Another Radial Arm saw question

[marc rosen]

Hello All, I was just installing a new table top for my older Craftsman RAS that my Dad gave me. (I think it was manufactured in the 60's if that matters.) While checking the mounting rail height at various spots I noticed that the arm goes to 45 degrees left but a full 90 degrees to the right. Examining the column behind the plastic cover at the top revealed stops at those destinations. Is this a typical alignment for RAS's or was it assembled (by my Dad maybe?) imporperly. The yield is 135 degrees and the miter indicator on the column head registers 60+degrees in each direction so I think it may have been assembled incorrectly. Dad can't recall what he did back then and asked me why I don't have anything better to do with my time than to ask him a question about something 40 years ago. Marc

[J. Clarke]

What you're seeing is normal.

[cc]

RAS should NOT go 90 degress in any direction..and the angle does vary depending on whether you swing the arm left or right..check the manual or go look at a typical RAS in Sears for reference...you will need to adjust the swing properly..google adjusting a radial arm saw..

[J. Clarke]

Uh, mine goes 90 degrees to the right, always has, and the manual said it was supposed to be that way.

[Leon]

I cannot give you an answer however I had one that I bought in 1978. I can assure you that on mine the arm was already assembled to the base when it came out of the box so I doubt that your dad assembled that part incorrectly. IIRC there may have been some adjustment stops that needed to be checked. Yours "may have" been shipped with the arm in the 90 degree position.

[J.]

For a definitive answer take your model # to the OWWM site where you'll probably find the manual for it online.

I have a Craftsman RAS a little older than that. It swings 90 degrees right and left. Yours may or may not have been built that way. Without a specific model number you will not get the best possible answers to your question.

J.

marc rosen wrote:

[marc rosen]

Hey Guys, I checked my owner's manual and I did not see any comment with regard to the range of swing on the saw. There was a note that adjusting the saw to square affects both 45 degree postions. This makes me think that one 45 degree stop is fixed and the other 45 is a detent just like the 90 (or "square" ) stop. I think they allow full swing to the right so you can cut miters greater than 45. The guage on the top of the arm goes to 60+ on both sides, bt I also have bevel guages on a bandsaw and a scroll saw that go beyond the physical range of the tool. So, I don't think it is an unusual occurance and I appreciate any feedback offered. Thanks, Marc

[Lee Gordon]

Since nobody else has mentioned it in this thread, I'll bring it up. I assume you have already investigated whether this saw is covered by the Emerson blade guard recall. (Perhaps that's where your new table top came from.) But on the off chance you haven't, be sure to go to

and see if your model is one of the ones that qualifies.

Lee

[marc rosen]

Hello Lee, Yes, that is why I was installing the new top but I am a bit disappointed with the way the new top is configured. If I understand the instructions correctly, the new top forces the fence to be closer to the operator, thus limiting the crosscutting capacity. The new front piece is 2 & 1/16 shorter. I reverted back to the older configuration by ripping a piece of the new top to fit. I really do not see a need to replace the table top but I only realized this after I finished the install. Marc

towww.radialarmsawrecall.comand see if your model is one of the ones that

[cc]

towww.radialarmsawrecall.comandsee if your model is one of the ones that

There are two ways to change the angle of the cut: a) the arm itself or b) the actual motor and sawblade leaving the arm stationary. I assume the poster was asking about swinging the arm, not pivoting the head. The arm will not got 90 but the head will turn 90 in either direction, for ripping in either the "in" position or the "out" position. It also will turn vertically for bevels, all the way to 90 degrees also. That is the great thing about a RAS = you can get virtually any angle between all the ways of moving the parts around.

[Larry Kraus]

Swinging the arm more than 45 degrees to the left is not very useful as the blade runs off the table very quickly. The full swing to the right is probably intended as a storage position. I've seen bench plans incorporating a RAS which used the saw table as a general purpose work surface. Sorry to chime in so late, just resolved a nasty XP connection problem.