I hate my RAS. When it kicks, it kicks right at you.
Don't ever put an arm in front of that thing or it will cut it off.
Mine is a craftsman and doesn't stay very true. Great for quick crosscuts that don't have to be too accurate.
My sliding miter is much straighter and cuts where you aim it.
Greg O.
Your setup is the same as mine, and there is no reason to have the two rear table parts permanently covered as well as the front table. I use an appropiately sized strip of 1/4" ply not permannetly attached when the fence must be placed in either of the rearmost positions. When all the way back, it is only for ripping operations and the arm still does not need to be raised and lowered if the standard kerfs are cut in the front table. If in the middle position for ripping, the same applies. If in the middle position for cross cutting or mitering, the blade is still behind the fence (unless using a tall fence) and and no raising/lowering is required for this either.
The standard kerfs include a 90 degree crosscut, right 45 degree miter, (optional) left 45 degree miter, 45 degree bevel (requires lowering/raising arm), inrip arc and trough, and outrip arc and trough. The only operation that requires an arm height adjustment is a bevel cut or some operation using other than the standard 10" blade, such as a dado stack, sanding drum/disc, drill chuck, rotary surface planer, etc.
Here's a link showing the standard kerf:
-Doug
Wrong blade perhaps, out of alignment, trying to cut a board that isn't straight?
There is no need to place your arm/hand/leg in front of the blade.
A DeWalt will hold alignment.
I have a Jet contractor's saw. I have a Delta RAS. If put to the test, I'd have to give up the RAS first, by a narrow margin. Why this ridiculous contest? Each constributes a lot to the shop. I love my RAS. It does a lot of things well. I could get along without it before the table saw. Big Deal.
bob g.
Greg Ostrom wrote:
For some reason this is a religious issue for some people. It never ceases to amaze me the things that people will adopt as religious icons.
Many of us earn a living with just the RAS and no TS. It isn't religion, it's what works and works well.
And I don't notice you acting like it's "us against them" like some folks.
Doug Winterburn wrote in :
Actually I covered the entire table with 1/4" so that didn't work for me, but it is a good idea for the future. The saw I was using was a Sears 9" and didn't seem to have all that much room behind the fence. That one was relegated to the garage for misc cutoff work and the 10" that I inherited migrated to the shop. The table on that one was trashed when I got it and I built a new one from MDF and decided not to cover it, just replace it every so often. Now with your comments, maybe that was a bad idea on my part, but easily fixed!
Jerry
Hmm. I prefer the rear parts covered; all parts of the table with the same height. Don't know what the big deal is about raising and lowering the arm. It just takes a couple of turns of the crank.
Well, the OP was saying what a pain in the tookas it was to raise and lower the arm every time he had to change the arm for mitering, and I thought I'd show him how raising/lowering the arm was unneceessary with a properly set up saw. Covering just the front part of the table is standard procedure in the three books I have on RAS setup and use, and it has worked well for me for 35 years.
-Doug
standard procedure in the three books I have on RAS setup and use, and it has worked well for me for 35 years.
If you use your RAS for shaping, moulding and delicate saw cuts you want the back board to be a bit lower and adjustable with respect to the front table.
Doug what 3 books do you refer to? Kunkel, Eakes and ????
I'm curious, what are the three books that you have. The ones I know are Mr. Sawdust, Jon Eakes, and one from Sears. Have I missed one?
And if you'd bought a Sawsmith those 35 years ago, all you'd have to do is flip up the table-locking handles, slide the table (and its attached fence) forward, swing the arm, push the table back, and flip down the handles.
Still love my good ol' 1964 Sawsmith!
--John W. Wells
I was going to order the Jon Eakes book until I found the order page on the website wasn't secure. I emailed them about it and have gotten no reply yet. Oh, well.
I don't order things on the internet unless they're on secure servers.
The three I have are the Sears Power Tool Know how for the RAS, the Eakes RAS book and a DeWalt RAS book by Howard Silken. The Mr Sawdust book is on my list.
-Doug
Doug,
The Silken book is the one I forgot. I've read it but don't own a copy, it's good. The Mr. Sawdust book by Walley Kunkel is the best IMO for shaping, irregular shaping and moulding operations on the RAS. The Eakes book is a great book for set up and alignment of most makes RAS's.
You're right, you're just answering the op's question, I didn't intend to criticize. I should have put my comment under the OP's comment. I raise and lower my saw blade all the time-- to change the blade, to swing the arm left or right, to swing the saw blade from cross to rip, to cut less than full depth, and some others. I just can't see the problem that the OP has--raising and lower the blade of my table saw is as much a problem. You go, crank crank (in about the same time as it takes to read it), and the saw is up or down.
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