Radial Arm Saw

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 11:11 am

About a week ago I had to do some hurry up quick cutting and I didn't want to dig out my SS or power miter saw so I turned to my ever trusty Radial arm.

I was sizing some wood none bigger than 18x18. I had to cut off about 2 to 12 inches.

What a pleasure the Radial arm was.

I didn't have to mount and set the fence just make my cut mark and whack off the piece. Turn the board 90 degrees and measure and make my final cut.

I made about 10 of these so I did mount a stop block on the Radial arms fence at 18 inches.

I didn't have to worry about kick back, blade pinch, or anything.

My hands stayed at least 6 inches way from the side of the blade and never in front of it, at all times and since my body didn't have to move at all I was always in balance and in total control.

I know many rant about radial arms and how unsafe they are but to me since you physically control the blade and because it is always in sight I don't see why.

I never rip on the Radial arm saw as such and maybe that is the difference.

I'm now determined to do a realignment of the my Radial arm and start using it more.

cranehead · Post by **cranehead** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 11:38 am

I love my radial arm saw also, especially for cutting dados you can see what you're doing. I have never used for ripping, so can't comment on that.

TC

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:28 pm

I bought a sliding compound miter very similar to Radial arm concept. Not quite the reach of a radial arm and I can't safely mount a dado on it. Unfortunately, you just don't see many Radial Arm saws anymore.

At any rate I feel much safer using that than my table saw. especially for cross cutting and quick cuts. It's always set up on the bench and ready to use.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:46 pm

I have had 3 RAS's. The first was an old contractors 12" RAS we bought at an auction long ago. I forget the brand. It was kind of crude and at one point the field burned out of the motor. No big smoke event, it just became open. It was still available but was just too much $$$ for a saw that old and abused. The next I bought new back in the late 1960's from J.C. Penny. It was a Rockwell 10" double arm. Not a bad saw at all. I sold it to a friend when we moved and he is still using it. I did a ton of ripping with it and never had a problem, ever.
The one I have now is a Craftsman 10" on a cabinet base. I rarely use it except to pile stuff on the table.

I need to dig it out and move it over into the carpentry shop part of the farm shop.
My big complaint with all 3 of them has been not being able to maintain real accuracy for cut-off stuff. They are fine for construction work but I have yet to see the table on one where the kerf marks in the table were not 1/4" to 3/8" wide due to flexing of the unit. The key on the post is adjustable but if you get all of the slack out there is not enough lube on the planet to allow you to crank the thing up and down. If you set it by the book you can bring the saw (off) out to the end of the travel on the arm and with very little effort you can swing it at least 1/4" from side to side.

.

pinkiewerewolf · Post by **pinkiewerewolf** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 3:04 pm

We grew up with RAS, at home and in wood shop. I have an old DeWalt that I bought a couple of years ago out of nostalgia.
I never had any problems with accuracy with the RAS in shop class but the used RAS that Dad purchased and most of my friends, along with the old DeWalt that i purchased a few years ago have all had issues with keeping proper alignment.
It is a shame because I really like using the RAS for the reasons mentioned above, you can see the work being performed.
I'm going to give my old DeWalt away on CL and I'll use the shopsmith, OPR, and Makita to "get er done".
Still, I miss those old shop class days on the RAS.

Billdit · Post by **Billdit** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:40 am

Bought my RAS used over 20 years ago... have moved it at least 5 times... only service has been lub to moving parts.
It is accurate...width of the blade cut through fence and table for all 14" of cut (I keep it about 1/64 below surface of table). No "wobble" when fully extended... I use it for most all cross cutting.

Maybe the reasons it is accurate:
..I never move the Arm on an angle or compound angle...I keep it at 90 and angle the material if need to cut on angle.
..Use a blade made for RAS... I use a freud, 60T, Full Kerf, -5 Hook... does great. Over a +5 Hook and you'll get problems in accuracy and safety.

Now the kicker... It is a Montgomery Ward Powr Kraft ! Must have been manufactured on a Tuesday... if made on Monday or Friday it would probably be a mess... LOL

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:53 am

Billdit wrote:Bought my RAS used over 20 years ago... have moved it at least 5 times... only service has been lub to moving parts.
It is accurate...width of the blade cut through fence and table for all 14" of cut (I keep it about 1/64 below surface of table). No "wobble" when fully extended... I use it for most all cross cutting.

Maybe the reasons it is accurate:
..I never move the Arm on an angle or compound angle...I keep it at 90 and angle the material if need to cut on angle.
..Use a blade made for RAS... I use a freud, 60T, Full Kerf, -5 Hook... does great. Over a +5 Hook and you'll get problems in accuracy and safety.

Now the kicker... It is a Montgomery Ward Powr Kraft ! Must have been manufactured on a Tuesday... if made on Monday or Friday it would probably be a mess... LOL

Those were the good ole days. Many quality tools were sold, at competitive prices, under names other than those of the manufacturers. I have an electric drilled (corded) and a sabre saw that I purchased from JCPenney.

I probably bought JCPenny power tools because they were on sale and I got an additional 15% discount because my wife worked there. Couldn't beat the price.

Just to stay on topic, I have never had or used a RAS so I cannot comment.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:46 am

Billdit wrote:Bought my RAS used over 20 years ago... have moved it at least 5 times... only service has been lub to moving parts.
It is accurate...width of the blade cut through fence and table for all 14" of cut (I keep it about 1/64 below surface of table). No "wobble" when fully extended... I use it for most all cross cutting.

Maybe the reasons it is accurate:
..I never move the Arm on an angle or compound angle...I keep it at 90 and angle the material if need to cut on angle.
..Use a blade made for RAS... I use a freud, 60T, Full Kerf, -5 Hook... does great. Over a +5 Hook and you'll get problems in accuracy and safety.

Now the kicker... It is a Montgomery Ward Powr Kraft ! Must have been manufactured on a Tuesday... if made on Monday or Friday it would probably be a mess... LOL

You bring up an excellent point the Blade! You must use a Radial Arm blade on a radial arm saw or you will experience problems. Without the right blade accuracy will suffer and you run the danger of blade climbing into the wood.

I have any old Sears that has no play in the arm. It was built with a spline milled in the column and adjustment to adjust the play between the spline and support that holds the column. I can tighten it down to zero play and my arm cranks up and down with almost zero pressure on the crank. Of course the column had to be milled straight.

I think the biggest problem with most Radial arm saws are that most were built and sold in the $300 to $1000 price range. Then they are compared to cuts made on Tablesaws in the $3000 range. Before Delta got sold for the last two or three times they were building a radial arm (I think the one Norm used on Old Yankee) that was as solid as a rock. I think you could hang on the arm without deflecting it.

cranehead · Post by **cranehead** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:47 am

robinson46176 wrote: The key on the post is adjustable but if you get all of the slack out there is not enough lube on the planet to allow you to crank the thing up and down. If you set it by the book you can bring the saw (off) out to the end of the travel on the arm and with very little effort you can swing it at least 1/4" from side to side.
.

That indeed was a major challenge on my old Dewalt, raising the blade was a serious workout. I went through the whole adjustment procedure from Junckel's book "Mr. Sawdust" and now it seems pretty good, though I've been too busy restoring a shopsmith to do much woodworking. Haven't pushed its abilities very far. I looked at an old Craftsman RAS, beautiful bronze colored one, but as it sat the blade swung a lot, especially in the 45 degree miter postion.

TC

Fla_Jim · Post by **Fla_Jim** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:29 am

I've always had a RAS in my shop. My Dad had a Dewalt 12" when I was a kid, and I used it a lot.
Back in the 70's, I was in the Navy on Shore duty I bought a Craftsman 9". That was all I could afford. Shortly after I got my shopsmith. They complimented each other. When it got time to go back to sea duty, I sold the RAS, and kept the Shopsmith.
I didn't have a RAS, until I retired from the Navy, and moved back to Florida.
I bought another Craftsman. That was a "love-hate" relationship

I got a deal on a 1956 Dewalt "MBF" 9". I did a restoration job on it. I bought a 8" forrest WWI that's made for that saw, asper the late "MR Sawdust".
I couldn't be happier with the results.