Table Height For Radial Arm Saw

[Rick Hubbard]

Most of the RAS's I've seen on display in stores seem to have a table height of around 42 inches. I wonder if anyone uses a RAS with a 36 inch height. In either case, can you imagine any particular problem with a lower-than-standard table height?

Thanks,

Rick

[Shawn Honeychurch]

The only issue I can think of is the strain on your lower back depending on how tall you are.

I have a messed up lower back (boys and girls, don't crash a motorcycle when your 18), so all main tools and benches are higher than normal so I don't have to bend over very much.

[Rick Hubbard]

Just to provide a little more info, here is what I am thinking of doing with a RAS I just bought, used. I plan to have the RAS on a bench I am building, with casters, so I can move it elsewhere in the shop (if I need to).

The key to the whole plan is whether or not the RAS would be usable at a 36 inch height.

[NICK BARBOZA]

thats a clever thought. i like it.

[Shawn Honeychurch]

I think that would wok fine, my only worry is that it looks like a long stretch across the table to the saw arm. And a long stretch for one hand to hold the wood and one to draw the saw.

Other than that it looks great.

[Jack Vines]

Hi, Rick,

FWIW, I wouldn't like having my table lower than 42". I'm 6'2" and like it up where my arm has a straight pull and where I can see where the blade is going to enter the work. Your results may vary. A woodworker 5'6" might find 36" just perfect.

thnx, jack vines


Most of the RAS's I've seen on display in stores seem to have a table height of around 42 inches. I wonder if anyone uses a RAS with a 36 inch height. In either case, can you imagine any particular problem with a lower-than-standard table height?

Thanks,

Rick

[Peter Quinn]

My dewalt RAS sits 35" off the finished floor, I am 5'7" tall, I find this height perfect. Against one wall in my shop I have a SCMS bench/HD Shaper/RAS in line all in one level plane so each acts as an infeed/outfeed for the next machine. With the shaper in the middle I am able to run long moldings fully supported at both infeed and outfeed. Makes good sense to combine machines into work stations when possible.

Your design looks good to me. Perhaps mock up the height with cardboard to insure it is at comfortable level for you. A table height of 42" would put me at a mechanical disadvantage relative to the saw. Without the machine levelers I installed my saw would naturally sit at 32" on its own legs.

My RAS weighs close to 900# and I was advised against putting it on casters by the folks at Wolfe Machinery. Don't know about yours.

[Tim Sgrazzutti]

I have a few old DeWalt RAS's, and a comfortable height for my tables is around 41". The biggest limiting factor in how low you can place it, is the relationship of your elbow to the bottom of the arm. If you get it too low, you will have to bend over to keep your arm from hitting the RAS arm. I like mine a little higher than most, so I can see what I'm working on better.

Tim

[Jim O'Dell]

I put my RAS at 36 1/2" to match my TS, router table, and multifunction bench heights. Since the RT, and RAS are mobile, I can use them to help hold sheet goods on the infeed side. I even want to raise my BS up to the same height. Hadn't thought about incorporating the RAS into the TS set up. Might be a cure to one of my problems! Thanks for the idea. Jim.

[Rick Levine]

My RAS is 36" also, which is the way the saw comes from Delta. I kept it that height to match the table I built for my CMS so I can use it to cut/dado long boards. The only drawback is that at 5'11" I do have to bend over a little to line up a cut but that really doesn't bother me.

[Michael Lutz]

Mine is at 34" high, which works OK. I have it on casters. Mine is a craftsman which weighs a bit less than the Dewalt does. I am 5' 9".

Mike

[nate maker]

im 6'4" and have my RAS at 46" which seems really tall when you look at it but works great for me. I crosscut all my faceframe material on mine so will spend an hour or so at time on the saw. The stop height always gave me backache but then again most tools are a little short in my opinion.

[Greg Hines, MD]

That is a clever arrangement. I also like the Norm-like arrangement too, with the miter saw and radial saw on the same plane.

Doc

[Rick Hubbard]

Thanks, everyone, for your input. Since I am only about 5'9" it sounds like I should have no particular problem with a 36" table height.

With that in mind, I guess I'll launch into building a mobile base for it this weekend and try out my design. I promise I'll send some pictures. Before then, I'll have to conjure up some ideas for wood chip control for it, though. Back in the 70's I had one of these beasts and, if I recall, it made a real mess.

BTW, if anyone has some ideas about ways to capture sawdust from one of these things, I'd REALLY like to hear/see them.

Thanks,

Rick

[Randal Stevenson]

Build a hood that goes around the back. Also look at those hoses people use with shop vac's for their drill presses. Nothing is going to be great with a RAS, but these will help.

As for the height, before you build it to test, do you have some sawhorses handy? I would set it up on them, and do a few non powered test runs (pretend runs) to see how comfortable it is.

[Rick Hubbard]

As for the height, before you build it to test, do you have some sawhorses handy? I would set it up on them, and do a few non powered test runs (pretend runs) to see how comfortable it is.

Aha!! Thanks for the tip, Randall. This is probably one of those situations where my READY! FIRE! AIM! method could get me in trouble.:eek:

Rick

[Greg Sznajdruk]

Just to provide a little more info, here is what I am thinking of doing with a RAS I just bought, used. I plan to have the RAS on a bench I am building, with casters, so I can move it elsewhere in the shop (if I need to).

The key to the whole plan is whether or not the RAS would be usable at a 36 inch height.

It looks like your setup will give you good use of floor space. The only draw back as I see it, is that it will be difficult to do the alignment on the RAS. That is going to be an ongoing requirement, since RAS will go out of alignment just sitting there.

Greg

[Rick Hubbard]

Well, over the weekend I put together a base and set up the RAS on it. The height seems to be fine. I still need to figure out a folding/removable outfeed table for the TS to feed onto. As soon as I fired it up, I immediately recalled how messy these things are, so I cobbled up a quick dust shield and hooked a DC hose onto it. What a difference!!!

[Harry Niemann]

I'm 5'6" and my saw is 40" high. I can see exactly where the blade enters the workpiece. I think anyone taller than me would have a real problem with a 36" height without bending down a bit. this could be considered unsafe. I would highly recommend a higher table.