I was using the SawStop (Industrial Model) with a Systematic Dado blade. (8" with all cutters installed.) The aluminum miter gauge hit the blade and WHAM!, the trigger activated. I have had the trigger activate before when I forgot that there was metal involved (such as cutting aluminum foil coated foam insulation), but this activation seemed much kinetic. In fact, the brake got shredded and sheared off teeth from the dado blade. Not just the carbide -- the actual teeth. (See pics.)

I figured I would check the alignment of the blade to the miter gauge, and found that it was out of alignment by .011" I usually can align the saw to .001, so I realigned it with an alignment plate and got it back to .001. But when I put on a blade, I found out the alignment was still out .007, depending on how I rotated the blade. For example, +.005 and then rotated 180 degrees and out by -.002. And the reverse in another 180. So I figured I would check the runout of the arbor flange, which the factory specs list as having a .001 tolerance. Mine was now .002. That does not seem like a lot, but taking the radius of the flange out to the edge of the blade would increase it at least 3-4 times, which translates to a .007 wobble in the blade plate.

Also, the cut quality is certainly inferior to what it had been before. Previously, I could get a glass smooth cut-off with a Forrest Cross-cut blade, and now I can see tooth marks. Also, the saw makes a slightly different sound. Like there is more vibration.

I called SawStop, and they say the tolerance for blade wobble is .010 and that I should not have used a dado with full cutters. (Note that they only recently recommend this practice, probably because the saw cannot stop a spinning billet of 8" x 3/4" metal.)

I can't believe .010 wobble is acceptable, especially when the SawStop manual describes that you can get to .001. And .010 is bad. Darn, I can measure .010 without a dial indicator. SawStop said the flange run-out was over spec, but not bad. This is where I got into a debate with the rep as to whether .002 was only a thou. more than .001, or was double .001!!!

So here are my questions:

1. Do others regularly get blade/mite slot alignment close to .001. I can't believe that 10 times that (i.e. .010) is within tolerance for this type of saw.

2. SawStop said I could replace the arbor assembly for $250. Has anyone else replaced that part? Seems like it would be a bear. (FYI, it upsets me that SawStop would not send that to me a this seems like a problem that they did not know to tell people about until it arose.)

Thanks in advance. IMG_3540.jpgIMG_3542.jpgIMG_3541.jpg