new to me, craftsman 12 inch radial arm saw

[cody michael]

I just picked up a craftsman 12 inch radial arm saw, mainly for crosscutting to replace my 10 in slider. any advise or tips on the saw? I am new to them..

it has a CMT blade on it and a ridgid blade was also included. I will have to check but I think both blades are around 40 tooth.

should I just get one of those blades sharpened? or replace it with a higher tooth count? I have read about blades that are better for radial arm saw negative hook or rake? which one of those blades would be better that I have currently have? When I can afford it what is a good, decent priced blade, I saw some frued industrial on amazon for under 80$ that is about as high as I can go. is there a particular blade that works best for this type of saw?

[Duane Meadows]

I have one of those saws, Cody I bought it new in 1976! As for blades, a negative hook angle is best(less likely to want to self feed). I run mostly 10" blades because most 12" have a 1" arbor hole. The arbor on that saw is 5/8". In fact much of the time I use a CMT 8 1/4" blade. Cuts very well for most of what I use the saw for. If you are doing finish cuts, go for at least 60 teeth on a 10" blade. I do us Frued blades and like them a lot also.

As I side note, I rarely move the arm from 90 deg and it holds quite accurately.

[HANK METZ]

Cody, radial arm saws operate with a different set of dynamics then table saws, but can perform equally as well and in some cases better when you understand them. The parameters can be broken out into three different aspects which I call TABS; Table, Alignment, Blade Selection.

Table; Is fundamental to getting the most from your saw and all your accuracy will flow from this. A properly constructed one will be robust, yet not more or less than what is needed to do an effective job. That means you can expect it to do all with only a 20% footprint of a tablesaw, and backed up to a wall to boot.

Alignment; This too needs careful setup, and here is where a manufacturers quality of build will tell. Your Sears will take a bit more monitoring and readjustment than a Delta or DeWalt, but still can be a serviceable machine. The positive side is the more you do it, the easier it gets.

Blade Selection; A triple chip tooth, thin kerf design is the current choice for a good all- round blade. Hook angle varies among who you ask- some prefer a negative rake, myself I find a "0" to 10 degree max. positive rake makes me happy. Too much more rake and the blade attack is too aggressive, causing a self- feed which, although controllable, sure gets the attention of the unwary. This is perhaps the area that most people declare the saw type to be "dangerous", but so is ignorance of any tool's operational envelope.

This subject has been discussed often enough that a search of the archives will answer all your questions in detail, including links to ways and means of setting up and using your saw.

[cody michael]

thanks for the info, I haven't used it much yet, but pulling the head in and out seems stiff at either end, all the way pushed in and all the way pulled out both feel stiff. is that normal? is there something I can grease or oil to make it smoother? if so what?

is there a benefit to using 10 in vs 12 in? a good part of the reason I purchased it was for the crosscutting capacity, if I go with a 10 in won't I lose about an inch of crosscut capacity?

I am pretty happy with the stand it is on. but would prefer a more smooth slippery surface something like a sheet of melamine like I see on sale at menards every so often, would that be a good upgrade? I would like to just get a 1/4 in thick sheet and glue/screw it to the existing table. would that work well?

and thanks for letting me know about the arbor, I hadn't thought about that

[Duane Meadows]

Cody, biggest advantage is blades are cheaper. 12" blades with 5/8 arbor are pretty much special order. You can use a bushing with a 1" arbor blade.

I do have a 12" blade or 2 that I use when I need to cut 4x4's... most any thing else, smaller blades will cut. 10" good for 3-3 1/2" at 90 deg

[HANK METZ]

thanks for the info, I haven't used it much yet, but pulling the head in and out seems stiff at either end, all the way pushed in and all the way pulled out both feel stiff. is that normal? is there something I can grease or oil to make it smoother? if so what?

is there a benefit to using 10 in vs 12 in? a good part of the reason I purchased it was for the crosscutting capacity, if I go with a 10 in won't I lose about an inch of crosscut capacity?

I am pretty happy with the stand it is on. but would prefer a more smooth slippery surface something like a sheet of melamine like I see on sale at menards every so often, would that be a good upgrade? I would like to just get a 1/4 in thick sheet and glue/screw it to the existing table. would that work well?

and thanks for letting me know about the arbor, I hadn't thought about that

The carriage bearings on a radial saw shouldn't need an external lube job. Here's a link showing how the bearings of a DeWalt are rejuvenated, I suspect the Craftsman will respond equally as well to it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uLESB5r7S0

I always advise to use the smallest blade diameter to suit the work at hand, whether using radial or tablesaw, there are some good fundamental reasons for adopting that dictum. For most shop work using sheet goods, an 8" diameter will give satisfactory results, and be easier on the motor. Don't forget, one of the easiest ways of dealing with making a deep crosscut is to simply rotate or flip the work and make a mating cut to part. I use this blade: Freud LU83R008 8-Inch 40 Tooth ATB Thin Kerf Combination Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch Arbor http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LU83R008.../dp/B00020JOA0

Here is a link discussing the pros and cons of table construction, both large and small, study it before you make yours.
http://people.delphiforums.com/perri...ableSystem.htm

And as a bonus, here's a link detailing the history of radial arm saws in print, although weighted in favor of the DeWalt, still it provides a glimpse into an era when the machine was dominant in most home shops.
http://people.delphiforums.com/perri...%20History.htm

[Tom M King]

The holes in the bearings on the carriage have eccentric centers. You can play around with the settings and get absolutely all the play out of the movement, and get the blade aligned perfectly with the movement. I have one that I bought new in 1973, and it's set up to only make very accurate, and clean, 90 degree crosscuts. I don't use if for rough cutting. I haven't touched the adjustments on it in 20 years. I do raise and lower it for cutting shoulders on tenons, but I haven't changed the angle in decades. I do lube the tracks-used to use silicone, now crc 3-36.

Forrest keeps 12" blades with a 5/8" arbor in stock, even though they might not be listed online.

[cody michael]

is there any issue with using a bushing to make a 1inch arbor 5/8?

what things are important to check/setup to make sure I get accurate cuts? the square to the fence, and making sure blade is 90 degrees off table I see, are there other things?

does this saw have anything like a stop for a 90 degree cuts? to get back to 90 if you change it?

[Duane Meadows]

is there any issue with using a bushing to make a 1inch arbor 5/8?

what things are important to check/setup to make sure I get accurate cuts? the square to the fence, and making sure blade is 90 degrees off table I see, are there other things?

does this saw have anything like a stop for a 90 degree cuts? to get back to 90 if you change it?

As for the bushing, you'll get widely varying answers on that. Personally I don't have an problem with it. You can buy a set of them at Harbor Freight.

One other... carriage/blade perpendicular to fence. I should have a manual around(If I can find it!).

The saw has a detent, but it is not real accurate. I just push the arm all the way to one side(same side always, I go to the left) of the detent and calibrate there. Gets you very close that way. Though I just set it at 90 deg(actually think it is 0 deg on the scale!) and leave it there most of the time.

[cody michael]

I might buy this blade
http://www.amazon.com/Oshlun-SBW-120...tag=xiasblo-20

I would like to keep the cross cut capacity of the 12 in, and this blade is something I can afford soon. has any used oshlun blades? I have used them on my battery circular saw and thought they worked well.

[Rick Potter]

Crosscut capacity is determined by blade travel and fence location. You should be able to reposition the fence if you decide to use a 10" blade. Assuming you are not using really thick stock.

[Charlie Velasquez]

iwhat things are important to check/setup to make sure I get accurate cuts? the square to the fence, and making sure blade is 90 degrees off table I see, are there other things?

Since you are new to the RAS... Buy Jon Eakes's book http://www.joneakes.com/learning-cur...adial-arm-saws

It will walk you through the alignment process for your saw. The RAS is capable of a myriad of cuts. But, that means that there are a myriad of things that must be aligned to be accurate and safe. And, certain adjustments can affect the previous and succeeding adjustments, so there is an order that should be followed. I consider his book my bible for the RAS.

Additionally, do yourself a favor and invest time to make a dead flat table, then add a sacrificial top to it. Do it right the first time and never worry about it again. A search of the term "Mr. Sawdust Table" will give you an idea of one such table.

[HANK METZ]

...
what things are important to check/setup to make sure I get accurate cuts? the square to the fence, and making sure blade is 90 degrees off table I see, are there other things?
...

That question and many more are answered here.