www.ifoundjim.com/ - www.adirondackrusticfurniture....
This is a video of how "I" use the radial arm saw to true the edge of a board. I do not recommend or endorse this technique to anyone but to myself and I am not suggesting this as a replacement to the Jointer. I wear the gloves to decrease the picking up of wood splinters.
Adjustments to this saw in the Manual...
www.ridgid.com/ASSETS/DD660EB7...
A buddy of mine just gave me a radial saw left at his rental after an eviction. I almost turned him down because I figured I would never have a need for one, but this video gives me confidence it's something I'd like to have around. Thanks!
I was driving to the store and a neighbor had an old craftsman 8” radial at the curb for free and I grabbed it. Was able to play around with it after this video and everything works!
I own a radial arm saw, I love it- I have rip cut with it, surface planed it- even put a jacobs chuck on the back and made a drum sander. But you, my friend, need to use a push stick, especially if you're going to be... wearing gloves while operating a saw...
I’ve never been more nervous watching woodworking
Why? These saws were used for generations. They got a bad reputation because people didn’t respect the tool, and got complacent with it and themselves. My dad had 2 table saws and a radial saw, amongst the rest of his full wood shop. He used his RAS much more than his table saw, and never used a power miter saw, ever.
I like your return mechanism on the saw. Simple but effective.
+Casey Hagist AGREED!!!
Noticed the bungee right away . Perfect
Nice job good sir, well done. No playing games just straight to the point. And no talking for days either, great vid,,,, do you have a vid on how to make sure your fence is perpendicular to your saw blade perhaps ????thank you. GOD BLESS you....
Thank you for this video. I'm not always good at explaining tools and techniques, and a "non-practical" friend asked me what a radial arm saw was and how it worked. This video was a simple and effective illustration.
Simple, straightforward. To the point. No mucking around with boring dialogue.
+Luke Porter thanks for watching!
Thanks for taking the time to show us! 👍
I think you do a great job and I love ur vids...straight forward and to the point! Thank you! 👍🏼😉
Great video. What I like to do is clamp blocks to the table in both the in and out feeds the hold the piece against the fence. For repetitive cuts or dados I use a 3-4 foot clamp that has a flat straight edge which sits against the piece being cut to hold it against the fence. ( Its like a pipe clamp but extruded aluminium and 3" wide. Same thing can be accomplished by clamping a 1x4 to the table.) I like to rotate the guard until the in feed side makes contact with the wood. My guard has a (original?) Spring clip that presses on the wood which holds piece tight to the table but still allows for variations in thickness. One of the biggest advantages of a Radial Arm saw haw got to be their compact size and not needing any out feed space for.cross.cuts. My work space is quite limited but has a great view as I work on an 8'x30' condo terrace several stories up. Noise and dust collection are my biggest concerns and sadly Radial Arm saws are noted to be one of the worst. Using good anti-vibration blades along with a blade stiffener and keeping them sharp and clean helps a lot. Some blades, ie Dewalt 80 tooth thin kerf have wierd resonating harmonics; starts noisy but get really bad if left to spin for more than 10 seconds and it peaks around 30 seconds with a steady LOUD shriek. Another's way to make a radial arm saw safer is toXuse a foot switch to stop and start. This allows you to keep one hand on the saw handle whenever the blade is spinning and another on the piece. One of the other nastiest with radial arm saws can be with pieces from the cut falling into the path of the blade when it returns to its home position. Its partcularily bad with small cut off material. In such cases I often use the foot switch to shut down the saw then stopped clear out the scrap and return the saw to its home position. I have a 925 model and it is dead accurate. I've slowly been acquiring the attachments for it but still lack the shaper head and fence, lathe and router bracket would be nice to have but I'm in no real hurry; its more just to have them as opposed to needing them. I can use the CNC machine for what lathe work I do. I tend to avoid the router because of the noise, especially after an incident with a 1/4" shank 1-3/4"HP router with a door pull bit and a piece of oak. You can't do multiple passes with the router as its shaped like a curved T-slot bit... so the router is forced to cut about 4 inches of oak at once. It made it apparent its better to have a trim router and a monster 3.5 HP router in a table than trying to have one in the middle.
Great guy. Nice easy understanding and good video. Nice work.
Thank you for demonstration of working with your radial saw.
Glad you enjoyed.
I like the pace of this video and perfect for me - thats one helluva saw. I came here as I am trying to get rid of a radial arm device - which isnt coming up anywhere to show people what it is.
Thanks so much. Just picked up identical saw used.
Great video, but I don't recommend wearing gloves while operating any kind of circular saw. If the machinery gets a hold of your glove, it can tear your whole hand off. Please spare me all the "Not if you know what you're doing.".
www.adirondackrusticfurniture.com/ good ideas... my stuff doesn't always come out straight nor do I want it straight but good ideas and welcomed criticisms. THANKS for posting. #jimthepilot www.jimthepilot.com/ Instagram @flyjimthepilot www.kittycot.com/ Instagram @originalkittycot
Ok Dad
Good to see that you still have all your fingers. I was ripping a piece of fiberglass roofing material with a radial arm saw. The blade grabbed it and jerked it out of my hands. It went zinging through the saw. Luckily it cut straight down the line I intended to cut.
+yoyohooyo see my comment above
i appreciate the effort you put into this video. As an experienced carpenter of 20 plus years i feel the need to warn you and others how dangerous this process is. Way too much exposed blade. your hand is getting way too close to the front and to the back when picking the lumber up after the cut. Other than that, enjoy your work..
I am beginner woodworking and your video was very informative and I found out that I had been using the table saw all wrong - I didn't know to turn the blade - didn't have anyone to show me - dad having dementia didn't remember how to use his woodworking tools anymore
Don't forget, this is not a table saw but a radial arm saw. Completely different saws.
I'm sorry about your dad. Mine had it, also. It was terrible to deal with. Hang in there.
Great video, thank you for posting this.
SURPRISING amount of sawdust flying out of there WITH the vacuum on!
I found Jim, nice video, informative
Hey Jim, Yes, you were definitely feeding from the correct end. The only two pieces of advice I would offer is... 1. That slider on the front is more than a dust shield. It is also the hold down. put it down far enough that the board can "lift" only a very small amount. 2. Where is you anti kickback pawl? You really need that. I would suggest a book written by the late Wally Kunkle on radial arm saw usage. Far and away the best authority on the RAS.
CONGRATULATIONS, good job.
That disclaimer at the end 😆 I've never heard it put so perfectly. I'm stealing this wording
There ya go.
Jim, great way to straighten a board. Ripping on a RAS is a dangerous task. I am way too nervous to attempt this on my Rigid with out the guards installed.
understand that.... thanks
I’ve been watching all kinds of wood working videos with the idea to take off making something, I tell you I had no idea about that tool, I see the table saw which makes the same cut, only the blade is under the table not above, pretty cool staff
Great saws
I enjoyed the video. Anyone that thinks this saw is safer than a table saw is wrong. With modern chops saws the only real use I have for my OLD! Craftsman Radial arm saw is exactly how you demonstrated it. I really like the bungee idea as well. I don't like the gloves and long sleeves, I have seen more than one guy get pulled in because the blade grabs loose clothing or glove. But that is my experience, and you still have all your limbs. Thanks for the video.
EricNielsen187 How can you say that chop saws make table saws safer?? Table saws are incredibly more dangerous than radial arm saws. But most people don't have a lot of experience with both so they believe the hype about radial arm saws being deadly, which they just aren't.
Love the bungee cord!
ive never used one of these and i found a craftsman for $75. i like to build furniture when im not working so after your video i think im definitely going to grab it. thanks
A great tool for sure!!!
Public Service Announcement: Please never wear gloves while using powered saws. A saw will grab fabric and everything inside of it.
Also a carpenter?
www.adirondackrusticfurniture.com/ good ideas... my stuff doesn't always come out straight nor do I want it straight but good ideas and welcomed criticisms. THANKS for posting. #jimthepilot www.jimthepilot.com/ Instagram @flyjimthepilot www.kittycot.com/ Instagram @originalkittycot
Also use the saw in the correct direction. He’s feeding the wood in backwards.
bhutch216 he’s doing it right if he fed going in the same direction as the saw blade it would kick back just like on a table saw and shoot out the other side like a spear and probably go right through the garage door
bhutch216 he’s definitely not. The teeth on the saw are always designed to spin TOWARDS the wood
Good information. Thank you!!
Great video ... I'm an old table saw man ... but just came into a Craftsman Radial Arm. You've provided more than enough information for me to decide to keep the saw and *learn* it. Look forward to looking at all your videos :-)
very good video thanks, you explain things the best!!
Great video.
Thanks. I can set my RAS fence up more or less square (hopefully more more than less after reading everyone trying to scare the pants off my with their RAS stories). Im impressed you're able to keep such a long fence so square from tip to tip. But I guess really only the section that has to be truly square is the length in the immediate vicinity of the blade -- maybe plus a foot or two in each direction. Any minor deviation beyond that isn't going to effect the cut. Thanks again!
"But I guess really only the section that has to be truly square is the length in the immediate vicinity of the blade. maybe plus a foot or two in each direction." I wouldn't count on that. Get you a good straight edge from the hardware or big box store and use that to line up your fence. If you have a carbide tipped blade, you could use a long aluminum angle iron as the fence. Carbide tipped blades will cut through aluminum very easily. Just don't cut them on a saw stop without disabling the emergency stop mechanism. The aluminum will activate the emergency stop and damage the blade. If you make sure the front of your table is straight, then you can make several gauge blocks of the exact same length and clamp them to the table and set your fence up against them which will aid in making it straight.
I just posted the manual link above...look at "Adjustments" in the PDF manual.
I didn't want to put the board through a planer because I used it rough leaving the saw marks. To straighten the edge of the board it doesn't have to be smooth on the board surface.
Wow! Great tip!
good tutorial!
Hey Jim good to have found you, I have a new radial arm saw like yours and hope to learn some tricks from you. Would you have any videos using dado blades on a radial or table saw, I'm new to this and hope to learn from experienced woodworkers. Thanks
moises saldivar no dado vids yet
great instructions - ez to follow and understand - many thankyou's 4 your time ~ clicked liked % subscribed
Thanks for the in service.
Thanks for the tip
Nice job ! Am not sure my self tho would feel safe doing it that way idk if that would have more of a kickback then a table saw.
Wouldn't the ripping pawl be beneficial here? And also something like board buddies on the outfeed side ?
i like your video it gives me a better understanding of this tool. I recently have obtained one from my brother in law and have never worked with one before. I do have one question though. mines an older model (113.29450) I wanted to know what lever you used to turn the saw sideways. hope you have a good day.
This model has been recalled by the manufacturer due to safety concerns.
Why are you not using the anti-kickback pawls? They don’t get in the way of anything, so there’s no reason NOT to use them. My setup is similar to yours...long infeed and outfeed tables, and I like being able to cut full 4 x 8 sheets down to size while supporting the entire length of material on the fence.
Great video, I'll definitely check out the rest. How using a radial arm saw for this job differ from using a table saw? Is there a reason a table saw wouldn't be as good or better for this?
they both have their places in the carpenters world for sure
Ripping is a lot safer on the radial of you position a roller above the board in front of and behind the blade. If I can ever get set up to make videos I hope to do one on a couple of spring loaded rollers I built out of chair casters. They go a long way toward keeping the blade from binding, chattering and throwing the board back at you.
Lawrence Withrow go for it!!!
Hello I recently picked up a ridgid rs1000 ras and was hoping you could give some advice as to fine tuning and calibrating the saw. As mine is out of adjustment. any help would be greatly appreciated
That's why I love a Jointer..
The Ridgid was a really nice machine, similar to my Craftsman. What kind of blade a you running in your machine? Thanks.
Wow! I did not know those saws cut sideways, that is cool
hermoso job.
Jim, Purchased a Ridgid Radial Arm saw based off this video, can you tell me how to adjust it to perfect 90?
i used to have a radial arm saw set up just like that with full 8’ indeed and out fed tables. it was a dream to rip down sheet goods
Thanks. Just starting to get my old 2610 pwrcraft wards saw working. It was given to me. It is missing the blade nut. Wonder if the Craftsman nut from a Craftsman 113 series table saw would work, 5/8 inch. (available on Ebay) That saw keeps coking up so perhaps they are the same saw ? Not sure it will rotate quite like that Rigid, thats a nice saw.
As long as the nut is the same diameter as your arbor and has the same thread pitch, (turns per inch) it will work. The annoying thing is, despite the amount of money those things cost, they rarely if ever give you those specifications. I'd start at the hardware store and get nuts the same size. There is likely to be a course thread and a fine thread so all you need do is purchase two nuts to find out.
good Sr. I appreciate. Thanks
how do you get the entire length of the fence parallel to the blade for rip like this?
Yup,,that's a real good tip,!,,many thanks 👍
Very nice table set up though 😎
Nice job...... I’m also a pilot...... Thanks for the video
This is probably the most terrifyingly intimidating piece i have in my shop... lol
Hey Jim, great channel/video. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure you get enough safety tips, but heads up on wearing gloves while working with a RAS, they lower your awareness of proximity to the blade and can pull your whole hand in if they touch the blade. Almost lost a finger working on a ras that way, and ever since then I prefer the splinters. I have the shredded work glove hanging above my workbench as a reminder to be careful. I'm sure you know to be careful when pulling lumber from the rear side of the blade too, but the danger of working in gloves is lesser known. keep all 10 attached and make plenty of dust.
Love the radial arm saw! Not a Ridgid or a Craftsman though. Anyone with a radial arm saw should read the Late Great Wally Kunkel's book. RIP Wally. That is a pretty cool way to straighten a board. A table saw would have to have a really long fence to do that.
That’s is a great way to get that done with what you have, but man that blade chatter made my butt pucker!🤣🤣
Nice job. I often wondered how it was done the right way. One concern is the anchor point on the wall for the 'Ocky' strap to return the saw-blade to the home position. I have had one come adrift and hit me in the face. Regards Mike McMahon.
Hi Mike... been this way for a long time and I always check to make sure it's in good shape. Thanks for your reply!
Your choice mate. Just concerned.
Keep your concerned safety monitor comments to yourself. You people piss me off! I'm sure you've commented on other videos with the same mentality (what can I call this guy out on this time). Just dumb.
The issue I have with the ras over the table saw, is that the table saws blade can be raised or lowered, when I rip on my table saw only a 32nd of an inch is usually sticking above the wood. When I rip with a ras, all of the blade is above the wood. Now sure they can both be used in a mostly safe manner, but if I hit the 32nd sticking out of my table saw I get a cut. if I do the same on my ras? I get an amputation.
Nice to see a fella so proficient , no doubt he knows his stuff wish he was my next door neighbor.L.Bennett
i really wish he was my neighbor too. then i could come over and use his shop once in awhile!!!!!!!!
my pleasure sir
excellent vid. great personal interaction with the viewer. great enthusiasm for the subject. the dust mask excellent advice. my shop teacher got dusted in the lungs, even with vacuums in the shop. that's a terrible price to pay. i watch woodworking vids as a wannabee, because deathly afraid of whirling blades. but i would like to have the skill of being a woodworker. maybe a lathe worker. i know there's always been a feud between radial arm and table saw. it looks to me that radial arm is better, but table saw people say table saw is more accurate. i hear radial arm saw was replaced by chop saw. for whatever reason, radial arm saws are kind of cheap. i can get one for $40 on craigslist right now. do you have an opinion? i have used table saw as a hobbyist.
They say radial arm saw is more dangerous for fingers...
And what was that push stick for? And do you have anti kickback device.
Oops, I thought you were going to make some furniture or something that need all 4 sides true. Thanks for clearing it up!
thank you sr i apreciate
Hey! A carpenter Apprentice Speaking. Make sure to never, EVER, wear gloves while working on machines. Every moving part can grab gloves, armbands, loose clothing, etc. And pull it into the machine, cutter Heads or blades. Yes. Its just that one Cut. You are just drilling that one Hole. Yes. You did this for the past 5 years and you have been fine. DON'T. One day, your dream of being a Woodworker can be crushed because your glove got caught in your saw.
www.adirondackrusticfurniture.com/ good ideas... my stuff doesn't always come out straight nor do I want it straight but good ideas and welcomed criticisms. THANKS for posting. #jimthepilot www.jimthepilot.com/ Instagram @flyjimthepilot www.kittycot.com/ Instagram @originalkittycot
@@ifoundjim Your shop, your rules as long as you know the risk. There is a good reason they call this saw the Widowmaker. I have had two of them in the past never used them and sold them off to other wood workers.
NEVER EVER WEAR GLOVES.Guessing he didnt want to catch a splinter.lmmao
@@SQLKC Just askin', but I've been trying to decide which kind of saw I need (if at all) since I'm really tired of a jig saw... it's the only power saw I have as I've been terrified of the large saws and have never used anything but the jig saw lawn power tools like a small chain saw. I have watched sooo many Y/T videos on how dangerous a regular table saw is and that the radial arm saw is safer. I don't know...I was thinkin', maybe a small circular saw with one of those clamped down metal guides, but IDK, maybe they're ALL "widowmakers".
@@freewaybaby I have a sawstop and it's the safest/best saw you can buy. Note not the cheapest but it pays for it's self in one ER visit.
What kind of blades do you use on your radial arm saw for ripping?
I use a blade with a 5° hook or less.
When you put your board through a planner won't the board turn out crooked because you never jointed the underside?
just noticed, your blade is cutting on the up stroke, when crosscutting it cuts on the down stroke. I just picked up my first RAS and doing some homework before getting stuck in. I see your guard swings down to keep the work down, mine is stationary.
Whats your point? I got confused here
A Circular blade also does not cut in strokes. That would be a jigsaw.
Hey Jim how'd u set up that fence so straight? That's the video I want -- how you get furniture grade precision in a shop that looks like a pioneer outpost. ; ) For real tho how'd u true up such a long fence to that blade? Thanks for the tips!
Your radial arm saw is initially set up true with the saw head running exactly 90 degrees to the fence so your crosscut on a board is square. Obviously once you know where square to the saw blade is you can just run your saw fence as long as you want...
Jim Howard Hi Jim... Great video!!! I'm glad to see that the radial arm saw still "lives!!!" Also glad that Daniel posted that question to you cuz I was about to ask you the very same thing when I found this particular video. I'd like to add a twist though to your reply. I have a little Ryobi RAS that I haven't used in a long time. But the base board and the fence (all made out of particle board) need to be replaced. Since I'm eliminating the initial factory setting by replacing these components, how do I duplicate the alignment now so that the fence is true to the blade? Thanks!!!
the table and fence together can be adjusted by thumb screws to the rear of where the fence is right?... Simply use a framing square to square the fence and or table to the saw blade. Run the saw head back and forth along the edge of the framing square which is what you are using to set the table and fence square to the blade... got it? Adjust the thumb screws tight. If you need more help let me know and I will make a video on how I do it in my shop...
Hi Jim... Thanks for the feedback!!! I'm gonna give that a try.
+Jim Howard Excellent post. I would like to see a vid on building a proper table with an adjustable fence and tape measure attached. New Sub!
thanks for the video Jim....you have shown that despite all the warnings against.... ripping can safely be done on the RAS but no gloves..sadly you will never get a job as a cameraman kind regards from the UK.
Idofineasacameramanandyoudofineasavideowatcherkeepupthegoodworkwatchingwhileishowyouhowiusearadialarmsaw
WOW very cool
What blade do you use when ripping Jim??
Can you cut a 4x4 post with it?
The board was far from flat on the table. How can you get parallel edges?
Excellent crown removal.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea to use gloves with this kind of machinery. They can catch in the moving parts.
I'm a beginner and I'm having a hard time trying to decide whether to buy a table saw or a radial arm saw? Any advice.
I have both, if I was forced to get rid on one it would be the table saw.
Both are great.but I rec RAS.
killing old growth since 1977 I also vote both. Got a Ridgid TS3612 table saw, and this RS1000 radial saw. It’s quicker and easier to crosscut on a RAS, because you move the material to the fence. On a TS, you have to setup the fence to the blade, then space for material. If you get creative and use something like an Incra extrusion like on their miter1000hd as your RAS fence, it opens up possibilities. Trying to set that up on my RAS.
Yes I understand that... But since that's a rough cut board, you gotta put it through the planner, but you never straitened aside
It's like a upside down table saw.
Online or the web?
Great video, thanks. But I've always been of the mind that wearing gloves increases the chance of my hand getting grabbed and pulled into the blade... not so?
Question.. i have the exact same radial arm saw. It was given to me by neighbor after i sold his house and he downsized. My question is its obvious that it hasn't been used in years and as a result it doesn't glide back and forth easily enough when im making simple cuts. Can I apply WD40 to bearings or the arm? If anyone knows the answer to this question, please chime in.. i appreciate any feedback i can get. Thanks again.
WD 40 or PB BLASTER is great. I also have a bungee cord pulling the saw head back.
I would recommend some roller wheels in your out feed table ;)
I was thinking something that would hold the wood down to the table. Then, if you added some power to those wheels, you could start the board going through and let the power wheels finish the cut.
Ed Stengel, Safe and unsafe is a bit of a misconception. Shapers are considered to be dangerous but jointers and router tables are considered to be safe. The fact is that all power tools are dangerous. More fingers are lost on table saws than other power tools. Fingers are also cut off with hand held circular saws. Many people have had their fingers cut off with jointers. In most cases had proper procedures been utilized such as clamping fixtures, hold down fingers, rollers, featherboards etc. fingers and hands would not have been lost. I see many videos with experienced cabinet makers pushing lumber through a table saw blade with their hands. Some people have been permanently injured after using these same unsafe procedure for years. Power tools such as radial arm saws can be safe if operated in a safe manner. david
That reminds me of a sentence, my old Carpenter Master told me once. The cuts where most people get injured, are not the those repeating cuts the like if you have to cut all your boards to a certain width(like when u cut for a Bookcase as example). The cuts that are injuring are always just Single Cuts, where you're like "oh i just need to do this one small cut really FAST" and where you are too lazy to put up all the security measures. Then all that is needed is a board that doesn't cut smooth and is bucking up in the saw, a slight loose of your grip and a slide ... then your Hand goes into the saw. As you said, ALL Power Tools are a hazard and extremely Dangerous. Even a Standing Drill Press CAN be dangerous, if you try to drill a piece of thing metal sheet ... all it takes is the metal get caught, it not being hold by a vice ... and it swirling around with sharp edges. Your Hands are close too it too, if you did hold it with your hands. That said Master Carpenter had still all his Fingers ... with 50 while working in the trade since he learned it with 16.
Vivienne Pierce. With respect Vivienne, thats BS. Every pro woodworker I know and have worked with over thirty five plus years, HATES these radial arm saws. Only the self taughts and hobby guys think they are great because they have not seen an accident with one, YET. Oldest rule in the machining book ? NEVER CLIMB CUT. What does the radial do ? Climb cut. End of discussion.
Brian Minghella : radial arm saws are super- dangerous, but, probably because they are dangerous, they are easy to buy or even just get for free. Jointers are harder to acquire.
Tom Senft. Pro Shops give them away because their insurance policy will not cover an accident with them. For once I agree with the insurance companies. Good jointers on the other hand are snapped up when they come on the market. I know I did. A new Jointer will set you back big bucks and the quality is not as good as it was.
The reason table saws have the highest injury amount is because they are used for so many things. If people used radial arm saws as much as table saws, the number of injuries on the radial would be mountains higher.
But if the timber is cupped would that not create a splay on the cut?
you know how to look at wood and cut it I'm sure
Thanks internet dad just got my first radial it’s a craftsman works nice got it for 50$
So it’s a same like a table saw then?
ok so: you did NOT use a "negative rake blade" because you had the blade turned the "opposite" way, basically, right? how did you keep the board on the table, doesn't the saw blade orientation like this, tend to pick up the board?
You do need Radial Arm Saw school.
dust collector not connected ?