Radial Arm saw..how to quiet a screamer? Do blade stiffeners work?

[Peter Quinn]

We recently put a new radial arm saw, 12" delta, into service at work, seems to have the stock delta oem blade on it, and its a screaming cheetah. It gets up to speed, and if you delay between cuts it develops a whine that is killer. Sends everybody running for cover. I've suggested a new blade, so far its been rejected. Do blade stiffeners work? I see on the forrest site they claim to quiet RAS whine. My 14" dewalt doesn't make this kind of noise, I've never heard one that did. Any thoughts on how to quiet this beast?

[Myk Rian]

Any thoughts on how to quiet this beast?
Decent blade. Stiffeners won't help. It's the teeth of the blade cutting the air making the noise.

[John McClanahan]

As Myk said. I have a blade that does that that came on my table saw.

John

[Bruce Wrenn]

All blades make a certain amount of noise. As an example, a 10" fifty tooth combo blade has a unique sound, which I can detect without knowing what type of blade is on the saw. Changing blades is the best choice. If the saw isn't new, it could be the bearings.

[Justin Ludwig]

We need video of people running for cover to properly ascertain the severity of your situation. ;)

Grab some muffs and get back to work!

[Larry Edgerton]

I'm running FS Tool and Onscrud blades on my Omga 14", wind noise but nothing that is obnoxious. I would think a new blade is in order. The way you describe it I would be worried it is the blank distorting on an out of balance/tension blade. Those saws are dangerous enough as it is. the Omga comes with big heavy stabilizers from the factory. I mean 1/2" thick, and about 3 1/2" in diameter, so if that saw does not have some it may help.

Larry

[HANK METZ]

Back in ye olde dayes, before laser cut expansion slots, they used copper plugs to lower the blade noise of open holes.

[Peter Quinn]

It's not bearings, that I'd recognize, he saw is almost new. The blade reaches a certain speed and if you don't pull it through some wood it starts to sing....it develops harmonics like a feedback loop. Grab some muffs is right, and find something to do at the other end of the building! I've experienced this once before when I set up an old dewalt at another job, it came with a blade, we fired it up and it wailed. Changed blades, just the whir if air. Got a tenryu RAS blade with negative hook......quiet and it stopped climbing. Hmmmm.

[jack forsberg]

If i put the FS Tool 14" blade in my saw it is a screaming. the old plug cut plates are not bad i agree. I have use the VFD to change the speed and that was not it ether. What i found out on mine is it was the guard. When i put a 20" blade on with the shop made guard there is not a problem with noise . Try running it with the guard off to see what i mean.



Back in ye olde dayes, before laser cut expansion slots, they used copper plugs to lower the blade noise of open holes.

[scott spencer]

I'm not a big fan of stabilizers in the first place, and they're likely to cost a fair chunk of what a decent inexpensive blad (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bosch-12-X-48-Tooth-TCG-Carbide-Woodworking-Saw-Blade-PRO1248CHB/390520701059?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3 D1%26asc%3D27%26meid%3D8840639801647419960%26pid%3 D100033%26prg%3D1011%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D390520701059% 26)e would cost anyway....just get a better blade.

[Lee Schierer]

The original blade that came with my Craftsman RAS was pretty loud. Once it was replaced with a carbide Freud blade, the noise was all but gone. I have a 60 tooth Craftsman carbide blade that makes a whistling sound on my TS that is pretty objectionable. My advice is to change the blade making sure you get one with a negative hook angle for use on a RAS.

[Peter Kelly]

I've suggested a new blade, so far its been rejected.These are excellent and only $50: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006HKBY2/ref=oss_product

[Jeff Duncan]

I've suggested a new blade, so far its been rejected.

Ahhh yes, sounds about the right reaction from guys working in the office. Spend money on the saw, but cry at spending on tooling! I'm thinking it's the blade as well. Maybe a better way to frame the proposal is that if it's making that much noise it could be a distraction and therefore a safety issue. Could even be the wrong type of blade for the saw? Just think of what the cost of even a minor accident would be on their insurance compared to a new blade…that might get them to move in the right direction a bit quicker;)

JeffD

[Mike Circo]

I had that experience with a 10" RAS.
Got a new blade I don't recall the details, but it was 60+teeth. It literally made a howl like an air raid siren. I never heard anything like it before. After a few seconds of running, you could feel it in your chest. Just to test, I put the blade into my table saw. It was better, but still created a weird howl. I had a blade stiffener and tried that, but that didn't seem to help. It was probably the aerodynamics of the teeth and blade body causing the noise.

I returned it, got a different blade and noise was gone.

So, sadly, I think the best option is a different blade.

[Wayne Jolly]

I have an old Dewalt RAS that always makes some blade noise. But one day when I put on one of those cheap all steel plywood blades I had neighbors from 4 blocks away calling me and yelling at me to turn it off. Man that thing whined so much you couldn't hear the banshees! Change your blade.

X

[sullivan mcgriff]

Cut chunk of metal with blade,replace with new blade

[Peter Quinn]

Cut chunk of metal with blade,replace with new blade

I like your strategy. I just don't want to be the one doing the metal cutting! I was going to pitch the blade stabilizer thing if people though they worked, sounds like a dud, not too many blade options for 12" blade 5/8" arbor, negative hook, but I found one and its the same kind I use at home...go figure. I may buy one and just change blades every time I use the saw...take it off when Im done and replace the screamer.....:rolleyes:.

[Myk Rian]

Cut chunk of metal with blade,replace with new blade
Or knock a few teeth off it with a chisel.

[Peter Quinn]

Or knock a few teeth off it with a chisel.

A co-worker offered me his framing hammer if I would put it out of our misery. Warp it bad....throw a big knotty chunk of oak in front of it...turn it on....scream "Holly cow I can't believe what that wood just did to that saw blade!"

[Rick Potter]

My wife 'borrowed' my RAS once, and cut half way through a steel framing square with a Freud 80 tooth blade. It still worked fine for quite a while. Tough blade.

[scott spencer]

...not too many blade options for 12" blade 5/8" arbor, negative hook, but I found one and its the same kind I use at home...go figure.

Just buy one with a 1" arbor and use a spacer on it....
http://www.amazon.com/Oshlun-SBW-120072N-12-Inch-Negative-Finishing/dp/B00I55QK5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401269293&sr=8-1&keywords=Oshlun+Oshlun+SBW-120072N

Bushing - http://www.amazon.com/Vermont-American-Replacement-Bushing-Circular/dp/B0002YTXHU/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1401269365&sr=1-3&keywords=saw+blade+bushing

[Justin Ludwig]

My wife 'borrowed' my RAS once, and cut half way through a steel framing square with a Freud 80 tooth blade. It still worked fine for quite a while. Tough blade.

I bet that made a sound worse than Peter's blade! Makes my hair rise just thinking about it.

[Rick Potter]

She called me at work, and asked if it always made sparks. I had left the square on the RAS table, and she thought it was part of the fence. :confused:

[Wayne Jolly]

She called me at work, and asked if it always made sparks. I had left the square on the RAS table, and she thought it was part of the fence. :confused:

This makes me wonder why she was using a power tool that she apparently knew nothing about.

Wayne

[johnny means]

Rick, that story gives me the heevy jeevies. If you haven't please talk with her about this. Show her some horror stories of needed. I really can't bare the idea of seeing a thread about her or any of our lives ones being maimed.

[Rick Potter]

Guys,

That story is 20 years old. She hasn't touched a tool except to help me in years. We just had our 50th anniversary.

I had done a closet makeover, and she wanted a couple drawers where there were shelves. After waiting a looong time for me to make a couple simple drawers for her drawers, she just went out in the shop and made them herself. She put them together with hot glue, and they are still in service. My daughters family lives there now.

Rick P

PS: I still have the square too.

[Dennis Nagle]

Think of an airplane in a dive. You here the plane screaming right? That is the tips of the prop going super sonic!!! The tips on constantly breaking the sound barrier. So, are your tips going super sonic? I don't know, just thinking out loud.

[Peter Quinn]

Think of an airplane in a dive. You here the plane screaming right? That is the tips of the prop going super sonic!!! The tips on constantly breaking the sound barrier. So, are your tips going super sonic? I don't know, just thinking out loud.

I think it's harmonic feedback. There is nothing super about this blade though it is very sonic. Sounds like a microphone feeding back on a PA system, takes about 25 seconds after full speed is achieved, stops when it hits wood.

[Peter Quinn]

Found a solution. One of the owners was working in the shop with us this weekend on some work requiring serious concentration.....so I fired up the RAS, took my time using it and let it scream! Pretty quick he asked what's causing that and how do we fix it? New blade....here's a source....response....make it happen, make that noise go away!

new blade is a 60z Popular tool -5d , quiet as a kitten and very civilized in use, no more fighting the climbing of the screamer! Mission accomplished.

[Rick Potter]

You rascal

RP