Do you own one?

[aurelio alarcon]

How many of you woodworkers own a radial arm saw. I was just wondering what the general opinion of radial arm saws are here at the Creek.

[Jim McCarty]

I have a rockwell 12" turret head. FOR SALE. Just don't use it much anymore.

[Mitchell Garnett]

I've got a 10" Craftsman (Emerson) dating from about 1972. I don't use it much anymore and ought to try to sell it. But it was the first saw I bought beyond hand tools and a circular saw so it was used at one time.

[everett lowell]

I have a craftsman and I use it all the time.But just for crosscutting.Everthing else on the tablesaw.

[Tom McMahon]

I have a craftsman from about 1969, use it every day, but just for cross cuts.

[Don Selke]

I have a older Craftsman (Emerson) that I have had for too many years. I use it for cross cutting only and use the table saw for eveything else. It really comes in handy for cutting multiple quantities of shelving etc. I make a lot of cabinet face frames and it is handy for that purpose also. I do have to admit that if I did not have one, I would not buy one. I got mine from my Father-in-Law after his passing.

[Karl Laustrup]

I have a DeWalt 770 that was my first saw. An older DeWalt, that my dad had, built some homemade speakers, out of walnut ,veneer and solid, that I still use today, albeit in the garage. When I crank up my old 150w/channel [60's] Kenwood tuner those speakers put out some sound. They shake the ground and can be enjoyed, quite comfortably, at least 100 yards away. Got to crank up "Old Time Rock & Roll" and "Sweet Home Alabama", as well as some CCR.

I use my RAS for cross cuts, some mitering and some dado work. I'm not sure I'd buy one now, but I wouldn't get rid of the one I have, even though I do have a CMS and I really don't know what I did before I got my TS.

[Michael Stafford]

I have a Craftsman that must be 15 years old now. I use it exclusively for rough sizing stock and piling stuff on when not in use...

[Matt Meiser]

I bought one at a garage sale and sold it a few months later. I got frustrated trying to get the thing aligned and decided that it wasn't worth the trouble. Every once in a while I come across a task that would make one nice, but less often since I got a sliding table for my table saw.

[Kevin Swindle]

I have an old Dewalt that dates back to the early 50's. It's a great saw but I just don't use it a whole lot. I think I would use it more if I had room for it. I would probably sell it if someone offered the right price.

Kevin

[Rob Russell]

I have a Dewalt 7740 (relabeled Black & Decker) RAS. It's primary purpose has been to keep stuff off the floor.

It does not have an accurate 90 degree lock, so setting it for a miter cut and then returning it to 90 degrees meant getting out a framing square to check the setting.

I've thought about how I'll setup the RAS with my SCMS, where the RAS is set to 90 degrees and doesn't move from that setting. For rough sizing stock it would be nice. For anything beyond that - the SCMS is almost unbeatable.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I had the option of getting one from my uncle, that he no longer used. Once I got my SCMS, I decided that I did not need it.

[Frank Pellow]

Even at their peek of popularity (back in the 1970s as I recall), I did not own one. I used some owned by friends but could never get comforatable with them and had trouble setting them up to get exactly the cut that I wanted.

These days with good choices in both sliding compound mitre saws and guided circular saw systems, it is my opinion that radial arm saws survive only as redundent curiosities.

I suggest that if you want to find out how popular they are that you extend this question in a new thread with an attached poll.

[Andy Haney]

Have a Craftsman from 1981. Use it for crosscuts, and have never had the accuracy problem some complain about. I've been checking religiously since I heard others had this trouble. I also: (1) wouldn't get rid of it; and (2) wouldn't buy it today because better tools are available.

[lou sansone]

first of all it does depend on what type of shop you have and how you process lumber, as well as how much space you have in the shop. I basically dedicate one wall to RA and compound miter saw opperations with in feed and out feed tables. All of my lumber is rough sawn ( either I saw it or have someone else saw ) so one of the first things you have to do when laying out a project is start to break down the 8-10 footers into sections that represent your cut list. For me the best way seems to be simply to use the RA saw. I also have a compound miter which is great, but limited to about 8" cross cut.

I would never use it to "rip" lumber, but for cutting dados in long boards it seems much easier than trying to use a sled on my TS. Some folks really like the sliding compound miter saws, but I have not heard of anyone cutting dados on them, although maybe people do. How about it folks, anyone cut dados on a sliding miter saw?

If you are building some big stuff where you are cutting large tenons on heavy timber ( 16/4 and 20/4 material ) I think it works much better than using a tenoning jig on the TS.



I have a rockwell 12" turret head and it is dead on square. I think that most ww do not like RAS them because of the bad experiences with cheap craftsman saws. I would recommend that if you do get one that you get a turret head rockwell / delta or save your money and get a "northfield unipoint". IMHO a complete shop should have one.

Just for fun, if you have not seen the northfield unipoint, just google it and enjoy. If I had the room for one that would be my ultimate RA saw.


lou

[Jim Becker]

I would only own one if 1) I had a lot more space and 2) I could afford and aquire an old 12" or bigger Dewalt or a "new" copy from someone like Original Saw. The smaller "consumer" grade RAS just plain make me uncomfortable.

But in reality, I can do everything that a RAS can do with my current tools, especially with the Festool MFT available in the shop...and at a lower cost from my requirements above.

[Per Swenson]

We have a early 60s Dewalt power shop. The most versatile tool of its time.
Great machine, although we no longer use it to its full potential. Ripping, molding head, compound mitre, etc. As has been noted already, this is the ideal setup for production cross cuts.

[Steven Wilson]

I would recommend that if you do get one that you get a turret head rockwell / delta or save your money and get a "northfield unipoint". IMHO a complete shop should have one.


A Northfield Unipoint is the one to have. Haven't had the pleasure of using one but I've seen a couple at a local equipment dealer; nice RAS.

[Lou Morrissette]

I have a 70's version Craftsman which was my first major power tool purchase. I've built two houses with it, did many home renovations, left it outside under a tarp and it now sits proudly in my shop. I use it mainly for crosscut and daddoes on long stock and an occaisional mitre on stock too wide for my CMS. It's a good old horse and I love it. If it died, I'd probably buy another used one. Loads of them on the market.

Lou

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I sold mine, mostly a space issue and miss it a lot. A whole lot. If I ever have room I'll buy another.

[John M. Cioffi]

My RAS is the Delta 10" modle. It works great & is dead square. I use an expensive 80 tooth blade & it shines the end cut like glass.It's one of my most useful tools.:D

John

[Ken Salisbury]

I have a Craftsman 10" (approximately 15 years old). It is one of the most used pieces of equipment in my shop. I use it exclusively for cross cutting (90 degrees only). I have a Forrest WW I on it.. It is not the most accurate thing for angle cutting. I use my Smart Miter on my TS for most miter cuts and I also have 2 mitersaws, all with Forrest blades for those type cuts. I have it set dead accurate over a 12" crosscut and I have not moved it from that position since Noah loaded the boat :) .

[Jerry Clark]

I have an old C man which I use mostly for cross cuts also-- cannot get rid of it --- has six drawers in the bottom -- handy for storing STUFF! I would never buy another one!

[George M. Perzel]

I guess I'm in the minority-not the first time. I have a 10" Craftsman Radial Arm saw which I purchased over 30 years ago. It was the first major tool I bought and I've used it to make everything from an inlaid chess set to a major home addition.
Although I now have a Powermatic tablesaw and a host of other equipment, I still do all my crosscutting on the RAS. It is also great for making quick crosscut dados, kerfs etc. If I had to get rid of all my tools, it would be the last one to go.
George M. Perzel

[Ted Shrader]

All -

I have the Delta turret arm model 33-890. Had to dust it off to check. Got it in 1987.

It is parked far back in the corner. Saving for future use when I move to a 'real' shop for basic cross cutting.

That said, when visiting my B-I-L this summer, I used his RAS to make dados for kitchen cabinets and window frames. Falls in the "use what you have" theory of building.

Ted

[John Bailey]

I've had a Craftsman 10in. for about 25 yrs. It has always served me well, but it does take some work. 90 deg. is dead on, but everything else needs to be measured each time you set up. It will start to get out of square and needs to be set up too often. However, I've used it to build everything from houses, boats, kayaks, kayak paddles and dulcimers. I rip, cross cut, dado, miter and use it for a thickness sander. It works well if I put a good blade on it. Good blades cost about what the saw cost 25 yrs. ago. At the time I bought it, I bought the cheapest RAS, circular saw and jig saw I could find. I still have and use them all. I do take care of them, but their longevity is probably more due to the fact that I use hand tools 80% of the time. I would probably buy one again because I have to keep the center of my shop open for the boats I work on. RAS tend to work better on a wall than a TS. The TS's I've used have been much more accurate for most jobs. If I were to change most of projects, I would probably opt for a TS.

[Steve Ash]

I have a Craftsman, I'm pretty sure it was made mid '70's, just like brand new. I installed a entrance door for a guy and he gave me the saw for payment. I've never used it...I gave it to my dad for his workshop.

[Tyler Howell]

Me Too on the 70s Cman. Got a work out in its day. All I had for many years. Now it acts as a buffer/ polisher for rehabing rusty treasures. Or stacking stuff on.

[Greg Narozniak]

Love it for cross cutting large pieces and it was my uncle who gave it to me so there is some centimental value there as well. Sent the carriage to Original Saw and they put 2 new motor bearings in it along with 4 new carriage bearings and for $100 it works like new. I doubt I will be selling it anytime soon, although they do bring good prices on ebay :). (Stock photo, I am at work and no access to pics @ home)

[Jay Munsterman]

Early 70s craftsman here, used for crosscuts mainly...

[Fred Voorhees]

I have an older Craftsman, a freind got it somewhere and he gave it to me. I built it into a thirty foot long bench in my woodshop. Although I don't use it much, it really comes in handy when I have to batch cut a number of identical items. I have also used it to repeatedly cut dado's. It does have its place in my shop, though, as I said, it doesn't get used all that much.

[Dar Lounsbury]

I, too have an older 10"" Craftsman RAS. At one time, it was heavily used for dados/Rabbets. Once I got a SCMS, use slowed down. Now have purchased a panel router for the dados and the RAS is a foot deep in dust.

Reasonable offer and it is gone. Not worth much but I could use the space.

Dar

[Bob Johnson2]

I've had one forever, it was my first power tool bigger then a circular saw. Works fine and I do use it, not nearly as much as I used to though and I don't think I'd buy one today. I use it for crosscutting when finish is not a concern, as in 2x4's, pressure treated, and such, built most of my house with it. I keep a few older 40 and 50 tooth blades around for it and don't worry too much about what I run into. Kind of like my Craftsman circular saw that I cut pavers with.
For a cleaner cut I opt for the power miter, or a Slider if I had one, it's nice to not have to swap around blades. I may pass it down to my son when I need the room for another tool or he asks to borrow the miter saw again, took 6 weeks to get it back.
It just kind of sits there out of the way until it's needed.

The table surface comes in handy all the time...

[aurelio alarcon]

I have a DeWalt 770 that was my first saw. An older DeWalt, that my dad had, built some homemade speakers, out of walnut ,veneer and solid, that I still use today, albeit in the garage. When I crank up my old 150w/channel [60's] Kenwood tuner those speakers put out some sound. They shake the ground and can be enjoyed, quite comfortably, at least 100 yards away. Got to crank up "Old Time Rock & Roll" and "Sweet Home Alabama", as well as some CCR.

I use my RAS for cross cuts, some mitering and some dado work. I'm not sure I'd buy one now, but I wouldn't get rid of the one I have, even though I do have a CMS and I really don't know what I did before I got my TS.I love classic rock!

[aurelio alarcon]

Even at their peek of popularity (back in the 1970s as I recall), I did not own one. I used some owned by friends but could never get comforatable with them and had trouble setting them up to get exactly the cut that I wanted.

These days with good choices in both sliding compound mitre saws and guided circular saw systems, it is my opinion that radial arm saws survive only as redundent curiosities.

I suggest that if you want to find out how popular they are that you extend this question in a new thread with an attached poll.That is an excellent idea. I might try to make up a poll. But if someone else beats me to it, its ok. (I'm not that good at formulating polls)

[mike lucas]

According to Mr. Sawdust himself, the 1950`s were the Radial arm saw best times, with many millions of the DeWalt brand sold each and every year from 1950-1962, it was Sears, and Black & Decker that ruined the RAS reputation. They cut corners and done away with the trainers.

Mr. Sawdust says that if you can find an old DeWalt RAS with the solid cast iron rounded arm that runs, to try to get it. So I bought one that is 53 years old. And it looks like it will never ware out in a thousand years. The arm alone wieghs more then 75# on the one I own.

To buy a new saw like mine at Original, it would be $5500 after shipping. And I have just $750 in it. These were/are over built for the one man shop.


The RAS is the best machine in a woodworking shop. That is as long as it is one of the great one`s DeWalt built in the 50`s, it is aligned properly, and the operator is well trained with it. There is no other saw that can come close to a well tuned radial arm saw.

The fence and table is as important as any other part of the RAS. If they are not square, parallel, straight, and solid, the rest of the saw will be junk.

My brother bought a 14" Delta RAS new about 4 years ago. The minute he seen my DeWalt, he said that he wish he would have found one before he bought his saw. Then once we had the fence and table setup properly, he wanted my saw, even said he would talk paying some on the trade. I'll be keeping it until I die. Then hopefully, my Son, or Son in law will keep it!

I can rip a sheet of plywood down the center, quicker, safer, and easier then I can on the 10" Powermatic model 66 table saw. The dado setup is much quicker, the saw is just so much safer to use then a table saw. And because of Sears, most woodworkers and the general public as a whole think the radial arm saw is dangerous, when it is one of the safest machines one will find in the shop.

I use the RAS 3 times as much as I do the table saw. I could see me selling the table saw, but never the radial arm saw.

[Alfred Hoffmann]

I own a Craftsman 10" RAS for the past 35 years. I use it extensively. I use all its accessories - Dado, boring, cross cutting, ripping as well as mitering. You have to align it properly to have it do its job well.

Al Hoffmann

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

I bought a SawSmith made by ShopSmith way back in the fifties. I used it for everything, drilling, milling, shaping, etc. I never considered it dangerous. If one just followed tha manual and set everything up right it was flawless. I still had it when I had my auction last year and although I had a shop full of tools I still used it as a cut off saw and did dadoes when they needed to be done just right.

[Scott Stephens]

I to own a 10" Craftsman. I use it mostly for crosscutting. I am going to be building a deck around my swimming pool this spring. Will take it out of the shop, set up on the back deck, build my deck, and then to the garage and up for sale. My shop is on the small side, so I am getting a sliding compound mitre saw. I want build a cabinet with a long top the same height as the SCMS (and hopefully my planer), and maybe add a downdraft table to it. I could use the extra storage space under it also.

[Steve Stube]

I have 5 of the 70's vintage Craftsman 12" RAS's but two are for use with router sleds. I have used C man 10 inch RAS's but I would not accept one as a gift at least not if it had the aluminum clamshell post base or the open gearbox that most all had.

RAS's are frequently traded because "wood butchers" don't understand or care about the proper setup of the saw so consequently it won't perform well. It gets sold or otherwise passed on. Craftsman offered a complete set of detailed instructions for proper setup of the RAS but many folks that buy second hand never see these necessary steps to successful accurate cutting. My guess is that 9 out of 10 RAS owners haven't a clue how to set one up correctly. And then there are the weekend warriors and crowded shop owners that think they ought to be able to roll that RAS around and get accurate cuts because they set the saw up correctly 10 years ago. I have news for those folks (and maybe even you), you can kiss that setup goodbye the moment you move that saw and I mean even the very heavy duty 12, 14 and 16 inch commercial units by DW and Delta. Believe me if you care about your cuts being right you need to go thru the setup whenever the RAS is moved or bumped into sufficient to knock it out of alignment.

[Frank Pellow]

That is an excellent idea. I might try to make up a poll. But if someone else beats me to it, its ok. (I'm not that good at formulating polls)
OK,I set one up. See the thread: http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=16975

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I like them, but only use them for crosscutting. I don't have one anymore...sold it on ebay to make room for the cabinet saw last year. I use my sliding table now and it's much more accurate.