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Shopsmith Inc's SawSmith 2000 table saw video

thedovetailjoint

I posted a video this morning introducing the Sawsmith 2000 to my Youtube channel viewers, and talked a bit about the history of sliding saw blade (AKA Push-pull table saw), and sharing some insights from my experience selling them for Shopsmith, using them in the Dayton Academy, and owning one myself in the 1990's. I'd love to hear your experience with this tool. Scott

Catch the video here: https://youtu.be/PW7-VxK3aGU

Sawsmith 2000 and Craftsman push pull 2.jpeg

HopefulSSer

Great video. Thanks for introducing us to this saw! Sounds like it was a "brilliantly flawed" product. I can't help but wonder how it would be perceived now if the the flaws had been rectified. To quote Maxwell Smart, they "missed it by that much." ;-)

chapmanruss

Scott,

Thanks for the information and history about the Sawsmith Table Saw. It's not one we hear much about. I do wonder if you know about how many were actually sold. I knew it has some problems but you pointed out things I didn't know. Just curious if you have both the 1-1/4" (555572) and the 5/8" (555608) Saw Blade Arbors (shown below) originally made for the Sawsmith Table Saw for yours.

Sorry to be a bit nitpicky but the Model 10E not the 10ER was introduced by Magna Engineering in 1947. Just trying to keep the Shopsmith history straight.

555608 - 555572.jpg

thedovetailjoint

chapmanruss wrote Sorry to be a bit nitpicky but the Model 10E not the 10ER was introduced by Magna Engineering in 1947. Just trying to keep the Shopsmith history straight.

You are so right about the 10E, and though I know better I always say it wrong unless I’m really thinking about it. I can’t even explain why! Not sure about which arbors I have for it yet. Still have some items to unpack.

BuckeyeDennis

Scott, is that much blade wobble typical of Sawsmith 2000 machines? If it is, I wouldn’t touch one with a ten-foot pole. On a good radial arm saw, freeplay can be eliminated by properly adjusting the roller bearings on the motor carriage.

thedovetailjoint

BuckeyeDennis wrote Scott, is that much blade wobble typical of Sawsmith 2000 machines?

The wandering of the blades only happens when the blade height travel reaches the two extremes. The blade tracks accurately in use. I probably need to address that in the follow-up video. Scott

edma194

thedovetailjoint wrote

The wandering of the blades only happens when the blade height travel reaches the two extremes. The blade tracks accurately in use. I probably need to address that in the follow-up video. Scott

Right. It's an alignment issue affecting the top and bottom of blade height travel. I suspect the problem is a lack of support for enough of the lift screw at it's ends. Unfortunately that may limit the useful blade height travel. The limited blade height is certainly a deficiency in this saw at 2-1/2" vertical max on a 10" blade, which means only 1/2 the blade diameter is in use. But if you have a Shopsmith Mark 5 also then you still have another table saw to use to get around that limitation.

kevin

Hello!

What can you say about the Dewalt 32 - 1/2 (82.5cm) DWE7491RS jobsite saw? Is it worth buying it or is it better to buy another?

SteveMaryland

On this youtube video at 7:20, Scott mentions an add-on component for the Sawsmith which extends the range of an Edgewood-type featherboard. I think I would like to get one of these but have looked on the Shopsmitth site and cant find it.

If anyone knows, please advise part number and current availability for this accessory.

edma194

SteveMaryland wrote On this youtube video at 7:20, Scott mentions an add-on component for the Sawsmith which extends the range of an Edgewood-type featherboard. I think I would like to get one of these but have looked on the Shopsmitth site and cant find it.

If anyone knows, please advise part number and current availability for this accessory.

I have one of those things that came with one of my Sawsmith 2000s. I don't know if was a standard component or Shopsmith used to sell them but I don't think they're available anymore. It is pretty much what it looks like, you could make one out of a board with a couple of T-Bolts and a pair of screw knobs.

I just got in the Bow Feather Board he demonstrates in the video. I'm likely to use that instead of that extender.

DLB

I have some Rockler featherboards, similar to the Edgewood but the adjustment slot is about 2" longer. They are made for 'standard' miter slots but I'm 99% certain they would work with T-Bolts on the SS. They are a little thicker than the Edgewood so won't work with the Edgewood piece that fits the SS miter slot without a change to something (longer screws, but the Edgewoods don't have common heads). I use them occasionally on my router table, which has a 'standard' miter slot that is pretty far from the work. Rockler has similar models available, and I see a few on Amazon with the long slots.

More expensive, but I prefer JessEm stock guides and don't use featherboards much any more. The big advantage over featherboards is that a stock guide can be located in the outfeed region, guiding the workpiece both in the direction of the table and the fence. The Stock Guide also has superior anti-reverse, though Scott says so does the Bow so I guess that should be tested head to head.

- David