Miter saw with problemtic arbor size

[Norm Zax]

I made the mistake of purchasing a cheap miter saw a year ago (well, it was only used twice since) and would like now to upgrade its balde from24T to 40T or more (my cuts are far from smooth). I took it apart and found it had an odd arbor size - 18mm (thats a tad over 5/8"). My two questions:
1. Is anyone familiar with an online source (or make) fitting this size?
2. A carpenter (this is his livelihood!) suggested turning a metal converter to a larger size hole, a small disc as thick as an average blade that will allow me to use larger holed blades. Has anyone done this? Is it safe enough?
Thanks!
Norm

[Rick Lizek]

Any good saw sharpening place carries saw bushings. Amana, Freud and others make them and they sell for around $5. I have arbors from 5/8" to 30 mm and can interchange saw blades on any arbor. I have dado sets with 1" bore that I can bush to 5/8" and back in an instant. Common practice. Can also modify bushings for odd size if needed. Safe and have been doing this for 40 years.

After a quick check 18 mm doesn't seem to be listed. How many thousandths in a tad??? Can you be more specific in your measurements???

I would be more inclined to bringing the arbor to 5/8" than modifying a blade. If it's only a few thousandths, tad?

If it's really 18mm your tad is a .0836". A Machine shop could turn the arbor down and you could use any blade.

[Curt Harms]

You can get custom bored blades from Forrest and probably others as well.

[John M Wilson]

You can get custom bored blades from Forrest and probably others as well.

At some point you will have spent more on customizing your blades to fit a "cheap miter saw" than you would have if you sold the saw on CL and upgraded to a better saw. The problem with your cuts might not just be the blade; your saw also has a role in making precision cuts.

However, if you are only making two cuts per year or so, you will have to figure out where the tipping point is on your cost/benefit analysis.

Good Luck!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I actually found the bushings in a local well stocked hardware store.