Radial Arm Saw Use?

[Victor Stearns]

Greetings Creekers,
I have aquired an older Craftsman 10" radial arm saw. Vintage 60's. It only needs the wooden table replaced.
Here's the question: Do you have one and do you use it?
As I already have a ts and compound miter saw I am wondering if this machine would add to the shop, or just take up space.
Thanks for reading.
Victor

[David DeCristoforo]

I use mine primarily for rough crosscutting. But there are times when a RAS can be used in very creative ways to do things that would be much more difficult or time consuming with any other machine. For example, in cutting a series of angled dados for louvers or "stair step" projects. There are some who would rather have a RAS than a TS. I am not one of them, but there are entire books on how to "do just about anything" with a RAS. The one thing that scares the bejesus out of me is the idea of ripping with one.... But, again, that's just me....

YM

[Peter Quinn]

I have a 50's era Dewalt industrial RAS with a 24" cross cut and 14" blade so the comparison is not exact, but it is well tuned and gets plenty of use. It takes up less space than my TS and does things no other machine in my shop can as efficiently.

In any project involving rough lumber it is my first choice for cross cutting. The compound sliding miter is really for finished goods and when attempting to cut rough material it bucks like a mule! The RAS due to its design can safely cross cut rough material without issue. In my shop it would earn its keep for that alone. I've yet to see another machine cross cut 8/4 and 12/4 material like a RAS.

Because mine is a long arm it also allows me to cross cut sheet goods for most typical cabinet jobs much easier than anything short of a sliding panel saw. While I use my RAS for rough cut lumber it is set up accurately for finished work. Most RAS have a decent cross cut capability.

I knew of one shop that had a dedicated RAS set up for dental molding with a dado! With the right setup it makes an excellent spindle sander though I dont use mine for that presently. For miter cuts I use angled plywood pieces to skew the work rather than move the arm. I leave my saw at 90 degrees and my motor at 90 degrees because getting it there takes so much work, so beveled cuts are out.

Using machine levelers I set the table height on the RAS to plane with a shaper and compound miter table so when not in use it works as outfeed support for two other tools. It also makes an excellent drafting table in a pinch.

The RAS has an undeserved reputation for being unsafe. If you take the time to set it up accurately, use a blade made specifically for the RAS, and take the time to learn its rules and functions it can be a highly productive machine for your shop. Dewalt used to send very skilled craftsmen around the country teaching classes in proper use and maintainence of the RAS but those days are over.

There are still good sources of info Like the Mr. Sawdust book or the Jon Eakes Tuning the RAS online book. Might want to buy one of those before you invest the time in the machine to see what it can do and evaluate if it works for your shop.

[Bill Swanson]

This saw might be covered by the recall. If so you get a new table saw guard and hardware.

Here is the site: http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/

Well worth the upgrade and its free. Delivery in about a week. You need the model number and the serial number for the site.

[Curt Harms]

One is half lap joints. I find a RAS easier than either a table saw or router because I can see what I'm doing. I've used the RAS to make half lap miter joints that look good and are quite strong. The second use is to make 1/2" dados 1 1/2" deep for torsion box framing for tables. I line up a stack of thin 1X3's, make one dado exactly half the depth of the piece, put a 1/2" 'key' in that dado to keep all the pieces aligned and make the rest of the dados. Do the same thing with the crossing pieces and I wind up with a strong, flat and light base. Ripping? I did that once when I didn't know any better, a bowed piece yet. I'm REAL glad I was standing off to the side, not behind that puppy.

Curt

[Greg Hines, MD]

I don't have one any more, since my dad still has his, but when I was growing up, I used it all the time. Crosscutting is its forte, but ripping is possible with the right set up, and I would agree that it is the easiest way to make multiple dados or half laps. A whole lot easier that a table saw, where the work is blind, or setting up a router and guide. It also makes tenons a breeze with a dado blade, particularly for large pieces, such as 4x4 or 6x6, where moving the blade over the wood is a lot easier than moving the wood over the blade.

When the "big shop" is finally finished on the back part of my property, I will want a radial arm saw in it, since there are just some things that it can do that almost no other saw can.

Doc

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Yes and I love it. I take my Hitatchi slider to work with me sometimes and always use the RAS in it's place....wouldn't trade it. I also use the RAS for cuts even when the slider is home cause the table is 12' long and I can handle long boards.

When I redo the shop this winter I am going to add 14' to it, this will allow both saws to be on one bench....guess I'll have to buy another slider for work!

[Tom Inghram]

I have had a Sears RAS since the early 80s and have used it a lot. However, lately, I have been looking at retiring it. I have a CMS and a 50" table on the TS and am making a crosscut sled. The RAS takes a lot of space in the shop and that is the only reason I am considering getting rid of it.

On another note, when I first got the saw I nearly chopped my hand off trying to rip some masonite. I hadn't tightnened the motor properly when I moved it from crosscut to rip and it grabbed the wood and ran out a few inches. I have never ripped with a RAS since, and it scares me just to think of it.

[Bob Aquino]

Greetings Creekers,
I have aquired an older Craftsman 10" radial arm saw. Vintage 60's. It only needs the wooden table replaced.
Here's the question: Do you have one and do you use it?
As I already have a ts and compound miter saw I am wondering if this machine would add to the shop, or just take up space.
Thanks for reading.
Victor

I had one of those vintage sears saws and all it did was catch dust. Since you already have it, go ahead and throw a board on it and play with it awhile. See how well you can adjust the top of the table so that the bottom of the blade is even across all swings in distance to the top. Move it off 90 to some different angles and then back to 90 and check it with a really good square. If it passes all these tests, you have a keeper. If...:rolleyes:

They can do really well for crosscutting larger pieces as well as cutting rabbets and dadoes. Thing is there are other ways to do it as well and they don't take up nearly as much space. My shop is very cramped and I could not afford the space for a tool that never stayed adjusted and hardly ever got used. YMMV.

[Mike Circo]

I use my RAS on every project. Once set up properly, I find it as accurate as a miter saw. Nothing beats it for half laps, short dado's and repeated long cuts.

Be sure you get the right blade. It must have a negative hook angle. That avoids the pull-through issue that a positive hook blade just taken from your table saw will create.

I would never be without mine. Truly an under rated tool.

[Lee Schierer]

I have one and rarely use it. It mostly takes up space. I bought the RAS first and used it a lot when it was new. Then I bought a TS and don't use the RAS much as the accuracy isn't achieved as easily with it as on a TS. Mine gets used mostly now dfor rough cuts and emergency cuts if I need another piece and don't want to disturb a set up on the TS.

Accuracy is achieved only with a good tune up and you will need to retune it periodically to maintain the accuracy yoiu are able to get.

Be aware that the RAS will grab and pull itself into the cut on crosscuts. Make sure you have the right tooth hook angle on the blades you use and hold onto the saw and stock. Not all TS blades will work well on a RAS.

Dust collection is also more of a problem with a RAS.

[Art Travers]

I have a Dewalt 9" Saw purchased in 1960 and would not be without it..
True, that ripping can be a problem, but so it is with a TS.. I have made
many beautiful jewelry boxes over the years, in addition in finishing off
a rec room encircled with cabinets and other large cabinet projects in my
House. IT is in my estimation much more versatile in doing certain cuts
than a TS would ever be.
I stopped ripping on the RAS many years ago ...it is best to leave the RAS
in a crosscut position, turning it around for ripping tends to create small
misalignment in the crosscut position..
I now do all my ripping on a TS using griptite magnetic holders...With these
you never have to worry about a kick back..

[Bob Willcox]

I owned a Craftsman 10" RAS for a while. I never could get used to the fact that in cross cutting you are performing a climb cut. I always felt like the saw wanted to take off and plow over me. Also, mine wasn't at all precise (maybe that could have been fixed if I'd cared enough). Anyway, I replaced mine with an Hitachi Sliding Compound Miter saw and have never regretted it (more accurate and climb cutting not required). I also have a TS and prefer it.

[Al Rose]

I have a Dewalt MBF that is well tuned and I use it as others have described. I recently found a new use for it, and that is thicknessing ( spell checker says this is a new word)the top, back, and sides for guitars that I build. I don't have a thickness sander so I tried this method and it works well.

[Mike Spanbauer]

That's an interesting use AL, I bet it would be accurate. How thin do you go? I presume you use a sled to get down low?

I *plan* on using mine for cross-cutting and dado operations only. No ripping as I use the bandsaw for that which is FAR safer yet than the tablesaw.

mike

[Al Rose]

Mike,
I thickness to about 1/8 in. with the RAS, and then finish sand to about 3/32 in. I don't use a sled, I just weigh down the wood so it lays flat on the table and move it side to side for each cut with the dado blade. Going slow with the cuts is a good idea.

[Bob Slater]

I inherited a 220volt Dewalt/B&D. It is in need of some tuning and i have mostly gotten it spruced up. That being said, I haven't found a use for it yet, and am intimidated by it as well. I am very comfortable with my Makita 10 inch compound miter saw though. I do like looking at the Dewalt, especially since it had the top repainted.

[Greg Just]

I purchased a used Craftsman RAS a few years ago. I first thing i did was buy a blade with a negative hook angle - this makes the blade much less aggressive. I only use it for cross cutting and dados as it is really nice to be able to see the blade. I'm glad I have it but also glad I didn't pay a lot for it.

[Matt Meiser]

If its 60's vintage, it probably is covered by the recall and its probably not upgradeable. If that's the case, its worth $100 that you can put towards something useful. Several years ago I bought one. I screwed around with trying to get it aligned for several weeks, then started to design a bench like Norm's that would give me room for the miter saw and the RAS and realized that it was going to take up waaaayyyy too much room in my shop which was pretty small at the time. I sold it to a co-worker for what I had in it monetarily and have never missed it.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I don't think it's a good idea to rip with one for sure....especially with the wrong hook on the blade.

[Darren Salyer]

This saw might be covered by the recall. If so you get a new table saw guard and hardware.

Here is the site: http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/

Well worth the upgrade and its free. Delivery in about a week. You need the model number and the serial number for the site.

Bill, Thanks a lot for posting this. A buddy gave me a RAS a few months ago and I was hesitant to use it due to the absence of a lower guard. Looked up the model number, and a retrofit kit is on the way,free of charge. Maybe i'm just getting older, but after 20+ years as a carpenter, I'm glad to use every advantage to keep my fingers attached to my hands. Darren

[Chris Barnett]

Have the CM 12 inch RAS and use it infrequently, primarily for cuts where I want the tooth action down onto the work, ie. lexan. or when I want the work captive. It will not hold accurate settings however and must reset each time a measurement critical cut is made. WWI blade makes it cut nicely though. Don't really have the space for RAS, but as handy as it is for special applications, hard to get rid of it.

[Alex Carrera]

I've got an old Delta 900 9" and I love it for crosscutting long stuff. I'm probably a lunatic, but I put a grinding wheel in it and use a jig for grinding bevels on plane blades and chisels. It does a far better job than I can by hand at the grinder.