I scored a decent gloat the other day. Got a Craftsman RAS for 30 bucks. However, it did not have a tabletop and had a 7" blade (it takes a 10"). I have a TS so my plan is to just use RAS to rough cut lumber.
I figure I would just make a table out of 3/4 mdf and glue up a mdf fence.
I need to get a cheap blade for it, I know that the RAS blades have 0 hook or even a negative hook. What is a source for a cheap carbide blade for a RAS? Local Borg just have TS blades these days.
Rob
Check the Craftsman RAS blade guard retrofit. If you're eligible, they'll send you the new blade guard, table etc. for free. As for the blade, I just have a Freud crosscut on mine.
RAS tops are usually thicker than 3/4", you might double layer the mdf.
I've just used chopsaw blades in my RAS which doesn't get much use, I do like to keep my stacked dado setup in the RAS. Saves a lot of setup time.
David
======================= My "sears" Radial Arm Saw is too old to quility for the NEW guard and top and is worth more then the 100 bucks (plus the effort to remove and return the guts for the saw)...ANYHOW another poster told you the reason for the new top...(slightly wider behind the fence and slightly narrower in front of the fence...
On the Blade... I use a Freud cross cut blade with a stabilizer on my saw and it cuts fine... I still have the original table supplied by Sears on my saw...(purchased it in the early 60's) it still does not have a single saw mark cut into it... I use a 3/8 in piece of plywood on top of the table Sears supplied.. BUT with a 2 inch replaceable insert that I can replace in 10 seconds .so my actual working table is 3 pieces...the left and right sections are 30 years old the 2 inch wide replaceable insert gets flipped and replaced quite frequently.... Plus I paint the replacements RED ...the saw blade thus makes a very handy anfd very visible alignment mark for me to use as a reference... My saw is never moved off 90 degrees however..as I only use it for cut off work...
So If I were you I would get a good blade and place a sacrificial top on top of your NEW table that Emerson is sending you...and make that sacrificial top in 3 sections...
Bob Griffiths . .
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