Shopsmith Forums

Hi everyone. I know this is a dumb question and it has been answered other places but I must be doing something wrong. I ordered two 5/8-inch Shopsmith made table saw arbors to refurbish my Dad’s old Shopsmith this year and have used them for months with blades. I would like to now remove the blades from the arbors.

I have read and seen videos about this. To the best of my understanding, you should put the blade in a wooden vice to hold it and loosen the nut on the outside of the arbor with a 15/16-inch wrench by turning CLOCKWISE (left-handed nut). I have not had any success though.

What am I messing up?

Many thanks,
Karl

It's RH thread

Karl,

The instructions you were looking at are likely for the 1-1/4" Arbors. As HopefulSSer pointed out the 5/8" Arbor is a standard right-hand thread.

To further explain about the Shopsmith Arbors for anyone interested. It is only the 1-1/4" Arbors for the Mark series tools that have the left-hand thread. This is because the nut goes on the Arbor from the "back" side of the Arbor. This Left-hand thread, in the case of the 1-1/4" Arbor, has it turning on the Spindle with the forward rotation going the same way as tightening the nut. Because all the other Arbors have the nut going on from the end it keeps the rotation going the same way as tightening the nut too. There is one 1-1/4" Arbor that was made for the Sawsmith Table Saw P/N 555572 that has the nut going on from the end and it too is a right-hand thread. That Arbor looks like the 5/8" Arbor P/N 555608 which was also originally made for the Sawsmith Table Saw but now is the 5/8" Arbor for the Mark V 510, 520 and Mark 7. Just an FYI the 5/8" Arbor currently for the Mark 5 or Mark V 500 with the original Table System is part number 555321.

This may or may not help you, but... Different schools of thought on the best method for this. I prefer leaving the sawblade and arbor mounted on the Mark V to do this. Some prefer the mount it in a vise method instead. Also, I bought a second arbor wrench from Shopsmith and that makes the process A LOT easier for me because you need the leverage of a good long wrench to break the nut free.

RFGuy wrote: Mon Aug 18, 2025 8:59 pm ... because you need the leverage of a good long wrench to break the nut free.

AND to keep your hand away from the saw blade! Ask me how I know

Thanks!

I actually tapped it once or twice CCW because I wondered about the nut being on the front vs the “traditional” SS saw arbors that I inherited from my Dad that were in the back. I must not have done it hard enough, possibly because I had already beat on it CW.

I will give it a go! Many thanks.

PS: I definitely wear leather gloves!

jimbeaux wrote: Mon Aug 18, 2025 10:22 pm

RFGuy wrote: Mon Aug 18, 2025 8:59 pm ... because you need the leverage of a good long wrench to break the nut free.

AND to keep your hand away from the saw blade! Ask me how I know

ME TOO! Ouch...Yeah, I find it easier to leave the sawblade mounted on the arbor, Mark V turned off of course, and having two identical Shopsmith arbor wrenches is easier for me and safer for me. IF I had a suitable open end wrench of the appropriate size, I could have used it instead. Just advocating that if you are like me then purchasing a 2nd arbor wrench is well worth it IMHO.

Methinks IIWM, I would invest in a big crescent(tm) wrench. But then I already have the appropriate open end wrenches.

JPG wrote: Tue Aug 19, 2025 10:26 pm Methinks IIWM, I would invest in a big crescent(tm) wrench. But then I already have the appropriate open end wrenches.

JPG,

I don't disagree with you if you can get a quality adjustable wrench. The challenge for me has been as follows. I have all the basic mechanic type tools from when I wrenched on my vehicles when I was younger. Problem is none of my open end wrenches are large enough to fit the arbor nut. Of course I have multiple sizes of pipe wrenches for plumbing, but those would destroy the arbor nut. I always planned to one day buy a more expensive and more complete set of sockets (impact and standard) and open end wrenches for my shop, but still today I haven't made that investment unfortunately. I wrench on cars a lot less today than I did when I was young. I have a couple of small Crescent brand (adjustable end wrenches), but I use them sparingly. There is just too much play and that tends to round over the nut you are loosening with time. The newer China built ones are even worse than the older ones. Perhaps if I could get my hands on a 1950's vintage or earlier Crescent wrench then I might be happy with it. With what is commonly available today, I would suggest either getting the exact size box end wrench with long handle and/or purchasing the Shopsmith arbor wrench. An adjustable end wrench (Crescent I believe invented these) can certainly be used, but is less desirable IMHO. Am I being too picky? Certainly there is nothing special about the Shopsmith arbor wrench except that it has both sizes needed in one wrench, but you need two of them to be useful. Am I the only one that has a preference for using exact size wrenches versus an adjustable one? I believe today all of Crescent's wrenches are made in China and machinist reviews of them haven't been favorable. In general I love Crescent tools and their new parent company Cooper Tools, but I don't like it when quality tools get moved to offshore manufacturing lines that are of less quality.

Maybe this Craftsman wrench will work. I have a couple of them and the “vise” grip function takes the slop out of using it.