blades on any cuts in thick stock.

I'm sold on Freud blades. Been buying 100% Freud for a couple of years now.

bucksaw wrote:I'm sold on Freud blades. Been buying 100% Freud for a couple of years now.

Yes, I've reported this before but it is worth passing along.

Who made the carbide tipped blades that Shopsmith sold prior to their changing to the blades they now sell?

Yup, FREUD. Guess I've been using 100% as well. No, not true. I have a couple others hanging on the wall in the shop. They don't get mounted often.

rdubbs wrote:Hi,
I have to run my Mark V using an extension cord for now, and I have had trouble cutting thick hardwood. The motor would lag badly, and I would often trip a breaker...

Hi Rick,
I am glad for you that using a different blade, while using an extension cord, solved your problem. Regarding the use of an extension cord; make sure that you are using the proper guage wire extension cord. If you are using one that the wire is too small of guage, you will get results like you are telling us about, and that is knot good for the motor. SS recommends 14ga for up to 25'; 12ga for up to 50' and 10ga for up to 100'. It has been my experience that most people buy "the cheap" cord, knot realizing that, even though they are 50' or 100' long, the wire size is only 16ga. That is knot adequate for ANY length of cord when operating ANY piece of equipment. I wood never use a 16ga cord in any length for anything except lighting. If you are unsure of the wire guage of your extension cord, it is often molded into the outer jacket insulation close to the ends of the cord.

I'll say this first, I do not use my SS 500 as a table saw, I have a large cabinet saw which I prefer.

So, that being said,

I have been using the 60 tooth (Fine Finish, Thin Kerf) Freud Diablo blade in my saw for both ripping and crosscuts. The crosscuts are literally GLASS smooth & simply incredible. The rips are nearly as good with only the occasional rough patch in the cut. Rips with this blade are plenty good enough to go right to glue up.

I decided awhile back to spend some money on a 50 tooth "combo" blade by Freud and was terribly disapointed in the edge I got from it, at least compared to the 60 tooth blade. The cut was smooth, but it had visible saw marks in the cut. The 60 tooth blade leaves NO marks.

I have decided to go against conventional wisdom and stick with the 60 tooth blade for my all purpose blade. Maybe the $100 Forrest or top end Freud 'combo' blades will give excellent rip cuts, but at $40 for the Frued Diablo, I don't think I care to try them.


Freud Diablo 60 tooth, an excellent blade and 60% less cost of the typical $100 blades!!! .

My daily blade is a Freud "GlueLine Rip." It is amazing in rip and crosscut.mike t.

The Forrest Wood Worker II thin kerf has performed well for me.
They also give you some good info on setting speed and depth of cut to prevent wood burning.

Dave C.

I have the thin kerf Forrest and love it. Just recently, Amazon had the standard kerf Forrest for $67, so I bought it. I have not tried it, yet

I got a Rockler gift card for Christmas and took advantage of their after-Christmas sale. I ordered a Freud Avanti 10'' x 50T Thin Kerf Combination blade for $19.99 (regular price $39.99). I can't wait to give it a try. It has to be better than the cheap 24T blade I've been using.

I just got the 50T combo and the thin kerf rip Avanti at the sales price, too. Going to install the rip blade today. Gotta make some different "0" clearance inserts, too.
Gene