Tops Retracto Glide RAS opinions

[Michael J Roth]

I found an older Retracto Glide RAS locally that I'm thinking about getting. It's in pretty good shape and looks really versatile. The only thing is I haven't found much about them anywhere after a bunch of searching. Does anyone know much about them? Is it a good saw it should I keep looking for one of the older iron saws, DeWalt, Delta, etc? This one is 3hp, 15" blade, I think.

Thanks!
Mike

[Earl McLain]

I saw one for sale somewhere just within the past few months. Made by Marvco, web site is http://www.marvcotool.com/wood_cutting_machine.html#. Currently they seem to make 14" and 16" machines. Look beefy, but i didn't look hard enough to get much more than finding the company site. Seems like i read a comment at that time that they were on a par with Omga--but that may be fuzzy memory. Given that they (like Omga) are an industrial saw, check to be sure whether it's single phase or 3 phase. Nothing wrong with an older Dewalt--love my GWI!!
Welcome to the Creek!!
earl

[Michael J Roth]

Thanks Earl!
That's pretty much what I've found so far too. This one is 3 phase, but I have a phase converter so I'm not really concerned about that. Seems like they can do all sorts of things.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1164/1952.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiyxIXy8N7qAhVPl3IEHW5TAaoQFjACegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw1K5SPib7y9hGaYvjVLL5Jl
Hope the link works, it's an old ad for them on vintage machinery.

[Earl McLain]

Great ad. Interesting that they are still in the Chicago area, and still USA made. What vintage is the one you're looking at? They are beasts, make my GWI look tiny!! Yep, an RAS can do a lot--but i'm not crazy about ripping on one. But--anywhere from 0 to 45 degrees is dead on. Only downside i see to the Tops is the arm--love the concept, but it needs a little space behind the saw. On the other hand, i've got long Incra LS's on both my table saw and router table--and other tools that are mounted at a height to fit under the travel.
Good luck!
earl

[Terry Therneau]

There is more information on the owwm.org discussion forum; many consider it to be one of the best radials made, though uncommon. I found one about 8 months ago for small $ (someone bought out a closing business and didn't want it). I cleaned it up, including replacing some carriage bearings which were getting sticky. One heck of a saw, 14" blade, 23" of crosscut, and smooth. However, once set up I had to have a reckoning with myself wrt how much shop space it took up, and the fact that I don't have that much. I had shoehorned it in, but don't really need that big a machine. By chance, someone came by to purchase a small item I had listed who works with wide slabs, did have enough shop space, and loved the saw: so I sold it. It is very adjustable wrt having the blade parallel to the table and square in all directions, and it holds the adjustments.
Terry T.

[Michael J Roth]

Well I ended up getting this 14" Red Star Multiplex 40-A from the 50's. It was a lot closer. It's in great shape, although I think I'll replace the motor bearings, they're a little noisy. I guess Delta bought this company to make their saws. This one is single phase 220 or 110, so it'll be a little more convenient.
Any suggestions for putting a brake on it? Takes forever to slow down. I haven't looked yet, I'm sure there must be some kind of add on.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/VukWyb5dCXH2ryrM9

[Michael J Roth]

Thanks for the info Terry! Hope I don't regret passing that one up now! I think this Red Star will work nicely, although it only has 15" of crosscut. Maybe I'll go look at the tops anyhow!

[Bill Webster]

You might want to have a motor shop replace the Red Star bearings. I had a 10" Multiplex that was hands-down the most difficult motor I have ever worked on. It was so bad I ended up scrapping it.

[Bobby Robbinett]

That looks a lot like our big Dewalt GE ras. We love our saw but only use it for making crosscuts in panels. We have a pair of 8ft extensions on ours. Yours looks very similar. These things are all cast iron and built like tanks. Our Dewalt GE holds a tune great. We check it every so often for squareness and such but it rarely needs any adjustment.

[Earl McLain]

I've got my Dad's 1946 Red Star 40-A tucked into a corner of the shop, waiting to get a refreshing. Need to get on that, and the first step will be finding arm bearing assemblies. The arbor on his is 3/4", still had an old Red Star branded blade on it when i picked it up. Good to know about the bearings Bobby--thanks for the tip!!
earl

[Michael J Roth]

Thanks Bill for the tip about the bearings! I'll take it to a motor shop, definitely don't want to mess it up.

[Andy D Jones]

Looks like the Marvco requires substantial space behind the saw, since the rail retracts with the saw to the rear (like many SCMS), rather than the saw riding on the stationary rail. This would prohibit locating it up against a wall behind it, like you can for a conventional RAS and some SCMS.

Other than that observation, I have no experience with them.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Ben Helmich]

Don’t worry about that brake until replace the motor bearings. It will certainly stop sooner with the new bearings. My big DeWalt did. You can do a brake later if you think you still need it.

[Michael J Roth]

I decided to go take a look at the Retracto Glide today. I really liked it, it's in really good shape so it ended up coming home with me!
It needs cleaned up a little and the table moved back and a new top, but that's about it. The PO must've been cutting narrow things with it and didn't want to reach too far. I'm going to put it all the way back and make an extension I can put on when I'm cutting wide boards.
I decided to put a VFD on it instead of using the phase converter so I can have a soft start and quick ramp off. I'll probably put a momentary thumb switch on the handle.
You can probably see in the pics that it had a chain drive with a hand crank. Probably because the PO was cutting aluminum with it. I took it off, shouldn't need it for wood.
Guess I'll be reselling the Red Star now.
Thanks for all the tips and advise!

Mike
https://photos.app.goo.gl/K3yy5WrMH8HXsCRAA

[Earl McLain]

Very cool saw Mike!! Definitely a beast. I'll keep an eye out for your Red Star ad--it would be a good reason to finally expand the garage!!
earl

[Vince Shriver]

Great find, Mike.