Radial Arm Table Top size

[Terry]

I just got an old Sears Radial 100 Radial Arm Saw. It does not have a stand or wood tabletop. I need to know what size to make the top and the other pieces. I don't know what the other pieces are called and I don't know what size they are either. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you, Terry

[MIKERLLY]

Front table,Rear table and spacer

[Rumpty]

From the following post on the Radial Saw Forum

"The way I size tables for the big saws is: 6" wider than the frame (3" on each side); I set the table depth by using the saw with a blade installed, so that when the saw is fully retracted (resting against the column), a square touching the very front edge of the blade (tangent) would have it's heel point resting where the back of the fence would set. To set the front edge of the table, I pull the saw fully forward, and square down from the center of the arbor shaft. From that point, I add 1-1/2" so the kerf will be on the table through it's entire pull from the fence to the front.

It's harder to describe this than it is to do it. A lot depends on what diameter blade is used. Obviously if you use a 12" blade on a 16" saw, the table would be 2" wider (1/2 of the 4" difference), and if you were to use a

16" blade on a 14" saw, the table would be 1" narrower."

[mac davis]

I can only give you my example, hope it helps:

picked up an old power kraft (montgomery. wards) RAS that needed a new table.. old one was 36" x 30" plywood... sort of a stupid size, IMO...

I made the new table 24' deep, which allows better front clearance for the elevation crank and to reach the saw handle, adjustment knobs, etc.... on my saw, it won't reach out more than about 18" anyway, no need for a lot of table depth..

I made it 4' long, partly because of shop size, mostly because then I could get lazy and use a precut 2 x 4' "redi-panel" with 4 factory edges...

6' would have been nice, 8' better, as I mainly use it for ripping, but my shop is about 2/3 of our 2 car garage.. I compromised by making the table's "normal" cutting height the same height as my bench..

One thing that I did that I haven't seen before was to NOT center the table left-to-right on the stand... the old one was, and because the motor and blade cause a pretty big offset to the right, the old table seemed to be too short on the left side, where you'd hold the stock while using the saw with your right hand... I cantered the table in the blade, instead and am very happy with the difference.. YMMV

(I got a LOT of help and advice on actual construction and squaring it here on this NG)

Mac