RAS Gloat

[Steve W]

Picked up this circa-1960 Craftsman RAS from one of my ham friends, with moulding cutters, picture frame jig and dado stack guard for $75 - he wanted it out of his garage.

This thing was heavy and I'm still surprised my wife and I were able to get it up into the shop by ourselves.

I've been busy cutting stair treads with it already. Gotta do something about decent dust collection as that port on the blade guard is useless. Probably go with a floor-sweep DC port behind the blade.

 

[Steve W]

Did something change re attaching pics? Can't find a link here to do that...:BangHead:

 

[bholcombe]

You might want to check the recall list. I know a lot of the old Craftsman RAS were recalled or required some add on safety features with a kit they sent out. We didn't find out about it until after my dad nearly lost some fingertips (lots of stitches) due to the reason for the recall.

 

[LeftyTom]

YOU ROCK! :icon_thum

 

[Skymaster]

Steve: Double that on the recall, look around the base and u should find a data plate with model number there is a website for the recall and check your model

http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/

 

[junquecol]

The recall is based upon no guard for the blade. Emerson couldn't justify the costs of developing and distributing a suitable guard. But if you look at Delta's guard on their RAS, you could easily make your own. The holes are already made into the blade cover. I have more than one of these that I have rescued, as parts are definitely no longer available. I have one (it's trash) that I may turn in for the bounty.

 

[riderkb]

A friend gave me a Craftsman 10" RAS and I called in for the recall. They check your serial and model numbers to see if there is a retrofit kit available; I'm not sure how far back they go, my saw doesn't look like it is old enough to have been built before the 80's. If there is a kit available, they send it to you free and you get a new handle, blade guard, riving knife, anti-kickback guard, dust collector port, and table.

Even with the new dust collector port and better blade guard, the dust collection is bad. I stapled a sheet of plastic to the wall behind the saw and gathered it together at the bottom to make a chute to catch most of the dust. A proper DC chute would be a little better, but it is messy no matter what. In fact, I got the saw in non-working condition and it turned out that the motor housing was so packed full of dust that the overload reset button was not working. There was more that a cup of sawdust in there.

BTW, my saw works much better now that I wired it for 220V. At bare minimum it needs to be on its own circuit so it doesn't share with the DC or lights.

 

[Glennbear]

Steve: Double that on the recall, look around the base and u should find a data plate with model number there is a website for the recall and check your model

http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/

I got this recall kit for my Sears RAS. The kit includes an improved guard assembly and a new table. Since your saw included a dado stack the new guard may not work for dadoes however since the kit is free I would order it if for no other reason than to get the new table. :wsmile:

 

[jhreed]

Be extremely careful with the moulding cutters. I had a near miss with mine and promptly put them in the trash can.
James

 

[Bugle]

I hate ripping on my RAS!

 

[Steve W]

Well, looked up by p/n and there's no kit available. 113.29410, looks like the one here:
http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=5130

Except I also have the cabinet base. :icon_thum

You better believe I'm being careful when this guy's running:icon_thum

 

[junquecol]

That's a Model 100. The best of the RAS that Emerson / Sears made. Does yours have the electric brake? Notice I didn't say "electronic brake." It's a shame to see a perfectly good RAS trashed for the bounty.

 

[Steve W]

Yep, Bruce - it is indeed a Model 100. I've seen their saws from the 70's (not as good) and 80's (fuggeddabouddit!) and this one is built like a Panzer. When it's locked down, it's pretty solid.:XXfridge:

There is mention in the manual (which is obviously later than the tool) of a brake, but it does NOT have that, either. One good feature is I certainly know the motor bearings are in excellent shape - it spins for quite a while after being shut off.

Yep - compared to the new ones, it's dangerous. But so's a chainsaw and I have one of those and respect the heck out of it, too.

I do think I will probably not rip or make mouldings with it. Gonna look up that moulding cutter - I think it can be used on the TS with the dado throat-plate.

 

[Mark Gottesman]

A radial arm saw is a wonderful addition to the shop. If you have the room, it is a very versatile tool for prepping lumber and dado cuts among other things.

However, it needs to be setup square and it needs a good table to give it's all. If the are not set up properly and are run with an improper blade they have a well deserved reputation of being dangerous.

If you can, get a copy of "Mr. Sawdust; How to master the Radial arm saw". It was written by a DeWalt employee and covers set up and how to build a dead flat table and usable fence.

There are also good books (although out of print) from Jon Eakes and Roger Cliffe.

You have a wonderful saw there (wish I had one that nice) and will provide you with many years of good service.

 

[woodworker2000]

You can purchase and download the Eakes book on Radial Arm Saws from his website: http://www.joneakes.com/products

 

[mkepke]

<snip>

There is mention in the manual (which is obviously later than the tool) of a brake, but it does NOT have that, either. One good feature is I certainly know the motor bearings are in excellent shape - it spins for quite a while after being shut off.
<snip>

FWIW, the CW is that if the motor spins down for a long time, the bearings may be *bad* (because if the grease lubricating the bearings has broken down/dried out, it won't provide any resistance -thus the longer spin down).

The other CW is that if the bearings are over 20 years old, they need to be replaced because that's the typical useful life of the grease in the bearings - see above.

-Mark

 

[Steve W]

I'm thinking about that, Christopher - the used treeware books on Amazon start at $35 and go to $60.

 

[Steve W]

Actually, with ball bearings if they're freely running for a long time, I've found that they're properly lubricated and in good shape.

I can remember my dad's 1963 Craftsman tablesaw running on for a while after shutoff when it was new, and it still did that in 2005 when I gave it to my brother before moving to NC.

With a direct-drive motor like this, it is smoooooooth. Modern tools using direct-drive don't even come close. You can run this motor when you're not cutting with no hearing protection and it's whisper-quiet - like a belt-driven tablesaw!

I can lock this puppy down and it's really solid. Yes, it you torque things and try to foul it up you can, but it you use it like "you oughta", it's pretty slick!

I was thinking of reselling it once my stairs were done, but now I'm fixin' to give it a home in my increasingly-crowded 12 x 20 shop!

 

[mkepke]

Have you opened very old, free-running bearings and found good grease and unworn elements ?

I don't think you will find a bearing manufacturer that will tell you bearing grease will remain good for 40-ish years, even in a 'sealed for life' bearing.

Because a RAS has a proprietary motor, I would be inclined to replace very old bearings (depending on the value of the machine), but I do not know whether or not the effects of insufficient lubrication will be obvious before damaging the motor itself.

-Mark