Radial Arm Saw Question?

I recently acquired my fathers Radial Arm Saw. It is an older model Craftsman 9" (Still trying to located the exact model number). The problems I am having are:

  1. No manual.

  1. the blade is out of 90. (I know tilt it to 90) however, it has locking points at the 90. My question. Is there a place to adjust the saw to get it back to 90 It is only out about 2 or 3 degrees (but I am learning that can make a very big difference).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Reply to
whyitsme
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Reply to
RayV

Different make here, but on my saw the tilt adjustment is located behind the disk that has the gradation on it. Worth taking a look - you might have the same arrangement.

-P.

Reply to
Peter Huebner

On my elderly 10" Craftsman radial arm saw (RAS) , the blade tilt can be zeroed by loosening four hex head bolts on the front of the motor yolk, very close to the graduated "tilt" ring. The old wood working machines web site is a good place for manuals, the manual for my RAS is there. If the manual is un findable, there are a number of good books on radial arm saws out there. I use "Power Tools" by R.J. De Christophoros. It has good instructions for RAS alignment. A trip to your town library will often turn up a useful book. A RAS can go out of alignment for just being moved, or from age, or from warpage of the table. If the tilt alignment is a little out, I would surely want to check all the alignment points, table flat and parallel to arm, arm at right angles to fence, motor yoke play, blade parallel to arm, just to be sure. That and use a square to check a few trial cuts for squareness. Was it me, I would treat the saw to a new sharp carbide blade. The old steel blades dull after just a few hours of cutting, and once dull they are more likely to kick back at you while ripping.

David Starr

Reply to
David Starr

Not to mention the blade climbing up on to a chunk of timber. Fortunately, I am happy to say, that has only happened twice to me in ~24 years, both times when I was using it for construction and dealing with wet framing timber.

-P.

Reply to
Peter Huebner

See if you can find a copy of Jon Eakes' "Fine Tuning Your Radial Arm Saw"--it has specific instructions for adjusting Craftsman saws. The link I have is broken and Jon's Web site is apparently down until it gets redesigned, so you're on your own finding it.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Many of the older Craftsman RAS have their ID numbers on a tag located on the left rear just below the table. They went out of their way to put it in an obscure place. I would have thought that someplace on the arm or saw would be where to find it.

Reply to
Charley

Dont forget the recall of Emerson made RAS. You can get a new blade guard and table top out of it for free if it is one of the recalled saws. Otherwise they will buy the motor from you.

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got a new blade guard and table top for free. SWEET!!!!!!!!!

Charley wrote:

Reply to
mapdude

"mapdude" wrote

I got a new blade guard and table. The blade guard is a PITA and I prefer my shop made table. :-(

Max

Reply to
Max

Thanks for the advise on the hex bolts (I wondered what they were for). I also decided I had better find a book to check on all the other adjustments.

Was thumbing thru "Half-Price Books" and to my amazement they had a book "Radial Arm Saw Techniques" by Roger W. Cliffe, circa 1986. Not quite as old as the saw, but does have a section on refurbishing Saws. I also figured that for $9.00 could not go wrong.

keith

Reply to
whyitsme

Sounds like a keeper. RAS techniques probably haven't changed much since the tool was invented in the 1920's. It ought to show how to check saw alignment. Actually I just saw a new trick to check for "heeling" (sawblade not parallel to the arm). Temporarily replace the fence with a 6 inch wide board. Then you can use a framing square running across the blade close to the center and back to the high fence. The blade wants to be perfectly square to the fence.

David Starr

Reply to
David Starr

That's the worst problem I ever have with my RAS. Leads to tear-out at the trailing end of the blade. I use the method you describe, except I use an engineer's square, set against the normal fence: works for me, since I mostly use a pretty high fence.

-P.

Reply to
Peter Huebner

Yep mine is an Emerson.

As for the recall. Well mine is on the recall list. However, they do not have the parts for it. So what they want me to do is send them the motor and they will send me $100.00.

That seems like a pretty stupid thing to do as I would then be out of a radial arm saw. I guess I'll just have to be real careful when using it. (i.e. keep fingers out of the way)

thanks Keith

Reply to
whyitsme

Always a good idea. I've had a RAS since the mid-60s and still have my

12 talented fingers. mahalo, jo4hn
Reply to
jo4hn

Reply to
Dave Herron

Ha, ha. Love the newbs. There is no such thing as a blade "rated" for use on a RAS. Hell, when I bought mine (1971--a good twenty years after they exploded in popularity in building sites), there were no such things as RAS blades or table saw blades--just blades. I don't think it was until Forrest started marketing (the key word, by the way) a "RAS blade" that anyone even thought of such a thing.

While it is true that a low or negative hook angle can decrease the bite of the saw, any RAS user over the age of 50 and probably quite a few younger than that have no problem using a straight-out-of-the-box saw blade on a RAS regardless of the specifications. TCG, ATB, rip,

+10 deg hook, -5 deg hook, doesn't matter. It's all about technique, not the grind of the tooth.
Reply to
LRod

Amen. Just look for a carbide blade with lots of teeth for smooth cuts. Sharp makes for rips without kickback. My radial arm saw has never climbed, even with the old instant dullness steel blades I used before buying my first carbide blade many years ago.

David Starr

Reply to
David Starr

Thanks. Dave Herron had me thinking all of a sudden. But then was also thinking, of the 12 to 20 blades that were with the saw (Steel) not a one of them said radial arm. And further they all range in size from 9" to 7".

I did go get a new carbide blade.

thanks

Reply to
whyitsme

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