RAS - To Use or Eliminate

[Tom Legate]

I have a 220, 12" Craftsman RAS with stand and table. Never used it. Bought it from a friend, cleaned it up, and put it in the basement. Can someone give me an opinion on the 12" Craftsman? It looks good, but the slider doesn't seem as smooth as I'd imagine it should be, plus even when I put a new blade in it and check for square when spinning the blade, it does not square up perfectly with a line for the entire revolution of the blade. Is it worth tearing apart and adjusting or repairing? I'm assuming it needs replacement bearings on the slide mechanism and shaft. The main shaft doesn't seem loose or anything though, and maybe I'm not trying to square the blade properly, or the slight deviation when rotated may be how it's supposed to be. Like I said, it looks good. Since I didn't plan to use it a lot, I thought it would be useful to leave set up to make dadoes, when my Unisaw is unavailable because it is set up for something else. I have no intention of ever ripping with the RAS, just leaving it set up for cross cuts or dadoes. Or, do I just throw it away or sell cheap assuming it has little value, and has become somewhat obsolete with the advent of chop saws, of which I have one, a Dewalt. I use the Dewalt with a homemade jig for picture frame miter cuts. It would be nice if I could leave the RAS setup for making the rabbets for the frames. As an aside, I don't know if it's my dado set or not, but I'm really disappointed in the "bottom" of the rabbet; it's definitely not as smooth as the side cut. Router would probably do a lot better job.

Thanks in advance for any advice. Tom

[Matt Day]

Tom, I suggest you search the forum a bit on this topic if you haven't already. It's been discussed ad nauseum. I might acutally buy a RAS tomorrow!

[John TenEyck]

If the saw looks like it wasn't abused then I'd go thru the owner's manual to set up the saw so everything is square, etc. But first I'd check the arbor flange for runout, if it's more than 0.001 - 0.002" something's not right. Be sure the flange is clean. Check the runout of a blade at the rim that cuts well on your table saw, then put it on your RAS and check it again. If it's no worse than your table saw all should be well. Ideally, you'd like to see no more than 0.002 -0.003" at the rim. If all that is good, it should cut fine unless something's wrong with the saw carriage. The owner's manual will explain how to check/adjust the bearings up there. If something's bent, however, you have bigger problems. But it's worth an hour or two of your time to find out. Good luck.

[Myk Rian]

Here's another thread.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?174143-Craftsman-12-quot-220-RAS-Worth-the-Effort

[Aaron Berk]

Being a big RAS fan, I like to get involved in each and every RAS thread.

I've had 2 Radial Arm Saws, one was a $5 10" craftsman from a yard sale http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?154682-Just-bragging-on-a-tool-that-usualy-gets-a-bad-rap

And then recently a 14" Dewalt for $400 http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?158608-quot-Raised-a-panel-quot-on-my-RAS-tonight-with-pics

So my summary is this "your either a RAS guy or not" I don't really think there is a middle road. Sort of like the guys who run ShopSmith machines. I owned a shopsmith for awhile (less than a yr) and sold it for a nice profit. I'll never own another ShopSmith, it's just not my thing.


I think the Craftsman Radial Arm Saws are best LEFT at 90 degrees and NEVER moved. Build a base that is like a rock and bolt that RAS to it real good. You need to provide some more info on your saws model number and some pics would be nice as well. I personally believe the C-man RAS is substandard no mater what yr it is, but like most tools, once you figure out how to treat it it will do what you ask.

Keep the saw for crosscutting, and once you fall in love with the convenience of it shop around and pick up a Dewalt round arm RAS :D

[Jim Matthews]

I can't think of a power tool more dangerous than one you pull towards you.

The bench space it requires is enough to eliminate it from my shop.
I crosscut by hand and use a miter box for the rare 45 I cut.

Dadoes I cut with a hand router and saw or powered router for sheet goods (out in the garage).

It's a well-built machine that has a history or taking thumbs.
OSHA (http://www.osha.gov/Publications/woodworking_hazards/osha3157.html) has it listed as third for precautions, after circular saws and the overhead swing saw.

The chief benefit this design offers is reproducible results; the reason it's used in high production shops.
The problem is that people are accident prone in repetitive tasks - and this thing is indiscriminate - it cuts whatever lies in the track.

[Mark Ashmeade]

The most dangerous tool in a workshop...

I'd say that was the guy in the shop...

None of the tools are going to hurt you if you never pick them up or turn them on. Pretty much all of them can hurt you if you use them without due care and attention.

It's like a car. Pretty much every car is capable of 100mph, and accidents are rarely survivable much over 60mph. Yet we allow 16 year olds to drive them. We do that because we educate them, telling them the bottom line is that they can kill themselves or others if they misuse the power of the car. Even if it's a 10 year old Ford Focus.

I'd put my 16" RAS against a hand router for injury potential. Every time I pick up my router, I see a very sharp cutter rotating at 30,000rpm a couple inches from my fingers. The router could kick the wood, jump, slip if on an edge, lots of ways to deviate from the planned track of the tool. With the RAS, I see a blade confined in a track. Keep my body out of that track and all is good. Granted, the RAS WILL cut my arm off if I'm stupid enough to put my arm in the way, but I try my hardest not to.

[Tom Legate]

Well, I took another look at the saw. I had built a 24 X24 workshop with 10' ceilings a couple years ago with a full basement where we store can goods, and I keep all my wood in holders that I've built, plus other storage items. I also have my very loud tank air compressor in the basement, but placed the dust collector within the workshop to avoid dust in the basement; I try to keep the basement very organized and dust free down there.

In looking at the tools I now have, 220 outlets I had wired, and the dust collection I already have configured, I've decided to give up on the RAS and not go through the disruption of the need for more dust collection ducting, another circuit, as well as the loss of space. I have a Unisaw and a 12" Dewalt chop saw, band saw, planer, jointer, the dust collector and 4x8' super-sturdy worktable that I would not give up for anything. Adding the RAS to the mix makes things more crowded than I'd like. So, if anyone knows a woodworker who would like a 12" RAS, I'm in western NC.

And, by the way, thanks for all the great comments. I appreciate it, and gave serious consideration to keeping it.

Tom

[Jim Foster]

I can't think of a power tool more dangerous than one you pull towards you.



The radial arm saw is responsible for the the worst amputation type injuries in the shop. Not the most, but the worst. I'd like one, but do not have the room. If I had one, I'd get a laser on it so I had a beam of light going across the table where the saw line was to keep my mind focused on where the blade was going to track as I moved the carriage.