My First Gloat - and it's older than me

[Shawn Honeychurch]

Gotta Love It, hunting down tools older than myself.

1955 DeWalt MBF RAS. - $220.00

I had DeWalt/B&D 7740 RAS, but it was loose and under powered. Been searching Craigslist and such for ages for an MBF but these things are never available on the island (Vancouver Island, BC, CANADA).

Finally found one in Victoria, in great shape, minimal use, that's the original maple cutting deck and most of those cuts on it are from me using over the past week. It's as tight and smooth and true as it was fresh from the factory. I drove down on a beautiful sunny day and picked it up from a great gent named Bob, who was also selling a beautiful old Delta Unisaw, with the 3HP baldor motor.

Well the MBF even without any cleaning or tuning cuts as well as or better than any other saw I have ever owned or used. I will do a complete tear down and rebuild this coming winter, more for fun and learning than need, heck I might even get crazy and repaint it.

136_3693.JPG 136_3694.JPG 136_3695.JPG

I love my saw.
Shawn

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I was just wishing I could find something like that. Nice score and gloat!

[Joe Jensen]

Nice find and a worthy gloat..joe

[Alex Shanku]

Great saw!! Blows my craftsman out of the water!!

Might want to swap that blade out for something with less hook angle.

Sweet deal!

[J. Z. Guest]

Looks great. It seems like your anti-kickback pawls are aimed the wrong way, if you ever intend to use them. (one pic suggests that maybe you do intend to rip on it now and again )

[Bob Aquino]

I don't think I would touch the finish on that saw, looks like the original spatter paint. If it is running as nicely as you say it is, might be better off just cleaning, lubing and adjusting it and leaving it be. Congrats by the way. Thats a big YOU SUCK.

[Rob Russell]

I don't think I would touch the finish on that saw, looks like the original spatter paint. If it is running as nicely as you say it is, might be better off just cleaning, lubing and adjusting it and leaving it be.

+1

I wouldn't repaint that - I had one of those that I gave to a friend and it had the same spatter coating.

[Orlando Gonzalez]

Nice find. I also got one that I paid $80 for off CL and use it for cross cutting applications. I also wouldn't paint it. I had to paint mine because it needed it. I would verify that the motor bearings and the start cap are good. Would also check out the roller bearrings and clean out the ways if necessary. Otherwise, just clean it up with Simple Green or a similar product.

Like Alex said change out the blade to a Forrest WWI for RAS (need to call Forrest and ask for Charles since the blade needs to be special ordered) or get a Freud LU83008 TK 8" 40T combination blade, which I'm using now, works well. Stay with an 8" or 8-1/2" blade, they don't strain the 3/4HP motor. For dado blades I got the Freud SD208 8" dado stack and the SD206 6" dado stacks. I'm using the 6" on the RAS and the 8" on the TS. I found that the 8" dado blade was a bit strainful on the 3/4HP motor. However, like I said before, the regular TK 8" or 8-1/2" blades don't strain the motor.

Take a look at the DeWalt RAS Forum and the FAQs as well. They have good info there about your MBF. I would also consider getting Wally Kunkel's "Mastering the Radial Arm Saw" for alignment, use, and instructions on building a top notch table for it. Google "Mr. Sawdust" and you'll find it.

Good luck. You'll have fun with it.

Regards

Orlando

[Peter Quinn]

Congrats Shawn! Nice saw. That's the one my grand father had, the one I grew up on. Don't think I'd have the heart to repaint it. Don't think I'll ever have the nerve to rip on one either.

I'm using a 1951 DeWalt GR-41 long arm (24" cross cut, 14" blade). That old iron is seriously nice to work with. I have no problems with climbing or jerking, very smooth saws. People say the SCMS has replaced the RAS? Maybe the craftsman RAS, but I've yet to see a SCMS that can break down lumber and sheet goods like a well tuned Dewalt!

Next time a guy tells you his SCMS has replaced the RAS hand him a rough slab of 12/4 white oak and see how that goes!

[John Thompson]

Very nice find, Shawn.. I used the basic same saw in HS shop in 1962 if I remember the dates correctly. If I were in need of a RAS... an early DeWalt would be one of the few that would get the call.

They can keep all the current RAS's that are still on the market. But the DW was a heavy-weight contender in the day when RAS's were common.

Sarge..

[David DeCristoforo]

Sweeeeet. The ones with the red knobs are very hard to find in such good condition. If you overhaul the saw, be very careful with the knobs... don't drop them on the concrete floor or anything. The old bakelite tends to be brittle and can break easily. The red knobs are very hard to replace.

[Jim Becker]

If I had to have a RAS...that's an example of something that I'd love to own! Congratulations on a very nice find!

[Mike Spanbauer]

Grats! They are sweet saws. Have 2 mbc's myself. Amazingly powerful for the motor hp rating (although they were conservative in those days... might be a 7hp craftsman these days )

mike

[Shawn Honeychurch]

Wow:

Lots of good info here, thanks all.
I am planning on getting one of the Forrest WWI blades as it was previously recommended to me as well. Though I have to ask, WHY? The existing blade cuts great, is very controllable and makes a beautiful clean cut. So, why do I need to get a RAS specific blade, when my Grandpa taught me to use a RAS he would just grab the blade of off his TS and use that.

Thanks for the point on the pawls Jeremy, I'll get that set right tonight. And "NO" I do not plan to rip usi9ng the MBF, I have done so before on other RAS's when I had no other option, but I did not like doing it, and it never felt really safe to me, fir ripping I'll stick to my Delta TS.

The roller bearings and ways are smooth and clean, the motor starts smooth and quiet and purrs like a kitten, and does not bog down when cutting, my 7740 would bog down frequently even on small cuts, but this thing is a champ, that said I will be careful not to abuse it.

I am already a part of the DeWalt RAS forum and OMMW, and Wally's book was ordered last week.

I am going to do some measuring tonight and see if a Freud SD608 dial a width dado might fit on it. That would be a sweet and easy to use setup.

Thanks for the warning David, I got the feeling using those knobs that they might be brittle, so I will be careful.

No insult to anyone intended, but I have used many SCMS before and compared to this RAS they all feel like kids toys. This saw is a keeper, my 5 year old daughter already wants to learn how to use it.

Shawn

[David DeCristoforo]

Don't overlook Wolfe Machinery. They have been rebuilding DeWalts forever and are the best source of parts on the planet....

http://www.wolfemachinery.com/