You couldn't cut a 10 ft board on the table saw, that's why its rough cut on radical saw to length where it's easy to cut on the table saw.
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You couldn't cut a 10 ft board on the table saw, that's why its rough cut on radical saw to length where it's easy to cut on the table saw.
Member
How did I know this would be a long thread...
I have kept a Craftsman RAS for more than 25 years and for the vast majority of that time it has been set up at 90* as a cross-cut saw. A uni-tasker that takes up a decent amount of room but really does excel at its one task. It also is a pleasure to use cutting dados. I consider it a luxury evidenced by the fact I have never replaced it with a more capable saw. A CSMS will cover most of the function I use it for but for simple crosscuts I always use it instead of my CSMS. They can be useful tools but there isn't anything it does one of the other basic machines in a shop won't do add to that the number of excellent fine furniture builders that don't have one in their shop it would seem it is absolutely not "NECESSARY" but many people find them useful.
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In my latest incarnation of a shop, I have a 1940 DeWalt radial arm and a DeWalt 12" sliding miter saw.
I used to have a unisaw with the 72" fence and I have used a wide variety of sleds and miter gauges with the saw, but I find that I much prefer doing crosscuts on everything I can on the radial arm. Its quiet compared to the miter saw and my cuts are more accurate. I wanted more room in my shop and the long fence just was taking up too much room. I ended up shortening my saw to a fence length of 36" and made a dual router station, but not until I cleared out the shop and dropped in a wooden floor because my back was killing me working on a hard cold cement floor.
This is my second radial arm. My first was a Delta and I never trusted the saw. It was a 16" saw and regardless of the time I took to dial it in using the Mr Sawdust book methods I never felt comfortable using it and didn't trust it. From the first day with the DeWalt it was obvious to me that it was much more stable and once I put a WWI wally kunkle blade on it I have enjoyed using it for all my crosscuts.
Member
Who can't? Remove the fence and use your miter gauge, table saw sled, or sliding table to crosscut the board -- done and done. All that's necessary is sufficient room to the right and/or left of the blade, but that also applies to radial arm saws.Originally Posted by Steven Hsieh
And you certainly can't crosscut a 4' wide panel on your RAS.
[This is from the perspective of people with limited shop space; if you've got a large shop with tons of free space, then, sure, why not get a good RAS.]
Last edited by Frank Drew; 10-24-2010 at 10:16 PM.
Member
Charlie, WELL SAID, good research.
I've had a RAS for 9+ years now and can't imagine not having one. Mine is setup on a bench with my SCMS using a common fence. My Crapsman RAS was given to me by a friend. I didn't use a negative hook blade, and used the same blades as the table saw. Once in a great while I'd check the cut to ensure it was still square and plumb, but thats all. I took the time to precisely set it up when I first put it in service and it never gave me any surprises or problems.
I now have a 12" Delta Turret saw so I don't use the TS blades any more, but I just use regular TS rip and CC blades. I straight line rough lumber with the RAS and a sled since I don't have room for doing so at the TS.
Last edited by Mike Harrison; 10-24-2010 at 11:05 PM.
Mike Harrison
Member
Who can't? Remove the fence and use your miter gauge, table saw sled, or sliding table to crosscut the board -- done and done. All that's necessary is sufficient room to the right and/or left of the blade, but that also applies to radial arm saws.
And you certainly can't crosscut a 4' wide panel on your RAS
[This is from the perspective of people with limited shop space; if you've got a large shop with tons of free space, then, sure, why not get a good RAS.]
yeah, but what if you have a 10 foot long window frame, or door frame with a transom, that needs crosscut dadoes in it?
yeah you could router them with a jig i suppose. but considering i only paid 300 bucks for my massive RAS i don't think it'll take me long to save 300 dollars worth of time with the RAS.
better RAS's that have accurate stops back at zero are also excellent for miters, since they're much more accurate than modern plastic/aluminum miter saws.
Member
The SCMS is a "radial arm saw", and has won out in the every shop that has no need for the larger traditional ancestor.
So for me yes- my Hitachi 8" radial arm saw is essential equipment in my shop.
It will do fine miters and shoulder work all the way up to chopping as large of planks as ever see the inside of my shop.
As a professional wood worker, I have always found it odd that so many RAS's are found in home maintainance type shops. They are often the only large power tool around. If I were to equip a home shop, there is no way that I would end up in choosing the RAS as the one stationary tool.
I think the RAS was sort of a suburban culture thing- "You putting a shop in your garage?" "Get yourself a good radial arm saw"....
There is a no doubt a 60's Popular Mechanics write up on the "Versatile Radial Arm Saw" that led the way.
If I started doing built ins and other more standard custom cabinet shop jobs I would consider getting a large RAS in my shop again. For the work I currently do- no need.
So let your projects define what is "Necessary".
Last edited by Tom Rick; 10-25-2010 at 9:04 AM.
Member
Got mine in 1978. Yep, its a Craftsman. Took me a while to get it set correctly but, once set, I was well pleased. Got my first TS about 3 yrs. ago. I use both RAS and TS in my projects.
Bill
On the other hand, I still have five fingers.
Not if you have to askIs a RAS a necessary Shop Component?. As you notice there are multiple schools of thought and levels of enthusiasm for the RAS. It will vary in value depending on the type of work you do. I make furniture and don't use a RAS or a chop-saw. The required footprint doesn't pay its own way in my shop. YMMV.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Member
I grew up framing houses, where a Dewalt or Comet radial arm saw was almost indespensible for cutting studs, cripples, and headers. If you have a long wall in the shop, a radial arm saw is handy, but not necessary. Unless I had a lot of long cut-off work to do, I would probably dedicate money and space to other things, such as a hollow chisel mortiser or similar machine.
Lynn
Member
I think it depends on what you're doing. I routinely crosscut 8-10' sycamore 2x16's, make trapezoidal parts from 1x6's, do 15 degree bevel cuts, and cut tenon shoulders and dadoes with my RAS. I maybe use the miter gauge on my tablesaw once or twice a year, so little that I really need to replace the combo blade with a good rip blade. The dust collection is pretty good, and it's loud but not a screamer.
On the other hand, I almost never use sheet goods, and when I do I break them down with a circular saw. So something like, say, a big sliding tablesaw would be not only extravagant but an inconvenience.
Kirk
Guest
Can I ask a dumb question? Isn't the contemporary sliding miter saw essentially a replacement or the "new version" of a RAS? With a good set up, can't you use a sliding miter saw to do the same in terms of rapid repetitive cuts? I realize you can't put a dado blade on a miter saw, but otherwise, it seems like the same tasks can be accomplished with the miter saw. Then again, a Festool TS 55 and a MFT do the same type of cross cutting and other cuts. I guess my point is there are so many options, though none are exactly the same.
Contributor
While reading through the above posts about having a RAS, I lost my mind and bought a Dewalt model GP RAS. As soon as I get my mind back, I will post some pics.
Member
not really, for the dado'ing reasons. modern SCMSs do have depth stops of some sort typically, but they are not accurate from my experience. on my bosch it's just a simple threaded rod that runs into the aluminum column. only problem is the column has as much as a 1/16th of flex, so the depth stop is all but useless.
a RAS will have a rigid, accurate depth control mechanism. you can cut dadoes as accurately on a RAS as you can on a table saw.
Contributor
Bean Counters never were any Fun! But..but...isn't a mathematical statistician making guessesa bit of an oxymoron?
[/SIGPIC]Necessisity is the Mother of Invention, But If it Ain't Broke don't Fix It !!
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