Old Craftsman Radial Arm Saw

My father left me a Sears Craftsman Radial Arm Saw from the sixties. Unfortunately, the motor is gone. It hasn't been turned on in 30 years. It's in my way. While there may be some sentimental value, I think I'm at the point that I'm going to give it away.

My question is this. Aren't the new RAS more precise than the old ones? Neither my father nor I is/was a woodworker, but wouldn't he likely get rid of the old RAS and buy a new one (or get a sliding compound miter) instead?

A new motor is $300, if it's still available. It's possible that I may be able to have the one on it rebuilt, but then I'd have a 50 year old saw that may or may not be a good one. There are some on Craigslist here that I may be able to get the motor from, but then again, it's a 50 year old saw.

Reply to
mcp6453
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Before giving it away you might want to jot down the model number of your RAS and check it here:

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You might be entilted to a $100 check if the mocel number of your RAS is one that they do NOT offer an updated guard kit.

Reply to
Spalted Walt

It's not the age that matters much at all, it's the specific model as to whether it was ever very good and how it compares to something new or newer also depends almost totally on what it's compared to.

Nobody can really tell you anything specific w/o the model and whether it's worth putting money into in the end depends mostly on whether if it did run you'd ever use it or not.

As another thread just yesterday noted, on a RAS there's at least a reasonable chance that all that's wrong is the thing is full of sawdust and that's stopping the internal centrifugal switch from contacting. I'd investigate a little more thoroughly unless you know for a fact what is wrong w/ the motor is more than just that (or, even simpler, maybe a loose connection).

Reply to
dpb

That will not help him, because he does NOT have the motor. To get that $100 check, you have to send them the motor and the motor carrier. If you have the right model, they will send you a shipping box, with the return paid for. After they receive the motor assembly, and the serial numbers check out, they will send you a check.

It worked for me.

Reply to
godsword

I did a motor replacement on a Sears RAS, got the motor from Emerson for a bit over $100 including shipping. The motor that was replaced worked, but the play in it caused cuts wider than the blade by about

1/16th" on a 3/32" blade, and it was rather noisy.

Mark

Reply to
Markem

mcp6453 wrote in news:3ICdnRoS2v_GtXTMnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

There's no guarantee a new RAS will be more precise than an old one. Some old power tools were absolute gems of tools and not priced like they were intended to be. Other times the old tool is absolute garbage. You won't know without experience.

If the moving parts still moved smoothly after all this time, I'd probably look at putting some effort in to the saw. The blade will tilt (I think), angle, turn (for ripping), and slide.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

Perhaps you should re-read the OP's 3rd paragraph where he clearly states "A new motor is $300, if it's still available. It's possible that I may be able to have the one on it rebuilt, but then I'd have a 50 year old saw that may or may not be a good one."

HTH

Reply to
Spalted Walt

I am confused.

--Unfortunately, the motor is gone. It hasn't been turned on in 30 years.

--It's possible that I may be able to have the one on it rebuilt,

From the original poster's original message on first read there is no motor, but it is possible that he actually meant that the motor while present appears to be dead.

If he has the motor and it will not turn over, and if it were me I would disassemble the think clean every nook and cranny. I would soak the bearings if there are ball bearings, and re oil with fresh oil.

If the thing has not run for 30 years I would suspect all of the moving parts are gummed up with old oil, there is wasp nest inside of the motor and several other things that comes with standing; keeping it from running.

Where are you located? It sound like a nice project for my spare time.

Reply to
Keith Nuttle

On 7/19/2013 2:39 PM, Keith Nuttle wrote: ...

...

It does appear that OP used "gone" in the sense of "isn't working" as opposed to "left the scene"...one has to go on to the end of the following sentence to infer that if he didn't actually have it at all it wouldn't seem that would be talking of having it rebuilt so by elimination...

And, it doesn't appear is non-native English speaker to boot.... :)

Reply to
dpb

Hmmmm....that sounds like neat trick given the nature of RAS and their motors being in the head casting and generally specific to model...

Did you find an exact replacement or wing something else in it's stead? Or was this somewhat unusual configuration that somehow had a normal motor mounted? (Inquiring minds and all that ... :) )

I had an old 10" B&D (well actually still have it but it's never used since have the 16" Delta now) that I pined to upgrade the electricals from the 120V under powered to the 240V 2 hp that fit into the same case. But I couldn't bring myself to spring for the (what seemed like big at the time) bucks and by the time I finally was ready to pull the lanyard the parts were NLA...

Reply to
dpb

Direct replacement from Emerson for the model saw they manufactured for Sears. As it is I bought it for $85 off of Ebay and have used it about three times.

Mark

Reply to
Markem

...

Ah! Had forgotten Emerson actually was OEM for some of the Sears stuff...little company I consulted thru prior to the return to farm was sold to Emerson by founders to get financial backing to (supposedly) expand...all it did was nearly destroy them when Emerson gave the product line to all their Rosemount reps who immediately begin cannibalizing the clients of the inhouse sales staff who then essentially all quit en masse...took a number of years to even get back to even after that, what more grow. Fortunately, the time for the move came a short time after the initial disaster and I was an odd-ball not actually much involved in the corporate product line as had moved over from another consulting gig bringing a client along who was my means of support rather...

Reply to
dpb

-------------------------------------------------------------------- Emerson managed to lay rape and pillage a number of successful businesses under the guise of providing corporate cover if they joined Emerson.

There were several in Northern Ohio; however, the most notorious was probably Ridgid in Elyria, OH.

Remember the Ridgid calendar?

Even if you were not a plumber, a Ridgid calendar hanging in your shop showed to all your shop had arrived.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

The motor is still on the saw, but I can't get to it at the moment. There's too much junk in front of it. When I get to it, hopefully soon, I will get better information. Most of the purpose of my post was to learn whether there is any reason to waste time on it. It sounds like there may be. At least the saw may be interesting to someone else if I decide to give it away.

Reply to
mcp6453

On 7/20/2013 1:13 AM, Bob F wrote: ...

You're leaving much of the RAS's capabilities sit idle, then...

Reply to
dpb

To each his own. I got mine for 50 bucks and the following week had the replacement table and saw guard from Emerson delivered. I spent a long day totally disassembling, cleaning, lubing, and calibrating all the adjustments and angle scales, and installing the new table and guard.

With a good quality, negative hook cross cut blade, it produces extremely accurate, clean cuts. I also added sawdust collection to it so it cuts with virtually no dust. I do almost all my rough crosscutting on it and can do final crosscuts when it's too inconvenient to use the table saw sled.

The only negative I can think of is the space it takes up. But that's more a limitation of my one car garage sized shop than the tool. It now sits in a wall bench next to and on the same plane as the 12" CMS.

Reply to
-MIKE-

Any worthy motor shop can make it good again.

Reply to
Steve Barker

He has the motor or he would have no option to nhave it rebuilt. By "gone" I think he means "kaput"

Reply to
clare

+1 on that Some chraftrman RAS were fantastic tools - others not much more than junk, even when brand new.
Reply to
clare

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