SawSmith 2000

[Dave Lehnert]

Just wandering if anyone uses or remembered this from Shopsmith


Sawsmith 2000
This machine was ahead of its time, and that’s probably why it didn’t catch on. It was a 1½ HP enclosed base table saw which could also perform the function of a radial arm saw. The saw blade moved beneath the wood, rather than over it, which made it safer than a typical radial arm saw. This machine was only in production for a short period of time (1985-1987).

[Chris Barton]

Here is a saw that was popular about 40 years prior to the Shopsmith with the same concept:

http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/Images/12-A.jpg

"Versatile Saw": sliding-arbor tablesaw"Versatile Saw": sliding-arbor tablesaw by Henniker.

[Dana Van Pelt]

Mike here;

I was forced to sell them when I worked for Shopsmith...just about got fired when I told "the Emperor that he had no clothes" You could pull the motor out of alignment with your little finger and the motor was opened without a housing so sawdust would pack it tight till the motor would burn out. Ever unit I sold, the customer was upset with me or they returned it. The biggest joke was we were asking Unisaw and Powermatic 66 prices for it. ;) This was one of the problems that drove another nail in the Shopsmith coffin.

Mike