Radial Arm Saw- WARNING: GLOAT content

[worm1595]

Well ...I think I am getting a good deal on a like new RAS next friday. A local fellow is letting his Craftsman 10" laser Trac RAS with stand go to me for $350.00. The saw is only 6 months old and after looking at it today, I'm really excited with this deal. The saw looks as though it has never been used at all !! The saw sells new for $700 at Sears so I am getting basically a new RAS for half the price.......I'm happy ! :icon_cheers This has been a good month for me for tools. I scored a like new condition Bench Dog router table with the Pro-Fence and Pro-Lift for $75.00 last week !!!

 

[froglips]

Sweet! I love RASes.

Add lasers? Does it get any better?

Can't wait to see pics!

Jim

 

[Gotcha6]

Re: Radial Arm Saw- WARNING: GLOAT content
Sweet! I love RASes.

Add lasers? Does it get any better?

Been thinkin' 'bout doin' that with my RAS. I see the add ons @ the BORGs & go, "Hmmmmmmm." How ya like it, really?

 

[DonnellyJT]

I have this saw. The battery in the laser has since died and I don't miss it. It was always an eighth of an inch (or so) away from the cut line anyway. Not like my chop saw laser that is dead on the cut line. Its a decent saw. I don't have space for a table saw so I have the RAS set up to rip and have the fence in the back most position. I am going to replace that little skinny piece of particle board with something stiffer because it bends when its only held in place by the two thumb screws. Spend the time setting it up again with a good square and the instructions. Get a nice narrow kerf blade. Enjoy.

 

[AmishWarlord]

I picked up one this past weekend also. My friend Tony bought this one about two years ago and never found a use for it so he gave it to me. Like John I have no room in my shop for a table saw. For my RC airplanes I mainly use a scroll saw or band saw. I do however occasionally need to rip some ply wood into smaller pieces or cut 2x4's for a stand or table. I think this RAS will be way better than the skill saw I've been using.

I had a problem with the control cut feature but John helped me with that.

I do have one question about cutting. The books and information web pages all say that you should pull the blade to you when cutting stock. However every one that I have seen use these saws always push the saw through the stock. I did some test cuts in balsa, light ply, particle board, and a 2x4 and feel that pushing the blade gives me more control over the cut than pulling it.

 

[walnutjerry]

I picked up one this past weekend also. My friend Tony bought this one about two years ago and never found a use for it so he gave it to me. Like John I have no room in my shop for a table saw. For my RC airplanes I mainly use a scroll saw or band saw. I do however occasionally need to rip some ply wood into smaller pieces or cut 2x4's for a stand or table. I think this RAS will be way better than the skill saw I've been using.

I had a problem with the control cut feature but John helped me with that.

I do have one question about cutting. The books and information web pages all say that you should pull the blade to you when cutting stock. However every one I have seen use these saws always push the saw through the stock. I did so test cuts in balsa, light ply, particle board, and a 2x4 and feel that pushing the blade gives me more control over the cut than pulling it.

I have always pulled the blade across the material--------pushing it across seems to want to lift the material off the table. I guess it is control the saw or control the material:dontknow:.

Jerry

 

[Mark Gottesman]

Pushing the blade can cause the work to be lifted and thrown to the back. It can result in some harrowing and unsafe conditions as fast as any other power tool. Yes, it gets done alot, but it not something the designers ever condoned.

RAS really respond to being rigid and set up square. It takes some time and some measuring equiptment. A dead flat table and proper work support combined with a proper blade makes useing one a treat. A blade with a negative hook are often recommended to avoid self feeding.

Sources for RAS info are books by Walt Kunkel "Mr. Sawdust, John Eakes and Rosario C????
Also check the DeWalt forum on Delphi(?).

Good luck with the saw. they are a pleasure to use when set up properly and very versatile.

 

[AmishWarlord]

Been thinkin' 'bout doin' that with my RAS. I see the add ons @ the BORGs & go, "Hmmmmmmm." How ya like it, really?

Don't bother Dennis. Like John said the laser and the cut line do not match.

The laser system would be great if it work like this,

You turn the laser on. You line up the laser line with the mark on your stock to where you want to cut. You make the cut and the kerf of the blade stops right at the laser line.

How it works on these saws,

You line up your mark with the cut notch that in the table top. You turn your saw on the laser comes on and is about 1/4" away from the line you want to cut which gives you a bad feeling but you make the cut anyway and it comes out right. Then you curse the laser for giving you the bad vibes wile making the cut.

 

[nelsone]

...I don't have space for a table saw so I have the RAS set up to rip ...

Just be careful ripping with a RAS. They can throw a board pretty hard, yes I speak from experience!

They are good machines and they are very versitile, just be aware when you are using it. I always pulled the blade through the cut. It is best if you have a blade with negative rake to prevent the blade from grabbing hard and climbing over the board.

 

[timf67]

I'm not sure I agree with the push is worse arguement. If you read the instructions on a SCMS they say that you should start at the outside and do a push cut. My RAS (~40 years old) has a tendency to want to pull itself through the cut faster than I want it to go. I find this to be a much less safe situation than pushing. The only difficulty with a push cut is that you have to have stock that is less than ~10-12" wide in which case I would use a CMS anyway. Either way, I have never been crazy about my old RAS from a safety perspective. It sure is handy when you have to crosscut a 16" panel though...

 

[JimmyC]

One other word of advise is to use a negatitive grind saw blade on the cross cuts, they are less aggressive and pull across the board easier. I use a fairly inexpensive Hitachi blade, purchased at Lowes, and it has done a good job.

Good Luck.

 

[worm1595]

As others have stated......Use a blade that is designed for "cross cutting" .......meaning it has a negative tooth rake and NEVER, NEVER push the blade from front to back. Always PULL the blade slowly accross your stock. Pushing is rediculously unsafe !

 

[mkepke]

I'm not sure I agree with the push is worse arguement. If you read the instructions on a Sliding Compund Miter Saw they say that you should start at the outside and do a push cut. My RAS (~40 years old) has a tendency to want to pull itself through the cut faster than I want it to go. I find this to be a much less safe situation than pushing.
<snip>

I think push or pull will work for a RAS, but I think pushing is the only option for a Sliding Compund Miter Saw, due to the pivot-point between the head and the arm. If you were to try pulling the Sliding Compund Miter Saw through stock, it will try to climb out of the cut, ably assisted by that pivot-point for swinging down the head.

EDIT: My Dewalt industrial RAS manual says in bold type "You should never push the saw blade into the material", although it doesn't explain why.

IMO, 'pull' is the correct motion for a RAS for many reasons, but depends on the user to not cause a self-feeding problem (using a dull blade, trying to cut too fast, etc).

Tim - have you setup your RAS so that the saw-carriage has some drag on the arm during pull-motion ? Or is it set up to be an 'effortless' pull ?

-Mark

 

[timf67]

I think push or pull will work for a RAS, but I think pushing is the only option for a Sliding Compund Miter Saw, due to the pivot-point between the head and the arm. If you were to try pulling the Sliding Compund Miter Saw through stock, it will try to climb out of the cut, ably assisted by that pivot-point for swinging down the head.

EDIT: My Dewalt industrial RAS manual says in bold type "You should never push the saw blade into the material", although it doesn't explain why.

IMO, 'pull' is the correct motion for a RAS for many reasons, but depends on the user to not cause a self-feeding problem (using a dull blade, trying to cut too fast, etc).

Tim - have you setup your RAS so that the saw-carriage has some drag on the arm during pull-motion ? Or is it set up to be an 'effortless' pull ?

-Mark

Mark,

You make a great point about the pivot point on the miter saw. My RAS is set up with zero drag which I am sure does not help.

Tim

 

[AmishWarlord]

I had to order some parts for mine. The blade wrenches and dust bag where missing. I ordered those and an extra safety on switch tab. I placed the order on Tuesday and the web page said 7 to 14 days. I got it today two days later! Not bad.

 

[AmishWarlord]

Saw this on ebay.

Freud blade, comes with free radial arm saw.

http://cgi.ebay.com/CRAFTSMAN-10-RA...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0d2f71e9

 

[toolferone]

Sorry for the commerical here, but you REALLY want to use a negitive hook angle saw blade and cut by pulling. The neg angle will not climp cut or grab at the wood.

As it just happens Freuds LU91R010 is a negitive 5 deg hook blade that works great on sliding miter saws and greaqt on radial arm saws.

Oh, one more thing,
PLEASE DO NOT RIP WOOD ON A RADIAL ARM SAW!!!:thumbs_do:thumbs_do

It is very common to have the board launch back at you if you are ripping.

 

[AmishWarlord]

I took Tom's advice and bought the freud LU91R010 blade. Wow! It's a big difference from the Craftsman blade that was on the saw. It cuts great but what's really nice is it's very quite. I'll be able to use this this saw and not bother the people that live above my shop.

 

[farmerbw]

WOW, major difference in cut quality there bro!!!!!:icon_thum

I could have used that good of a cut from my old 10" miter saw this week while I was cutting some pine tubbas. I may have to run one down. Or maybe I should look at the xtra Freud blade I took off another saw and see which model it is, I may already have one.... Or at least have one better than what is on there now.

Brian.

 

[DonnellyJT]

Having had this saw for five years or so, I have certainly had my ups and downs with it. After spending a lot of time with it during my kitchen renovation, I learned a few thing that made it a joy to use.

I trued it up – again. I did it once and must have missed something. I trued it up after putting a nice narrow kerf blade on it. The narrow kerf made it easier to determine that the blade was square against my square.

I gave up on the laser. To Mitch’s point…. It just confuses you with bad information. Since the laser line was away from the cut line, the only value it would add was by watching the line stay straight as you move the blade forward; thus implying that the saw was moving in a straight line. The batteries in the laser have since died and I don’t miss it.

I spent the time to get good at using the Control Cut feature. It’s a good feature and well executed in this RAS.

Get it on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. This thing will pull a lot of current under load.

I got a sliding miter saw to make most of my quick cross cuts so I can leave the RAS set up to rip. Obviously I’d rather rip on a table saw, but it’s just not an option for me in my little 85 yr old detached garage shop.

I leave the fence in the rear most position, however since its just particle board, it will flex when it doesn’t have a wide piece of wood between it and the thumb screws. I need to get a piece of aluminum angle or similar to sit behind it.

If I had to do it again, I would do the following on day one…. remove the laser, get a good narrow kerf blade, do the full procedure to true up the saw, and leave it in the position to rip as much as possible.