RAS Gloat...Does this qualify?

[Greg Koch]

I posted about getting this Craftsman 2.5hp RAS on another thread. I found out there was a recall on the saw and called the Emerson Co. and ordered a refit kit. The kit contains a new and expanded blade guard, a new handle so you can raise and lower the guard, and a new top...sans fence. Took a couple of weeks, and UPS delivered a pretty good sized box. Got all the parts put together and on the saw and finished exchanging the new table top today. I got a 3" by 48" piece of Oak for the fence, a bit higher than usual and left 4" on each end. Saw is starting to look new again! Made the initial 90 cut through the fence and plywood top sheet I put on to protect the MDF board.

So, maybe half a gloat?

Greg

[Larry Cooke]

Greg,

I have the brother to your saw and did the same thing. I ordered mine online and all I thought I was getting was a new guard assembly. Couple weeks later, brown knocked on the door and the LOML answered it. Called me to come get whatever I had ordered because it was too heavy for her to handle. I was trying to remember what I had ordered but I hadn't ordered anything. Then it dawned on me that it must be the guard.

I wasn't expecting a new top for the saw! I haven't installed it yet but will get to it soon.

I'd consider your deal to be good gloat.

Larry

[Greg Koch]

Larry,

It's still surprising that the kits are still available....my saw is a 1983 model! I called the 800 #, and the lady took my model and serial number and said the kit should be delivered in a couple of weeks. BTW, you get a new manual too!

Greg

[Larry Cooke]

BTW, you get a new manual too!

Incredible, I haven't done more than open the top of the box to confirm that it was a new table top in there. I still have my original manual, guess I'll have a pair now. I bought mine new back in 82 or 83 so I suspect we have the identical saw.

Larry

[Greg Koch]

Larry,

Does your's have the aluminum "joy stick" style handle, or the black "D" style? I have a friend who has an '83 "D" style and he just got his kit too. Your new handle has a level attached to raise and lower the guard. My model number is 113.199250. It's very solid and tight and seems to cut well. (I just got it, so haven't used it a lot yet).

Greg

[Larry Cooke]

Greg,

It's the aluminum joy stick style and my model number is...(going out to the shop to look so don't go away...) 113.199250 - same as yours.

When I bought mine, I bought it new from Sears. I had high hopes of building new kitchen cabinets in the house but due to my inexperience with both wood working and tool setup I never built the cabinets. I couldn't get it set well enough to make very accurate cuts - and this was due to my lack of patience. I figured as much as I spent on the saw why do I need to make all of these darn adjustments.

Now that I'm older and maybe a little wiser I will take the appropriate time to set it up right now. I also made the mistake of not using a sacrificial table on it... Yes, I have cuts in the original table and I'm ashamed of that. When I got the shipment from Emerson, I was so happy to see it had the new top in the box.

As to cuts, because I never dialed in right it wasn't very good (read accurate.) I did learn over time to double check things before making cuts and have found that I can make pretty accurate cuts with some fudging. (Just takes longer to do'em.)

With the new kit and some triple checking of the table alignments you're going to be very happy with this saw. It's a lot cheaper than a sliding CMS and you can use a dado stack too, if that's important to you.

Larry

[Greg Koch]

Larry, just be sure to check that the table top boards are exactly the same as your old original ones... I just realized that mine are not (Duh, that's what tape measures are for) and my Rip scale is therefore off. I'm gonna have to do a "Cut & Paste) to get it correct.

I went through the adjustments/checks and everything is right on. The adjustments aren't that difficult, and when you get them done, they should pretty much stay correct, unless you bang the saw around...LOL!

Greg

[Steve Clardy]

I've got the recall, fix kit for my 1986 saw. Still in the box, unopened.
Figured I'd save it till the time comes to sell it, or turn it into a boat anchor.
Mine is used for rough cutting stock to overlength only.

[Larry Cooke]

Larry, just be sure to check that the table top boards are exactly the same as your old original ones...

Thanks for the heads up Greg. I know I would have done what you did so now I'm one up on it!

I went through the adjustments/checks and everything is right on. The adjustments aren't that difficult, and when you get them done, they should pretty much stay correct, unless you bang the saw around...LOL!

As I recall it wasn't that hard to do I was just in too much of a rush to use it when I first got it. After that it was just a matter of saying to myself I need to fix the adjustments - but it seemed that all I needed it for was simple cuts so I never took the time to actually do it. I will now with the new top and guard.

Larry

[Larry Cooke]

Figured I'd save it till the time comes to sell it, or turn it into a boat anchor.
Mine is used for rough cutting stock to overlength only.

Steve, I thought about doing the same thing, but to be honest if I were to sell it I don't think I'd get that much for it and then I'd be faced with wanting to replace it somehow with something like a SCMS and they aren't cheap.

Right now, I'm trying to decide on a new table saw. The RAS is the best tool in my shop for cutting so until I get a table saw I'm going to make do with it.

Larry

[Stephen Dixon]

I did the recall upgrade on my saw several years ago. Just to note the tables are not meant to be the same width, and your rip gauge will be off. Does anyone actually use the rip gauge? The new guard takes up more room behind the fence, so they move the fence forward and you loose some cutoff width. That's why they send you a new table. Did you think Emerson sent the table just because they like us.

Steve

[Larry Cooke]

Stephen,

That makes sense. As I mentioned, I haven't installed the upgrade yet and no I haven't really used the rip gauge other than for reference. I always measure from the fence to the inside of the blade kerf to be 100% sure so this isn't going to be an issue for me.

And, yes, I think Emerson likes us! (Please don't burst my bubble...)

Larry

[Rick Thom]

Ordered and received the recall stuff last week for my RAS which I originally purchased in '78!
Took the best part of a day to install and re-adjust everything. Most settings were close but none dead on. My saw is the same as that pictured at the start of thread, so it's all manual. Original invoice clipped to my manual ..close to $800. Additional blades, molding heads, 6" wobble dado set, sanding drum, jaw chuck...... used all of it quite a bit years ago.
As I set and reset the adjustments I was wondering if I should buy and use a dial indicator for my tools. Some things you can eye-ball, but you can end the guessing game for a very modest outlay (< $50), and periodically recheck very easily.
New blade installed (Freud 606) and it's hummmmmming better than ever.

[Frank Pellow]

Congratulations to all you folks who have installed your radial arm saws upgrades and more power to you for persisting with your saws.

My counter gloat is that I did not purchase a radial arm saw when they were so very very popular. I used the saws of a couple of my woodworking friends back in the 1970s , but I was afraid of them. I am still afraid of them.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

That really sounds like a major gloat to me. I started my woodworking experience in the late 50's (I was 12 or 13 I think.) when Dad bought a used Craftsman RAS. His first project was to make new kitchen cabinets. He still has it with the original red oak top. He taught me to understand the way a machine works and to respect its power and proper use. We have cross cut, ripped, mitered, compound mitered, cut dadoes and used Sears 3 cutter molding head without an accident. I don't fear a RAS, but I darned sure respect them.