Sears Radial Saw Blade Guard

[Bill]

Ok, I just got a new Sears Radial saw, because my old one broke and I couldn't find a part for it. But the new one has a frustrating design on the blade guard. To remove the blade guard you have to take a screw out at the bottom of the inner blade guard. And, since it is right at the bottom of the guard, right up against the blade, it is almost impossible for me to get a good hold on it to get it in and out. Does anybody have any tips on ways to make that easier? When I was setting everything up I wound up with several small cuts on my knuckles trying to get hold of it.

Thanks,

Bill Gill

[Jim Giblin]

Remove a blade guard? DANGER Will Robinson!

[Rumpty]

How are you supposed to remove the blade to change to a dado or moulding cutter without removing the guard?

[Another Phil]

WHAT!

Will Robinson, don't listen to that pile of dubious heritage cross of a PC and a trash compactor. What could that mechanical monstrosity know.

I assure you young Robison that I, Professor Smith, have designed the perfect BLADE GUARD, and have attached it the perfect designed radial arm saw Known To Man.

So who are you going to believe, ME Professor Smith, or that useless barrel of flashing lights. Just think of all the years we have known each other my loyal friend Will. Go ahead and try the marriage of my Perfect Blade Guard and my Radial Saw. What could go wrong....

{ah-h, those under the age of 45 are forgiven if they do not understanding this sub-thread's cultural context}

[Bill Waller]

Don't laugh. I ran my 12" RAS that way for about three years because the guard would not sit correctly. Finally my neighbor (the welder) could not stand to watch any more and made some adjustments on the mount so that it would work again.

Watching a 12" blade spinning open and free was bad, but when the dado was on and the chips were flying, it was a sight that would throw fear into the dumbest of the dumb, yeah, even me.

I still have all (knock on wood) my body parts and a guard on the RAS. :-)

The irony is that, now that I am my new shop with a lot of new machines, the poor old RAS doesn't get used like it used to.

____________________ Bill Waller New Eagle, PA

[e-mail]

[loutent]

Hi Bill,

My Craftsman RAS is about 6 years old now, so the design might be a little different. At first tho, I thought the blade guard was a PITA to put on an take off. After a while, I guess I got used to it. What actually happened is I took a real close look as to how the thing works.

On mine, there is a long (maybe 5 inches) treaded bolt with a "thumbscrew-like" end that you can grab and turn. This operates sort of a cam that opens and closes around a shaft. It is tricky in that the cam has to fit in a slot that is maybe 1/8 inch wide. If you don't get the thing exactly in the slot, it can be frustrating. Also, I have found that the guard slips on if angled a bit toward the operator, and then raised to a vertical position where you can tighten the bolt.

You would think that they could have designed a simpler system, but, like I said, I got used to it.

No wonder the manual is so thick!

HTH

Lou

[Bill]

The lock on mine works that way too, but that isn't the problem. The problem is the inner blade guard, where it goes down under the motor shaft. There is a screw that holds the 2 ends (front and rear) together, so it will guide up properly as the blade cuts into the wood. That screw is immediately adjacent to the blade, and I can't get my fingers in between the guard and the blade to insert and hold the screw. I expect I will get used to it, you can get used to almost anything, but it sure is a pain (literally when I snag my knuckle on the blade) to get it in.

Bill Gill

[J. Clarke]

On a Radial Arm Saw, enerally speaking it is less dangerous to remove the guard before changing the blade than it is to try to work past the guard.