Let me start by saying that I am a weekend warrior. My wife, god bless her, keeps me pretty busy and if not my wife its’ the kids with there projects. I have, like many of you, a garage shop. I have a PM table saw, Ridgid bandsaw, drill press, Hitachi sliding compound miter and several routers, nailers, compressors, everything you would expect in a small setup.
Several months back my parents sold their home to downsize. My dad, who was a carpenter for 30 some years, tossed several tools my way including his Delta 10″ RAS (Radial Arm Saw). I was excited to have it. I built a cabinet for it, hooked it up to the DC unit, and ‘dialed’ it in. The only problem is that I have only used it once since I took possession. When it was at my parents I would use it a lot. I guess now I have learned to make do without.
The question to anyone reading this post is, should I sell it off? There are several other tools that I would love to have, a thickness planer, jointer, bigger DC unit. Most of my projects are cabinet based, but I would love to build more furniture.
Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
Replies
I use mine infrequently, and most of the posters here would advise you to use it as a boat anchor. I actually like my RAS, but it very very old, from the 1940's and is a bit of a monster, but it whacks 4x4's like a hot knife. It is also very handy for making tenons with a dado blade and is a very safe tool if you use it for cross cuting. Do not try to rip with it.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
We had one for awhile, and finally ditched it at an auction. I have to say, though, if I had the space for one and I was making furniture with many, many dados (e.g., non-adjustable bookcases) that would be the tool I'd want. Also great for crosscutting long or wide pieces of stock to size. Running the tool over the work (but not a router with expensive bits) is much easier than running the work over the tool (table saw).
T'were I in your position, it would be mostly a matter of space -- if I had the space to keep it, I would. If space was tight, that'd be the first tool to go.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
You know, with the new compound miters, a RAS only cuts 3-4 inches wider. My Hitach will do a 12.5" board easily. If I were cutting thick boards over 2" the RAS is the machine. I am finding it difficult to justify keeping it.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Ohhhhh, 15 yards for insufficient disclosure, LOL! You didn't tell us you have a SCMS......forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
If you buy rough sawn wood in bulk and keep it drying in an out building, a RAS is nice to have out there for cutting the wood to length before you bring it indoors. I've seen a RAS relegated to that duty in several shops.
John W.
I know what you are talking about. In my profession as a landscape architect, I am on several residential home projects every week. Many of the framers have 12" RAS that they tow behind their trucks and they use them them for rough cuts in heavy lumber.
If I did more project were I needed to cut multiple tenons or heavier lumber I could definitely see the benefit. Now, I typically use my bandsaw for tenons only because it is what I am used to doing.
Thanks
I recently donated my RAS to a local high school wood shop. Have not missed it one bit.
-Bob
Been there done that. A neighbor threw out a Craftsman 10" RAS and I happened to come upon it at the curb.
When I 'drug' that heavy sinker into my garage,my heart skipped a beat or too.
The damn thing must have been standing in five inches of water for a few years
If anyone of you ever experienced a car's motor 'Seized up', you'll understand my predicament
Should I deep-six it?
Should I save the motor ?
Maybe use it as a post for my mailbox ?
After futile attempts to free up the totally rusted column/post,
I used my head instead of my brawn, (Braun?)(A little Hessian humor)
and,being a stubborn 'Kraut' with a frugal (Cheap) bent,
I stripped it down to all it's pieces except for the telescoping column, base and rack and pinion assembly
Then soaked it in a tub with alternate applications of Rust Buster
Liquid Wrench,Marvel Mystery Oil (and sometimes all three).
Days and weeks past and I was able to move the post 1/4" up in the column. Wirh the hehp of a brass plug and a bar clamp and more time I was able to work it up and down a little more.
I suddenly had an Epifhany and devised a solution:
I filled the area above the 'Piston'and inside the open top of the 'Cylinder' with the solvent'Brew' and affixed four lengths of 5/8th 'All-thread' to top and botton metal cleats and tightened down the four nuts with a long wrench. Each day,I was rewarded with about 1/2" of free travel.
"Lookin' good" I said to my self, and it was all downhill from there Cleaned and polished every metal part, oiled and greased every moving part Built a 5/4" table, New blade, adjusted the geometry and bought and installed a new brake solenoid. Used it once or twice but gave it to my son who 'Lent' it to his friend and HE loves it to pieces
That was six years ago and I'm thinking of visiting his shop one of these days just to say "HY!"
Steinmetz.
I wish you luck on selling it. Even giving it away. This past summer I put all my wood working machines up for sale in preparation for a move I was making as I didn't want the expense or hassel of moving machinery. Everthing sold in good time , even a '40's vintage Shopsmith, except the RA saw. Nobody would even look at it. This is a 3 yr old Delta 10". Don't remember the model #. Cross cuts 16" though. Used very little. Only for some occasional dado work or cross cutting rough stock. I used my SCM for all my other cross cuts, miters etc. Nobody wanted it ,so I moved it with me. I'm in the process of building a new shop now and I guess I'll Have to find a place for it when I get set up.
I guess its like any tool. If you're not using it, why keep it. There are advantages and disadvantages to all tools. Personally, I'd rather cut dadoes on a RAS than a table saw any time. I won't get rid of mine. That's just my personal opinion. If you want, or need, something else, go for it. The last thing you need is a large tool taking up valuable space.
Hello all,
A number of years ago, when my then finance wanted some trim work done on her house, I was looking at miter saws. Being a very newbie then, (I was in Sears for God's sake!) I saw the radial arm saw, and quickly assumed that it gave me more tool for the money. Convinced her that this could be an early Christmas present, and it ended up in the basement wood shop. After 2 years, of never being able to adjust it to cut a true 45 degree angle, I simply gave up. I was able to some interesting things with it though, providing it was a square setup. And I will echo what one poster here said, DO NOT USE IT FOR RIPPING. That d@#%m thing sent a board 25 feet into the opposite concrete block wall, luckily I was not in between. So my advice.......get rid of it, if you can get some $$ fine, but IMO it simply is not worth the space it takes up in a small shop.
Pleasant smelling sawdust to all!
FastEddie in Lancaster, Pa
P.S. We never did get married, but still hang out together, seems better that way, for some reason
I used a RAS exclusively for about 10 yrs and it did ok but after I got a table saw in '85, the radial table became a "junk" magnet. I think I used it on one job between '85 and '95 when I had to cut dados in some large timbers. It sat around the shop until a few yrs ago when I donated it to Goodwill. I'm about 90% sure that the attendant kept it for himself. - lol
The moral of the story is that a RAS is marginally useful in my opinion.
I bought my 10 inch DeWalt RAS new about 43 years ago and I love it. When I reworked my shop area I built eight foot benches on each side of the saw with guide fences and builtin measuring tapes and sliding stops. It's great for cutting multiple pieces to length, and also a good way for cross-cutting dadoes. I do almost all of my cross-cutting on the RAS, and use my 10 inch tablesaw for ripping. The DeWalt has been a reliable friend for years and I'd feel lost without it.
I did the same with my RAS as far as the tables on each side and incorporated on of my miter saws. It works for me for dados and rought cutoff and would not want to be without it.
Garry http://www.superwoodworks.com
If you want to ever do any kerf bent stuff a RAS is the way to go.
You know those curved starting risers and treads you see at the bottom of fancy stairs. That curved riser is kerfed on the back. The RAS was just the tool for that.
About $10 in materials and 15 minutes of labor you have something that I've seen Lowe's or HD sell for $200.
Your SCMS might have a depth of cut adjuster on it. I've tried to kerf with a slider before and it is just not as accurate. The RAS is.
That's how I had my DW 12" RAS set up as well. And yes, I would rip on it - sometimes for several days straight. It's all about setup - with the blade guard and kick-back dogs set correctly it is actually quite safe. As a bonus, with the long infeed & outfeed tables it worked great for getting straight edges on curved boards.
I agree about accuracy for cuts such as dados and tenons as well. I had to sell mine - no where to keep it - and I miss it, but can still visit it cause it's in a friend's cabinet shop where he uses it for consistently accurate cross-cuts.
That said, it is all about space. Since you have a quality SCM and no jointer, it would be an easy choice for me...
An RAS is a very increadile tool. A good one is FAR more accurate than any SCMS. Mine crosscuts 25". In fact most of the older big machines cut 24" They can be bought for 2-300 dollars. If you aren't using sell it (or try to). A jointer and planer are a lot more importaint.
Mike
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