A History Of The Radial Arm Saw In Print, 1950- 1970

[HANK METZ]

A History Of The Radial Arm Saw In Print, 1950- 1970


I’ve compiled a linked listing of significant moments in the history of DeWalt and other radial arm saws using the two most popular archives available in Google Books: Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. Over a span of several weeks I went through all the issues of the listed time periods and simply recorded anything of a curious or interesting nature in the history of the saw. Arranged by date of publication, ascending order, a clear picture of the rise and fall of this tool type can be seen, from the sparse entries of the early fifties, through the “golden” years of the ‘60’s and finally to an abrupt end by the very early ‘70’s. The sixties were a particularly rich trove of ideas, new uses, jigs and fixtures to implement the saw in almost every application in the workshop; such devotees even using it to ensure straight and accurate cuts of glass no less. Why it’s fall from grace and usefulness over a half- century ago to relative obscurity, ignorance, even scorn today, was it obsolescence, or was it something else? I think I have an answer, but like this account, I want to look in depth for the factors responsible for this situation and present the data, in the interest of academics, if for nothing else, so until then…

http://people.delphiforums.com/perristalsis/RAS_HISTORY/RAS%20History.htm

- Beachside Hank
Improvise, adapt, overcome; the essence of true craftsmanship.

[Dick Mahany]

Excellent compilation. Will make for some enjoyable reading. I like the "comet". and I thought twin tube sliders were a much more recent development!

[Keith Bohn]

Why it’s fall from grace andusefulness over a half- century ago to relative obscurity, ignorance, evenscorn today, was it obsolescence, or was it something else?

My theory has to do with Mr. Sawdust (Wally Kunkel).

Wally Kunkel could tune a DeWalt within an inch of its life. He took his show on the road and showed what a radial arm saw could do. There was no magic, no smoke and mirrors, just a well set up saw. That's what initially sold the public on the radial arm saw, where it derived much of its greatness.

Now enter the general public. When you buy a new machine, or anything for that matter, there's a period of deferred maintenance. Machines over time, and with, use go out of spec. Ever so often you have to stop and re-calibrate. Most people don’t want to be bothered with this at which point they, continue to use the machine with all of its problems (cussing the machine with each use/building up frustration), push the machine aside, get rid of it, buy a new one or proclaim it to be the worst thing man ever made.

Add to that that there were “lesser equivalents” on the market that didn’t hold their settings as well or as long as the more commercially made DeWalts and the Deltas.

The thing about woodworking, tool and machinery maintenance is as important as learning good joinery and working practices. There are a lot of people that don’t even think about that or even want to think about it.

Anyway(s), that’s my theory.

[Keith Bohn]

Why it’s fall from grace and usefulness over a half- century ago to relative obscurity, ignorance, even scorn today, was it obsolescence, or was it something else?

Something else/just thought of, lack of knowledge of proper blade geometry. Most radial arm saws are fitted out with a blade with positive tooth geometry which leads to self-feeding in the cut which leads to a lot of brown underwear which leads to a lot of fear of the machine.

With the right blade, with negative tooth geometry, things are a lot better.

People aren't told these things.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I think the fall from grace is partly that it's a more expensive machine to make in the quality we want than are some other machines. And that Tage Frid said not to buy one, favoring the tablesaw. (But even he showed one in a photo in his book.) But people go overboard, and because they don't tend to want them, you can find an excellent older RAS for a low price much more easily than you can other machines.

[Brian Lefort]

Having grown up in the woodworking trades, with dad a carpenter and all his friends either other construction tradesman or cabinetmakers, or furniture builders, I have yet to see a fully equipped shop w/o a radial arm saw.

[Terry Browne]

There might be a good reason they aren't popular anymore. Safety and accuracy being the foremost concern.

[Myk Rian]

There might be a good reason they aren't popular anymore. Safety and accuracy being the foremost concern.
??? Less safe than what?
Less accurate than what?

[HANK METZ]

There might be a good reason they aren't popular anymore. Safety and accuracy being the foremost concern.

Quality of manufacture issues aside for the moment, all radial arm saws can be reduced to a fundamental principle I call TAB; Table, Alignment, Blade, any one or all of which if ignored, can and will result in less than optimum performance.

Table. The old fashioned ¾” thick particleboard is not sufficient for accurate work. A dual layer of M.D.F. with a reinforcing pair of steel flats imbedded within is one recommended solution as is a torsion box design. Both styles are capped with a ¼” thick sacrificial work surface that when worn, can be easily replaced without affecting saw accuracy. A removable and adjustable fence should also be incorporated as a fixed fence set too far back in the mistaken belief it will maximize crosscutting is a dangerous user modification.

Alignment. As with any power tool, proper setup and adjustments are called for, following the manufacturers suggested sequence. It is a serial process to fine tune a radial saw as each step relies on the previous one being done satisfactorily and here is where quality of machine build is most evident- the better made ones require very little revisits to maintain satisfactory cutting action.

Blade. Here is where most operator difficulties lie, since the action of the saw is in direct contrast to one where the work is fed into the blade as now the blade is passing through the stationary work. The cutting geometry required is quite different and is such that in today’s shop the standard blade configuration is the triple chip grind, with a rake angle of 10 degrees or less. It is also important that the blade diameter be limited to that which will do the job at hand. For most shops an 8” size will serve quite well and will further lessen any chance of kickback when ripping.

Operator ignorance of the above essentials is the real reason behind the safety myth, and a refusal to accept human failings goes a long way towards perpetuation of that fiction.

- Beachside Hank
Improvise, adapt, overcome; the essence of true craftsmanship.

[Mel Fulks]

To some of us the RAS is a new fangled contraption .The first year I worked in a commercial shop I used a 'swing saw' powered by a line drive that ran the whole length of the shop. Last time I saw that type of set-up I was touring the Smithsonian.

[John Schweikert]

My father bought his Craftsman RAS when he was in the Air Force in the early '60s. I used it on my own woodworking projects when I was a teenager. Neither he nor I have ever had accidents/incidents with that RAS but I honestly feel it's one of the most dangerous style of saws you may find in a home workshop. We always used the pawl and blade cover, proper blades, uber alignment. It was very accurate. It could crosscut, rip, dado, molding heads, etc. A very versatile saw that he still uses to this day. I'm 40 years old now and find I can do everything I need with a bandsaw, table saw, router table and chop saw. I personally would never own an RAS. Anytime I'm over at his home shop and use the saw, which is very infrequently, my perception never changes. It is a saw that commands much more respect than anything else I use.

[Dave Cav]

I think the biggest problem was the light, flimsy saws Sears and Montgomery Wards started selling in the 60s and 70s. Old Delta and DeWalt saws were (and are) great tools, but the junky department store saws wouldn't stay square and would flex in rip cuts causing amazing and terrifying kickbacks, all made worse by, as mentioned before, using the wrong blades. Even the older 50s model round arm Sears saws aren't that good. They are much better than the later machines, but if you look at a round arm 50s Sears saw beside a Delta or DeWalt, the differences in quality and design are obvious.

[Frederick Skelly]

+1 Keith. I once knew a guy who bought a really nice RAS for only $100. When I asked how he got it, he said the owner couldnt get it adjusted properly. After it sat a while, the guy dumped it. Couple hours worth of tuning by someone who knew what they were doing and it was like brand new. What a steal.

And we didnt know about negative tooth geometry either, at the time. So we had a few skidmarks in the underwear.

Fred

[Myk Rian]

I think the biggest problem was the light, flimsy saws Sears and Montgomery Wards started selling in the 60s and 70s.
Exactly. That ruined the tool.