Once I had a PC skill saw with a radial arm attachment
Then I had a radial arm saw
Then along came chop saws and the varios iterations, compound sliding etc
It is at the point were you cannot even give away a radial arm saw, so today I got to thinking that there must be some modification ot all them old RAS’s that could give them new life.
What’s yer idea? What have you done to your old RAS to give it a new utilitarian life
Eric
A rear addition provides a small-scale example of how to frame efficiently.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
if you had bought a crapsman,you could get a 100.00 in the mail for it.
if you find a good use hurry up and let me know,i just threw out the arm part in the trash today. kept looking at it thinking about a overhead router setup,decided i'd be about a 90 when i had the time.
YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T
MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE
DUCT TAPE.
if you had bought a crapsman,you could get a 100.00 in the mail for it.
I keep reading that you can get $100 for one, but I do not know "why". Massive recall and they wish to get rid of all future liability by collecting them?
What's the story?
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
Emerson, which manufactured the RAS for Sears for a number of years had a safety recall.On on many models they offered a replacement guard.But on others they did not make one an offered a bounty of $100 if you sent in the motor.http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/" * Emerson Tool Co. (ETC) is providing a repair kit for a new blade guard or $100 to owners of certain Craftsman¯ 8", 8¼", 9", and 10" Radial Arm Saws. Sears sold the 8, 9, and 10-inch saws from 1958 through 1992. The 8¼" saws were sold from 1990 through 1995. Is my saw part of this recall? * These saws were sold without a guard that covers the entire blade. Some consumers have contacted the blade or have been hit by wood kicked back by the saws, resulting in amputations, fractures and lacerations. * The kit will be provided to owners whose 10" saws are retrofitable with the kit. If the saw is not retrofitable (certain 10" and all 8", 8¼" and 9" Saws), the owner must return the radial arm saw carriage/motor assembly to Emerson to receive the $100."More details at the link.
.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
I wish I still had my old one. I'm thinking you could maybe mount a router to the carriage.
An upside down router table where the workpiece remains stationary. Modify it to be operated with a foot switch.
.......but why re-invent the wheel?
.......there are pin routers but I think they're much smaller
....... just my 2¢
oops.....AOB beat me to it..................
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Edited 6/7/2009 3:12 am by oldbeachbum
I just bought another one, a 50's era Sears. I am dedicating one with a moulding head, and another with a dado set up. Almost all of the operations are done with the spindle verticle and all work passed over an aux. table and aux. fence.
One of mine also accepts a drill chuck on the outboard end, handy for horizontal boring and hogging mortices.
Have one side by side with another or a chop saw and have an effective end trimmer for multiple length cutting of the same size.
If I had the room, I'd have as many as would fit in the shop.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"
Jed Clampitt
View Image
Do you own a boat , then it would make a very interesting anchor & you would be the first one on the lake , get lots of curious stares in the process .
I have an old Rockwell that has a shaft on the opposite end that a drill chuck can be attached. I can chuck in a drum sander or router bits.
This was my first major power tool purchase, back in the early 80's. It was a good compromise between a table saw and a chop saw, that were in there infancy back then. I attached a set of wheels in the back, and can wheel it around like a dolly.
"Shawdow boxing the appoclipse and wandering the land"
Wier/Barlow
I got rid of my 70's era DeWalt/B&D and picked up a 1946 DeWalt GW for $200. I have been much happier ever since and would recommend anyone who has a modern RAS to look for something older and better built. Most Craftsmans and B&D are junk IMO and would make proper boat anchors as mentioned.
Still, I only use my RAS for perfect 90˚ crosscuts and dados. Since I have two SCMS's and two TS's to make any angled or tapered cuts there is no reason to hassle changing up the RAS.
IMO you have got to look at these old combination machines (I have a Shopsmith too) and decide what they do BEST or what they can do that modern machines cannot. Then make them do that and just that.
The RAS can dado, SCMS's cannot and dadoing on the TS is not easily accurate.
I could maybe see using the RAS to do a few other operations like dedication it as a overhead router but still only for dados and sliding dovetail joints; not edge profiles.
I guess that's the other thing. The RAS has a unique sliding system so why would you make it stationary as a pin router? Horizontal boring sounds good but how often do you need to do that? and why? I have never needed to perform any horizontal boring operation.
Then there are attachments:
View Image
BTW: No, I would not really recommend a chain mortising attachment for a RAS.
DC
The only RAS that routs worth a flip is the Old Ryobi 8.5" that had the spindle speed of 18K or 22K whatever it was, I had one.
The common RAS is way too slow for router bits.
Doweling doors or bed steads is pretty handy, and horiz. boring is my preferd way, and I hate tieing up the drill press or inverting the table.
But as shaper, the RAS is sweet, I made a plywood table that sits on the main table, and its got a 15 degree slope, make the blade plunge from the back fence and you can make raised panels easily. Again, to me, its not tieing up another machine..and I agree, Shopsmith and the like are better suited for one operation ( say a lathe) and stick with it.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
View Image
"The only RAS that routs worth a flip is the Old Ryobi 8.5" that had the spindle speed of 18K or 22K whatever it was, I had one."I've got one of those, but it hasn't seen the light of day for at least 15 years. Never used the router feature.Ill have to pul it out one of these days.John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
The old Monkey Wards Powr Kraft RAS had a 20,000 RPM motor, with the blade geared down. That made for lousy torque, and the blade tended to stall.But the 20,000take-off spindle was sweet! Tilt the head, and you’ve got a new profile.All I use it for now, really, is grinding chisels and plane irons using the 3,450 RPM spindle. I clamp a Vee-block to the table, rest the handle of the chisel in that, and tip the blade forward onto the wheel with the motor off. The easy up/down and in/out adjustment of the head makes it easy to adjust for a perfect hollow grind.Once you’re grinding, you can remove the tool to dip it in water, and return it to the exact same position on the wheel.You can also leave a honing jig clamped to the blade without interfering with the grinding process. This is really handy for chipped chisels. With a normal, dull blade, I just grind enough to reduce the honing flat to a narrow strip. This way, I’m never actually grinding the edge with that 3,450 RPM (too fast) wheel.So with a chipped chisel, I do the same thing, then hone on an extra-coarse diamond stone or 80-grit paper until the honing strip is wide again. Repeat the process until the nick is gone. It goes pretty quick, and you don’t have to experience the awful feeling you get when you see that blue burn spread back from the edge.AitchKay
Put it in your bedroom and hang clothes over it -- kinda like an exercise bike.
That is interesting as I have been wanting to pick up a radial arm saw for some time now... just don't have the room.
I can imagine there are plenty of practical uses for it where no other tool would do as well.
I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
<<I can imagine there are plenty of practical uses for it where no other tool would do as well.>> You know I picked one up thinking the same thing. So far, not really. I keep a dado set on there and make
lap joints from time to time.
Once in a while I need a very wide cross cut, but I
usually slap the Festo down. To be honest I'm not comfortable with the ripping
techniques involved with a RAS. So, a router and/or the Table saw handle those operations. Kind of rather have a Fien vac or something.
I will buy the next cheap RAS at a garage sale i see.
My plan is to set one up outside the toolshed ready to cut.
I also think if i ever get a house to side i will bring it to the job and leave it there , No one would steal it!!!.
Maybe put a special switch or plug so no one can turn it on
When I first started in construction in 1968 we had a BIG Dewalt RAS. I think it was 14" or 16". Was building apartments and we used that saw a lot to cut our own studs.
Edited 6/7/2009 4:55 pm by kenhill3
"Maybe put a special switch or plug so no one can turn it on"
Place a female end on the power cord. Make up an 8inch double male connector and carry it in your tool box......what are the chances someone else would have one laying around?
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Most of the Sears have a plastic key in the on / off switch, remove it, and no go vroom.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
View Image
Seem to remember an option to add a 'thickness sander - if that is the correct term.
I always thought that any guided tool over head or otherwise should at least be able to cut 24".
That way you could cross cut sheet goods.
If you could extend the arm of a radial arm to 24" it would come in pretty handy for cabinets.
Will Rogers