DeWalt Radial arm saw a good purchase?

[James Williams 007]

I found this old dewalt radial arm saw at a garage sale but I dont know if its a good buy. It seems to be in good shape it powers up and feels solid but I don't know enough about them to know what might need to be fixed or if its worth the 100 bucks the guys asking. My grandpa had one and I've seen them used in big shops so I don't want to pass up the chance to grab a good thing. If some thing needed to be fixed could I find parts. Thanks for the help.:rolleyes:

[Charles Lent]

That's one of those old "solidy built" Dewalts. If you can be sure that it works and the blade guards are with it, it's worth at least $100. If it's missing anything you will likely have to find it on EBAY and it might not be such a good deal. Make sure that you can change the blade angle, that the locks all work, that the motor runs and will cut wood, and that you can raise and lower it. A new table can be easily built. If all of the movements work OK they can be calibrated for accuracy when you get it home. Check www.owwm.com for a manual and other information that might be available on it.

Charley

[Matt Hutchinson]

Do you happen to have a model number or serial number? Is that an 8" or 10" saw?

Hutch

[James Williams 007]

It is a 10 inch saw but I didnt get any numbers off of it.

[Basil Rathbone]

Buy it quick and worry about what you get later. You probably can't go wrong with that saw if you want to end up with a really good RAS.

[Dennis Lopeman]

Very interesting! I happen to see that exact one on Craigslist in ATL today... for $150

Looks like it needs a little TLC - I already have a Craftsmen, so I'm good.

Good luck.

[Orlando Gonzalez]

If that is the 10" 1-1/2 HP GWI , the one that Wally Kunkel (Mr. Sawdust), the DeWalt RAS guru, said was the "best," get off the computer and go get it then worry about the other things later (make sure you have the capacity to handle 220v electricity or a 3 phase motor. If it's an MBF it will be a 9" (but use 8" or 8-1/2" blades) with 3/4 HP. Then go to the owwm-dot-com webiste to get the manuals & instructions for it. Also get the How to Master the Radial Arm Saw from the Mr. Sawdust website which will show how to tune your saw and build a table for it and if you do get for $100, you go a steal. I have the 9" MBF and it's great.

Good luck
Orlando

[Shawn Honeychurch]

Good deal, get it!

[James Williams 007]

The only thing that bothers me is the blade guard appears to be from a 1962 dewalt RAS and this is a 1958 model. I've seen this before but when I restore it I will try to find the round blade guard.

[John Bailey]

Buy it. They are great machines. It's worth the money even if you have to work on it a bit.

John

[Peter Quinn]

More important than the motor running as they can often be fixed cheaply is are the ways that hold the head true and not worn past the point of adjustment, and does it go up and down. These things if broken are harder and more expensive to over come than the motor turning, though a functional motor is a good sign.

Another source for info and actual parts for old DeWalt RAS is Wolfe Machinery. They have a web site but mostly you have to call them as its a simple informative few pages, not a sales site.

As far as worth it? I think given the price of scrap iron presently it is worth $100 by weight alone, so if it runs too you may be ahead of the game! Fun project anyway for $100. My grandfather had a similar one. He had a shaper head, a sander, all kinds of stuff.

I fixed up an industrial model, a 1948 GR42, 14" 17A@220 (they used to call that 2HP!) machine with a 24" cross cut. Got mine free, spent a bit fixing it up, still cheaper than an original saw, and it will out cut a craftsman with the power turned off!

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I found one in a package deal back in 2004 [iirc...Lamar might correct this if he sees it]....A Unisaw, one of those exact DW RAS's and a Craftsman Jointer for $600. I of course bought all three. Lamar got the Unisaw in a trade for his Delta TS and I sold the other two to pay for the investment. The RAS sold for $490 on Ebay and it needed a bit of work.

You'll be stealing that one if it works at all.

[Randal Stevenson]

The only thing that bothers me is the blade guard appears to be from a 1962 dewalt RAS and this is a 1958 model. I've seen this before but when I restore it I will try to find the round blade guard.



GOOD LUCK. I found a GWI locally, for a note, and I am fortunate. They are HARD to find parts for (I don't need any, thankfully).

[James Williams 007]

I'm picking the saw up first thing in the morning I can't wait! Thanks for all the help!

[James Williams 007]

I picked it up and it's in better condition than I expected. It only needs one knob the one to adjust the tilt and the rubber bumpers are a little cracked but nothing major. The motor is powerful and spins for a few minutes after I turn the saw off. The motor is missing the reset button and something else, look at the pictures and see if you can give me any advice. The saw seems to have a newer model blade guard for some reason? If anyone knows where I can find a round blade guard For a 1956ish GWI let me know. I would like to restore it completely but I plan on putting a new table top on it and using it until I get everything together then I'll tear it down completely and put a new paint job on it.

[Randal Stevenson]

The motor is powerful and spins for a few minutes after I turn the saw off. The motor is missing the reset button and something else, look at the pictures and see if you can give me any advice.

I wonder if it has been rebuilt once?

Besides the reset button, the motor is missing its on/off toggle switch. I believe the GW or GWI series was the only model to have that feature.
Check out Delphi forums Dewalt radial arm saw group. It is the same bunch as the Yahoo DeWalt group, and besides OWWM (already saw your pictures there), the best chance to find one (I know of one other person looking).

[Jerry Nettrour]

That is a good saw. My dad actually has what appears to be the exact same one. He has had it since he was in high school. I used it to build two vanities for my folks when I was there visiting them. It impressed me because as old as it is and the condition appeared a bit worn but boy was it accurate and worked great.

Have fun with it.

Jerry

[Jon Behnke]

You got a really good buy on that saw, they don't make them like that anymore. Here is a link to a company that specializes in DeWalt RAS's, they buy up all the saws they can find and rebuild them. I'm sure you could get parts and plenty of info for your saw.

http://www.wolfemachinery.com/

[Jerry Olexa]

You did very well..IMHO, You'll appreciate it even more as you clean it up, repair, etc...congrats!!

[Lon LeBlanc]

James,

I'm envious. I think you got a very good deal.

I picked up a model 1400 Powershop about two years ago, and am just now getting around to getting it set up, tuned up, cleaned up, and fired up. I got mine for $150, and it's in real good condition. But, I didn't have space to set it up until just recently.

Last year, our house burned to the gound in the wildfires here in CA. The old RAS, which was stored under the house, was one of the only tools saved. Insurance has allowed me to retool with TS, BS, DP and planer, but the RAS is getting a place of honor in the garage-workshop of the new house.

I'm not planning on painting mine...just cleaning and using. But, I'll post pics in the not too distant future. Keep us informed.


Lon

[Kirk Poore]

Consider putting new bearings in the motor. They're 50 years old and probably dried out. Even if it sound OK now, after a few hours of use it may start getting noisy and scoring the shaft. It's cheap insurance.

Good buy!

Kirk
who needs to change the bearings on his 45 year old Dewalt...

[Tom Bennett]

I picked it up and it's in better condition than I expected. It only needs one knob the one to adjust the tilt and the rubber bumpers are a little cracked but nothing major. The motor is powerful and spins for a few minutes after I turn the saw off. The motor is missing the reset button and something else, look at the pictures and see if you can give me any advice. The saw seems to have a newer model blade guard for some reason? If anyone knows where I can find a round blade guard For a 1956ish GWI let me know. I would like to restore it completely but I plan on putting a new table top on it and using it until I get everything together then I'll tear it down completely and put a new paint job on it.

James,
I am new to this sight so I do not know how old this information is. Are you still looking for a blade guard for the De Walt gw saw?

Contact me at xxx-xxx-xxxx (PST) and leave call back if I am out.

Tom

[Mike Kreinhop]

James,
I am new to this sight so I do not know how old this information is. Are you still looking for a blade guard for the De Walt gw saw?

Contact me at 805 527-9193 (PST) and leave call back if I am out.

Tom

It's been twelve years since James created this thread and two years since he visited the SMC.

[Thomas McCurnin]

I've had three RASs and would not be without one. I had a monster 16" Comet back in the early 70s that we towed to work sites and did everything, a Sears Electronic RAS for my home shop which I loved, and presently have a 12" DeWalt Rockell Black and Decker (there are three plates on it) probably from the late 1950s, 240v which does a lot. Learn how to tune it up and do so a couple times a year. Its nice for quick tenons.

[Frederick Skelly]

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