At the request of Forrest Manufacturing (maker of Forrest Saw Blades) I recently made an evaluation of the "Magic Moulder" system to determine the suitability for use on the Radial Arm Saw. I use the radial arm saw exclusively in my production shop and I'm always looking for ways to add to my shop capabilities so I jumped at the opportunity to do this test.
I currently use the original DeWalt moulding sets from the 50's, the Sears and the Delta moulding head systems in the shop for edge shaping and face moulding. I also use these moulding systems for out of position mouldings, i.e. the RAS motor in the rip position and tilted to produce a moulding that can't be made on the conventional shaper or router table.
I tested the "Advanced Starter Assortment Set", which is includes a 7" diameter moulding head and four cutter "plugs", P-37, P-65, P-58, P-64. Also included in the starter package are the Owners Manual and a short video that shows installation and operation of the moulding set on a table saw. The aluminum moulding head has a 5/8" bore and the center of the head is recessed for use on short arbor saws, it is designed to operate at 3450 rpm. The cutter plugs are steel and feature a 1" wide carbide tip. Also available from Forrest is the "Magic Shaper" which has a steel molding head designed to operate at 10,000 rpm for use on a shaper and uses the same Magic Molder cutter plugs.
The Magic Moulder was tested on a DeWalt 7790 radial arm saw (17 amp 110 volt/8.5 amp 220 volt) and a DeWalt MB radial arm saw (9.8 amp 110 volt). The Magic moulder installed on the 7790 with the hardware provided. Due to the short arbor on the MB, the moulder head was installed without the standard outside arbor collar and required a thin locally supplied flat 5/8"bore washer under the arbor nut.
Various hardwoods were tested, including red oak, MDF, and hard maple. The Magic Moulder performed well, and produced mouldings with a better finish than the Delta, Sears and DeWalt systems. I was impressed with how "smooth" the operation was; you could hardly hear it in use. The cut radius is greater than the Delta, DeWalt or the Sears moulders, so the cutters are at a higher tangential velocity, which also makes for a smoother cut. Virtually no tear out was found on finished mouldings. Edge moulding/shaping was done with the motor tilted arbor down and positioned behind the fence. The wood remains safely flat on the table and pushed past the moulding head. Tests were also made with the motor in the "in rip" and "out rip" positions where the wood is pushed under the moulding head in the same way you rip wood on the radial arm saw. Motor out of position tests were made with excellent results. Again, smooth operation and little to no tear out was found. The Magic Moulder performed equally as well on the lower power DeWalt MB radial arm saw.
The Magic Moulder has received many accolades when used on the table saw, but on the radial arm saw the Magic Moulder excels. You have the ability to produce out of position mouldings far greater than the maximum tilt of the table saw. The width, height, and length of mouldings made on the radial arm saw are unlimited.
The Magic Moulder is a great option for the small or production shop and offers the advantage of mouldings that can't be made with conventional moulding bits used on a shaper or router table. Currently there are approximately 80 standard cutter profiles. By changing cutters you have an unlimited moulding library. The small shop or home builder will find the Magic Moulder works well for producing, crown mouldings, casings, and base board etc. on the job site. Custom profile cutter plugs are also available.
The Magic Moulder is available directly from Forrest Manufacturing in their New Jersey Office: 800-733-7111 ext. 314, Ask for Charles, he is in charge of the Magic Molder project. He has some introductory specials available. Phone him at the above number or Fax him at 973-471-3333 attn. Charles, or email him snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com . Charles can send you sales information by snail mail, fax, or email attachment.
If you have questions about my tests or are interested in using the RAS for moulding, kindly place your questions on the Radial Saw Forum:
Disclaimer: Other than being a Forrest Blade user, I have no connection to Forrest Manufacturing. I received no compensation for performing this test.
Cheers,
Rumpty