Radial Arm Saw Debate

[Mark T]

Over the years, I've read numerous debates over the lowly radial arm saw. So it won't hurt to revisit this tool with what is essentially a new group.

I have a RAS, along with a table saw and a miter saw. I had the RAS long before I obtained a TS. I would NEVER, EVER part with my above the table motorized saw. I use it almost exclusively for cross cuts, but I also use a dado blade in it with great success. I have an interchangable zero clearance table insert to keep the bottom of the cut clean.

It is much easier for me to see my cut lines and to line up blade kerfs for tight edges in a dado operation. And it is a heck of a lot easier to move the tool than the work, say on a large or long piece of stock.

Is it the perfect tool? No. But it will always have a place in my shop. It makes multiple setups easier too. Two saws, set for two operations... done.

Debate?

[rhull]

Feb 12, 2010 6:58:28 GMT -6 Mark T said:

I have a RAS, along with a table saw and a miter saw. I had the RAS long before I obtained a TS. ... I use it almost exclusively for cross cuts, but I also use a dado blade in it with great success. I have an interchangable zero clearance table insert to keep the bottom of the cut clean.

It is much easier for me to see my cut lines and to line up blade kerfs for tight edges in a dado operation. And it is a heck of a lot easier to move the tool than the work, say on a large or long piece of stock.

Is it the perfect tool? No. ... It makes multiple setups easier too. Two saws, set for two operations... done.

+1

No debate from me. Though I don't use mine THAT much. I could be convinced to part with mine to free up floor space for something else.

[fredbelknap]

I have one that I bought new around 1976 from Sears. I have used it for a lot of projects but wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It is parked in my barn and hasn't been use for a couple of years. It is near impossible to get lined up properly and when you get it set it won't stay that way. Sneeze and it is out again. It does all the jobs you said but very poorly. Now if I could find one as accurate as my TS or CMS it would be great. There maybe are some out there that would do the job but so far I haven't found them at a price I like. I can deal with the safety question.

[Mark T]

Fred, so how do you move and support, say, a 10' 2x4 up and down the TS every 12" to cut 3/4" dados for heavy duty shelving? Just an example of some of things I do once in a while.

I have a 12 ft extension table to the left of the saw and 8 ft to the right. The left table also houses the miter saw, and an undermount router to the left of that. Wish I had a picture handy.

I already find a couple interesting comments. I like it. I too have a common ol Sears RAS, but I have almost never had to re-adjust it. I check dial in once in a while, but mine seems to stay rock steady. Maybe I got an anomaly.

[garyeng]

I grew up having and using a RAS and would feel lost without one. I do like my miter saw too but the great advantages I see with a RAS is that I can crosscut wide boards and the ability to install a dado blade in the saw. I have spent some time adjusting the RAS to make sure it is accurate. I also do not move it from 90 either. If I need to make an angled cut, that is what I have the miter saw and table saw for.

Gary

[deepsplinter]

I have a Craftsman (late 70's). I'll never part with it.

I made a ton of stuff with it and a 1hp router back in the day.

It's just a tick outa square, but I don't use it for the "final cut" anyway.

I have a 10" & 12" miter saw for most of my cross cuts. If they can't handle the width, I'll put the sled on my TS, or just use the circ saw w/straight edge.

I've never used a sliding CMS. If I ever do, I might change my opinion of my RAS. (probably not....I've had it longer than I've had my kids)

[mduren]

Back in the 80's I bought a new Craftsman radial arm saw. Like others here I never got the accuracy out of it I had hoped for. In the 90's I bought a Dewalt miter saw and got rid of the RAS. Again I was not impressed with the accuracy of the miter saw. It is great for construction but not so great for cabinet making. A few years back I ran across an old Rockwell radial arm saw (cheap). I am impressed with the adjustability of this saw. I find myself using the RAS for cross cuts instead of the miter saw. In fact I recently took the miter saw off its stand and put it away for future construction projects.
I still use the table saw for precise cuts but I really like the RAS for cutting rough stock to length and cutting an angle on a wide board. If I could have only one saw it would still be the table saw.

[TDHofstetter]

Like many, I still have mine... and use it once in a while. I've got a good blade on it.

I never rotate the arm on mine, though, for use. Therefore, I have a single slim kerf across the table instead of the spiderweb the old table used to have.

[Gecko]

I have an old Crapsmans RAS. I use it strictly for cross cutting boards to rough length. I find it a to much of a PITA to set up for much else as the small pieces I use can be cut on the TS. But for cutting long boards it is a huge time saver. I will say that I would get rid of it in a heartbeat if I could get a sliding CMS, but I do not see that happening anytime soon as this does the job I need it most for.

[art3427]

I graduated from high school in 1967. Went to work full time in my fathers's shop the next day. He had RAS's from 10 - 24". Must have been at least 8 or 10 in use all day everyday. They were our basic cabinet cut out saw. (I will add this was before the first MS were introduced.) I've set a RAS to do about everything that can be done on one. I do not own one now, but would not mind a 10" er for dadoes and tenons. Yet, I'd rather have a good sliding CMS than a RAS simply because of ease of setup ans versatility. I've learned over the years to cross cut and tenon on my TS and actually prefer that to a MS or RAS.

art

[TDHofstetter]

Yeah, a miter saw isn't generally the bestest choice for tenon work.

[fredbelknap]

Feb 12, 2010 8:10:24 GMT -6 Mark T said:

Fred, so how do you move and support, say, a 10' 2x4 up and down the TS every 12" to cut 3/4" dados for heavy duty shelving? Just an example of some of things I do once in a while.

I have a 12 ft extension table to the left of the saw and 8 ft to the right. The left table also houses the miter saw, and an undermount router to the left of that. Wish I had a picture handy.

I already find a couple interesting comments. I like it. I too have a common ol Sears RAS, but I have almost never had to re-adjust it. I check dial in once in a while, but mine seems to stay rock steady. Maybe I got an anomaly.

Mark I have to admit it is handy for something like that. I would probably use a circular saw with muti cuts and a chisel or router. I can still use mine in the barn if I have to. I use to have my shop in the barn.


What did I do wrong.....?

[deepsplinter]

Aren't the RAS bashers concerned about safety?

It does tend to wanna come at ya....just set yer feet and have at it, IMO.

[TDHofstetter]

That it does - I use mine with a pretty stiff arm.

[larryh86gt]

Feb 12, 2010 13:47:43 GMT -6 TDHofstetter said:

That it does - I use mine with a pretty stiff arm.

I gained a lot of respect for them at a buddy's house when we stuck a chunk of wood in his garage door like an arrow shot from a bow. It wasn't the saw's fault though.

[triplefreak]

I bought this saw awhile back, and not only does it keep perfect alignment, it's a brute of a saw. Once I moved it, I ran thru the owner's manual step by step to align it properly. IIRC, it took me about 3 hours to align every nut, bolt, & screw. It was worth it in the long run. It was made in 2008, according to the plate on it. Craftsman RAS's have come a long way since the 70's & 80's.

I only paid $100 for it. It has the power assist feature on it also.

[Leo Voisine]

I bought mine in 1983. I did think about a table saw at the time, but I decided on the RAS because of the versatility of the tool.

I have never been sorry for that purchase.

I have so many diffferent setups and so many different cuts it boggles my mind.

I have ripped full sheets of plywood - ripped 2x4's in half and ripped lots of other stuff. Lots of people would look at me and shake their heads.

Cutting notches is 4x4's - the RAS is the BEST tool.

If I had room - it would have a permanent home - but, I retired it a couple of years ago. Now I rely solely on the SCMS and the TS.

Never would I put down a RAS user.

I will admit though - that the Craftsman saw does lack ridgidity and accuracy. I don't know about others. I would guess an old Delta or Dewalt would be far more ridgid and accurate.

[rrich]

I have all ten in spite of starting my woodworking using a early 1970s Craftsman RAS. It would not stay aligned and when I finally found the cause, Sears couldn't sell the correct part.

Many parts of my RAS had threads in aluminum. The threads would partially pull out and I would never realize it until there was a bit of tension applied by the saw to the bolt.

The RAS is a right handed tool that should be, but can't, be used left handed. The accurate side of the cut is on the right side of the blade. Using a RAS to cut miters was best summed up by a friend with the same model as mine, "I can cut miters but I know how to pull on the saw to make an accurate cut." (Construction miters, yes, fine woodworking miters, no.)

In rip mode, the RAS throws everything into the face of the user.

The best thing that I ever did with my RAS was to use it for about 30 years ($279 original cost) and then sell it back to Emerson Electric for $100 while I still have all ten.

That saw was best used on a job site the way that miter chop saws are used today.

I have said that the RAS is an evil machine and nothing, even access to an old Rockwell RAS, has changed my mind.

[Ruffnek]

Feb 12, 2010 17:35:40 GMT -6 rrich said:

I have said that the RAS is an evil machine and nothing, even access to an old Rockwell RAS, has changed my mind.

LOL. I believe I have read that comment from you before about the RAS. ;D

When I got my Grizzly TS, I traded my Craftsman contractors saw to my brother for a Craftsman RAS that he had. I learned very quickly that it was not accurate so I relegated it to rough crosscuts only. I eventually sold it because just using it for crosscutting to rough dimension wasn't worth the space it consumed. I didn't find it dangerous, just inaccurate.

If I had the room, I would consider having one, just not another Craftsman.

[dcarter636]

I have a 10" Delta RAS that we bought in the late 1980s which is kept set up for 90^o cross cuts. It cuts uniform depth and squareness across it's full travel, but that is no accident; complete alignment takes a few hours of diligent leveling, measuring, and test cuts.

Although it is a PITA to set up and properly align, it cuts true as long as it sits where it was aligned. The biggest annoyance with this and the other hobbyist grade RAS is that the stamped steel frame and table support structures are too flexible to withstand relocation without a complete realignment ritual. If I ever stumble upon a heavy duty 12" Dewalt RAS for cheap it will replace this old fellow, until then I'll keep mine because it is very handy to have around for cross cutting dadoes and trimming the length of long, narrow, panels.