Radial arm saw vs. table saw. Tools for cabinetry?

[jo4hn]

Amen. No more dangerous than the TS if you use the holddowns, pawls, featherboards, etc. Keep your fingers away from spinning things (old Swedish saying). mahalo, jo4hn

[Duane Bozarth]

Guess who wrote: ...

Now that scary... :(

But, not the saw's fault the user wasn't set up right. I've seen a lot of dumb things on TS setups, too...

Now, I'll not say it's the first choice to rip w/ the RAS if one has an alternative, but as I noted in previous post, I've done it a lot when I didn't have an alternative and if set up properly I think it's no more dangerous than many other operations...

[Bob G.]

==================================== Well I still have ...and use... my 30+ year old Craftsman RAS ...but I will also admit that the darn thing has not moved off a 90 degree cut in the last 20 years...but I do have a Jig that allows me to cut perfect 45 degree cuts without moving the arm ...

That said... I am really not one to be intimidated...but I do have plenty of reservations about ripping on "MY" RAS... just not as comfortable as using a table saw...

As for the OP... I too suggest he keep the RAS (hell I wish I had a lot more "stuff" that belonged to my dad...) I have plenty BUT now that he is dead everything I see in my shop that once belonged to him just makes my day a little more enjoyable...nothing like taking a few seconds to remember him... ..................... ok I just took those seconds...

I suggest that the OP pay himself ...every single week... if he makes

2 bucks an hour..then toss 2 bucks under the mattress each week...if he makes 50 bucks an hour then toss 50 bucks under that mattress... when the mattress gets lumpy...go buy a GOOD Table saw...

Bob Griffiths

[Duane Bozarth]

"Bob G." wrote: ...

Pretty much the same for me as well although for some really long material the RAS is set up in a longer bench than the room the table saw is in will handle w/o hitting a wall so it's easier to use it than to move the TS---back then, I didn't a TS... :(

I'm back on the family farm and having all of Dad's and much of Granddad's "stuff" is, as you say, a treasured benefit...Dad wasn't very much on keeping old stuff for sentimental reasons, though, so I keep finding uses for something I remembered as a kid and discover it isn't around (the old wall-mounted hand crank drill press is one specific item). Of course, the old '28 Chevy truck I learned to drive in, the old Cat 22 or the AC D17 would be nice to still have, too... :)

Also, OP probably won't get much for the RAS if he tries to sell it anyway...

[Duane Bozarth]

...

Gee, why don't you tell us what you think???? :)

Different strokes...

They have their uses although I'll grant that most inexpensive ones are not very good (but, then again, a lot of inexpensive things aren't all that good, come to think of it).

On major function has been absorbed by the advent of the larger capacity chop saws although there's still nothing better for roughing out larger dimension rough stock assuming you've got the saw that will handle it, of course...I was lucky that the one I happened to find cheap when I got my first woodworking tool was, in fact, such a beast.

[sandman]

I speak my mind, 'cuz I have nothing to lose ;)

r

[Rich]

Yes you do, PLONK!

Rich

[Dooler]

And of course it does. Thanks. Didn't know there was a guard that could be installed. Since I am my father's son, any protection I can get from losing a finger would be helpful (my father never lost a finger, but always getting cut...IE: sliding knife towards fingers when sharpening).

Thanks again.

- Clayt>Since noone else has mentioned it, let me suggest that you go to

[GregP]

Yeah, but they can be useful. I had a Sears RAS that I used to replicate window and door moldings in the Victorian we owned (some of the original stuff was pretty well shot), make some furniture, use for a lot of carpentry stuff, etc. And a Sears circular saw and drill were good enough to build a deck, several arbors, fences, etc. These tools took a heck of a beating, were drowned once in a flooded basement, and have kept working. All of this put down of cheap gear seems to have more to do with something other than utility.

[Malcolm Webb]

Do you have details or, better still, a plan??

Many thanks

Malcolm Webb

[George]

Use the same one you use on the tablesaw, less the runners.

It's just split fences at angle. I always tilted my blade, though.

[Duane Bozarth]

GregP wrote: ...

There's a difference between "cheap" and "inexpensive" and there's also a difference in objectives of the owner/user, plus the personal preference of some for things that work well as opposed to "get by"...if you're satisfied w/ what you got, fine...I've found that every time I've tried to cut corners on a tool I end up being so dissatisfied that it costs me more in the long run because I'm out the initial expense the expense of getting the better tool anyway.

On a RAS in particular, and what I was thinking of when writing the previous post, was that on many of the less expensive I've seen the repeatability of the arm position is poor at best and the arm is not rigid enough to stand up to heavy use. I just detest having to fiddle around to get the precise angle I want every time...w/ the Original Saw Company radial, the blocks are set and reproducible time...

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I spoke from experience. I had one of those cheap Craftsman saws the OP suggested buying. Yes, it has something more to do that utility. It has to do with ease of use. It has a lot to do with making cross cuts on wide boards. Has a lot to do with making fixtures, jigs, and sleds that fit standard miter slots. Has a lot to do with accuracy of the fence.

If you like cheap tools, you are free to use them. I tried them and decided to take a different course in my tool buying. Ed

[kwoodhands]

Forget the cheap table saw, your better off with handheld circular saw than that junk. I do not care for a radial arm saw myself, but I have suggestions that may help.Set the saw up so it is slightly out of level from front to back. This will make the saw carriage slide away from you, this is a safety matter. Remove fence, add 3/8"x 3/4"x2" spacer blocks to the table. Put the blocks about 6" on center and replace fence. Now you created a space for sawdust to go, you won't get build up of dust along fence. Use saw for crosscuts only.I know you have ability to rip but it is dangerous.Rip with a skilsaw until you have the money to buy a real saw.If you need to make miters or angled cuts, make jigs for these angles and leave the saw set up at 90=B0.Check often that your blade is square to the fence, make any necessary adjustments if needed.Use a blade that is correct for a radial arm saw.

mike

[Bob G.]

Thats just about right.... just a simple hunk of plywood with split adjustable fences... IT IS NOT the same one I use on the tablesaw but is identical except it has no runners and attaches to the RAS table with a couple of bolts...

Bob Griffiths

[George]

I had a "runner" I gripped in the fence slot, after removing the RAS fence. That way I had full distance to the right, where the existing fence, if left in place would have interfered, and the full benefit of my tuning for square to fence and heel out.

However, as >

[Duane Bozarth]

GregP wrote: ...

That's probably not too bad a comparison as it was about 25 years ago is about the time Sears really started the trend to "cheapening up" the Craftsman line...I, too, have a Craftsman router of slightly earlier vintage and still use it/like it for smaller work as it is lighter than the others. But, I don't think there's a single one bearing the Craftsman brand today that's built as well as it was...

This is, of course, a never-ending debate... :)

[GregP]

I'm not sure that many people "like" cheap tools, so you're addressing the exception rather than the rule. My point is that if you're financially constrained, you will get by and get decent work done with whatever you can afford. That will most likely take you more effort, but unless you're a professional who must make a living off this work, or you're simply in a hurry, that shouldn't keep you from going ahead anyway.

[I also wonder about the "cheap" aspect when looking back. For instance, I bought a "cheap" Sears router 25 years ago: it was somewhere near the middle of the Craftsman line, somewhere in the $45 - $50 range. It didn't do badly but I did have to constantly readjust cutter depth and those adjustments were a designed- in pita. About a month ago I bought one of those new PC 2.25 hp units. It cost me $190. My guess is that with inflation, the two are pretty comparable in cost. And while the PC is somewhat more powerful and reasonably smooth, the Sears always had enough power to do what I wanted and it actually vibrates less and has similar heft to it. There's no doubt that the PC will be easier to use and make my time more efficient, but I don't see sufficient difference to call one a Yugo and the other a BMW.

bought

[Doug Winterburn]

First of all, if the saw motor will move on the arm by itself with a slight tilt, it isn't adjusted properly. It should be adjusted so that it moves with some resistance, but smoothly. In moving the motor, you shouldn't be able to make the bearings slide on the arm with firm finger pressure on the bearings.

Secondly, you should need no spacers between the main table and the fence, rather a 1/4" sacrificial top with 1/8" space between it and the fence. If you were to place spacers on the rear of the main table, you would need to trim the 3/8" off of the rear of the main table to keep the fence in the proper alignment. This could allow the fence to bow slightly away from the rear table causing precision problems.

The RAS needs to be tuned in a strict sequence as most adjustments depend on previous adjstments.

The best advice as stated here many times is to get either or both of the books written by Mr Sawdust and Jon Eakes and follow the alignment/tuneup instructions exactly. When set up and used properly, the RAS is not a dangerous tool for cross cutting or ripping.

- Doug

[Dave W]

I have blades marked for table/miter saw so apparently there is a difference. I've always used the same blades for RAS. What is the difference? I don't recall any advertised specifically for RAS. Dave

Mike said: Use a blade that is correct for a radial arm saw.

mike