5 Useful Radial Arm Saw Accessories | www.-

Still thinking about getting the radial arm saw for your projects? Before the s, when the idea of the compound miter saw has not yet been conceived, the radial arm saw reigned supreme among woodworkers.

It was once the go-to tool every woodworker turned to in his workshop for crosscuts, miter cuts, bevel cuts, and even rip cuts.

However, as soon as the power miter saw was invented in the 70s, its production and use underwent a huge decline. InRaymond Dewalt of Leola, Pennsylvania, founder of the now craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type popular Dewalt tools invented the radial arm saw, which he called the Wonder Worker. His invention, the wonder worker was a circular saw blade driven directly by an electric motor held in a yoke.

The yoke slides along a craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type arm hanging some distance above a horizontal table that serves as the work surface. This radial arm saw or Wonder Worker as Dewalt called it sold successful before the 70s because it does one thing exceptionally well more than table saws and other hand saws. That is cross-cutting lumber. Table saws then and now are best for ripping large wood stocks lengthwise, but cross-cutting lumber or pushing a long piece of wood widthwise through craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type table saw is not only awkward but also highly ineffective.

The radial arm saw however made it possible for woodworkers then to easily crosscut lumber, because unlike table saws where you have to push the stock through the saw while the saw remained stationary, the stock remained stationary with the radial arm saw while you pushed the blade through it when making cross cuts.

When the compound miter saw was introduced in the s, the radial arm saw began to lose its popularity. Craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type radial arm saws performed many functions such as making crosscuts, miter cuts, rip cuts, dado cuts and so on, the compound miter saw became the primary power tool for making crosscuts and miters.

One of the main reason craftsmen favored the compound miter saw to the radial craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type saw at that time craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type even now is because the miter saw is quite safer to operate. Every miter saw comes with a blade guide that covers the whole blade as you make crosscuts and miters with it.

Apart from that, compound miter saws are also cheaper compared to radial arm saws. That is not to water down the importance or craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type of a radial arm saw, because one can also argue that it can perform the combined function of a miter saw and a table saw as well.

How does the radial arm saw craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type with a table saw and a compound miter saw? However, if you really know your way around the tool, you can use it to make rip cuts, dadoes, cut tongues and grooves, make open mortises, taper cuts and even rabbets. Equip it with a few accessories, and you can even use it as a router tool, a shaper, grinder, horizontal drilling or boring machine, disk or drum sander and even as a surface planer.

It tips on all its axis except the vertical slope making it a very versatile tool for carrying out woodworking projects. Unlike a table saw which practically needs to be placed at the center of the workshop so it can be operated, the radial arm saw can be backed up against the wall just like some compound miter saws and thus takes up less space and footprint than a table saw.

Every tool has its disadvantages, especially power tools, if most are not handled carefully, they can craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type serious injuries. However, it seems the disadvantages of the radial arm saw where too much to be ignored, and with the invention of similar tools like the compound miter saw, many woodworkers quickly moved on from it.

The first or major reason why most woodworkers have moved on from the radial arm saw is due to safety concerns. This safety concern is the way the blade rotates.

Because of this, most people are scared of using the saw, and that is quite easy to understand. A saw that can jump or move by itself towards you should be feared. So, instead of spending over a thousand dollars to get a radial arm saw, you can get a compound miter saw and a contractor styled table saw for that same amount, and that will give you more value for your money. Thirdly, the main reason why people used radial arm saws was that it used to be the best tool for making crosscuts and miter cuts.

Since the compound miter saw was invented in the 70s however, it took the place of the radial arm saw as the best tool for making cross cuts and woodworking miters. When using miter saws and table saws, you never have to replace their tables, hence further reason why the radial arm saw has lost the love of many woodworkers. So, if you feel you need one for your projects, you can always get one as long as you know your way around the tool and you observe all safety measures required for operating the saw.

I was undecided about whether to replace my old RAS with a newer one. Your information has helped me to come to a final decision. Keep up the good work.

Same here. Thank you for your research! Much appreciated. The radial give more functions with a small footprint and because many have moved away from it there are many used units out there at great prices for those without gobs of money to spend. Safety issues are always a concern in a woodshop and new users should get a bit of training to use one.

I have all three types of saws and use them all when one or the other is set up for repetitive and accurate cuts. Love my radial and use it most. Thanks for your articles. Very informative.

Thanks for the helpful input, Gerald. For someone like me who prefers buying new, going that route is certainly unlikely.

Like most people and like I mentioned in the article, I still craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type using just my miter saw and table saw.

I agree with you, before using any tool in the shop, especially power tools, new users should always get training and continue showing respect to the tools no matter the amount of experience they gain later. Thanks once again for your helpful feedback.

I have personally sold my mm bladed RAS as I have saved up and replaced my table saw with a Felder which craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type a very accurate and long mitre arm. I do have a mm Compound Mitre Saw and I agree that the saw has its place in the modern workshop for its varied capabilities and safety record.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the RAS, Alan. I guess it all falls down to a matter of personal preference, just like I wrote in the article. Did I miss it? But did you address stacked dado and depth of cuts.

Our very old Craftsman RAS does both and is a lot easier than doing this with a table saw. I did mention that RASs can be used for making dado cuts, which means they accept dado blades. You can only make through cuts all the way through your stock or through part of it, depending on how thick the wood is. Some miters saws however come with a flip stop which you can use to adjust the depth of cut. Your email address will not be published.

Last updated on September 16th, at pm Still thinking about getting the radial arm saw for your projects? What happened to this once popular woodworking tool? What happened to the Craftsman radial arm saw router attachment type Arm Saw? Table of Contents. About The Author.

I have a degree in mechanical engineering and together with my team, we use this medium to share our insights and recommendations with you. Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published.

One of the most popular Craftsman Radial Arm Saw Router Attachment Error attachments for a radial arm saw is a laser precision mount. This attachment mounts adjacent to the blade on the spindle. When it's triggered it creates a clear laser line to guide your cuts. Even with the most accurate measurements and straightest lines, you can still get a missed cut. Sep 13,  · The conversion of an old radial-arm saw to an overhead pin router for Routing, Rabbetting and Circle Cutting.

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