Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws
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When I had my shop, I attended a couple of classes at our local lumbar place. Steve, the owner and guy running the seminar said, "Many people swear by their radial arm saws."
I raised my hand and said, "I just usually swore AT mine."
Link to video -
You use what you have. I didn't have a TS when we built the carport. My buddy had a 9 inch DeWalt (the old green one). All the framing lumber was pine I had cut and another friend sawed at his ancient circular sawmill. We ripped and crosscut every framing board with that old DeWalt.
I still have all my fingers.
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You use what you have. I didn't have a TS when we built the carport. My buddy had a 9 inch DeWalt (the old green one). All the framing lumber was pine I had cut and another friend sawed at his ancient circular sawmill. We ripped and crosscut every framing board with that old DeWalt.
I still have all my fingers.
@jolly for framing and the like, it's probably just fine.
I never felt comfortable ripping a longer piece with a radial arm, let alone sheet goods.
The biggest issue I had, however, was keeping the thing accurate. So many things that could go wrong:
- Arm not 90 degrees to fence
- Saw not perpendicular to arm
- Fence not parallel with table
Any time I had a "difficult" cut - I was using cheapo blades back then, if the saw struggled, everything was thrown out of whack, and I'd spend half an hour with a square and a level trying to get it set up again. I think I only kept it for about a year before I got a contractor's saw.
However, I did most of my stuff with my Unisaw. That thing ran so smooth that I could turn it on, set a nickel on edge on the cast iron top, and it wouldn't tip over.
"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
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Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw. A friend owned one and always complained about its limitations. 20 years ago when I had to rebuild the front of the old truck camper, I bought a table saw. Never regretted it either, as it along with a compound mitre saw, are my most commonly used power tools. Used it a lot this past summer building furniture.
Elbows up!
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Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw. A friend owned one and always complained about its limitations. 20 years ago when I had to rebuild the front of the old truck camper, I bought a table saw. Never regretted it either, as it along with a compound mitre saw, are my most commonly used power tools. Used it a lot this past summer building furniture.
@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw. A friend owned one and always complained about its limitations. 20 years ago when I had to rebuild the front of of the old truck camper, I bought a table saw. Never regretted it either, as it along with a compound mitre saw, are my most commonly used power tools. Used it a lot this past summer building furniture.
I’d love to see pix of the furniture you built.
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Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw. A friend owned one and always complained about its limitations. 20 years ago when I had to rebuild the front of the old truck camper, I bought a table saw. Never regretted it either, as it along with a compound mitre saw, are my most commonly used power tools. Used it a lot this past summer building furniture.
@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw.
To make matters worse, my RAS was a "Craftsman".
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@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw.
To make matters worse, my RAS was a "Craftsman".
@george-k said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw.
To make matters worse, my RAS was a
"CraftsmanCrapsman.FIFY.
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@george-k said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw.
To make matters worse, my RAS was a
"CraftsmanCrapsman.FIFY.
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@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
Never owned or wanted to own a radial arm saw. A friend owned one and always complained about its limitations. 20 years ago when I had to rebuild the front of of the old truck camper, I bought a table saw. Never regretted it either, as it along with a compound mitre saw, are my most commonly used power tools. Used it a lot this past summer building furniture.
I’d love to see pix of the furniture you built.
Thanks for asking. The comfy chair and ottoman are made from crates that were made from assorted hardwoods that apparently came from Brazil. An acquaintance, a retired iron worker, got the knocked down crates from a steel mill about 30 years ago. He had them stacked in his garage all these years with intentions of doing something with them. Five years ago he gave them to me. I brought them to our garage, de-nailed them (big job!), sorted them, then stacked them in my garage where they remained until this spring.
It's pretty Brutalist in design (it also weighs a ton) in keeping with the rough hewn and blemished boards. I finished the wood with a clear Minwax followed by a rubbed beeswax finish. My wife made up all the cushions and fabric work.
We also salvaged the frame from an old Ikea loveseat that we plan to remake using this crate wood next next spring. Some of the wood is pretty interesting; some spicey fragrant when sawn, some iron hard and so dense it will not float.
Main thing is that my spouse finds it a perfect and very comfortable reading chair.
Elbows up!
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Thanks for asking. The comfy chair and ottoman are made from crates that were made from assorted hardwoods that apparently came from Brazil. An acquaintance, a retired iron worker, got the knocked down crates from a steel mill about 30 years ago. He had them stacked in his garage all these years with intentions of doing something with them. Five years ago he gave them to me. I brought them to our garage, de-nailed them (big job!), sorted them, then stacked them in my garage where they remained until this spring.
It's pretty Brutalist in design (it also weighs a ton) in keeping with the rough hewn and blemished boards. I finished the wood with a clear Minwax followed by a rubbed beeswax finish. My wife made up all the cushions and fabric work.
We also salvaged the frame from an old Ikea loveseat that we plan to remake using this crate wood next next spring. Some of the wood is pretty interesting; some spicey fragrant when sawn, some iron hard and so dense it will not float.
Main thing is that my spouse finds it a perfect and very comfortable reading chair.
@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
It's pretty Brutalist in design
For some strange reason I think the style fits you.
(Not due to the name, but where Brutalism was/is most popular.)That's a very cool project, and very nicely executed.
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@jolly for framing and the like, it's probably just fine.
I never felt comfortable ripping a longer piece with a radial arm, let alone sheet goods.
The biggest issue I had, however, was keeping the thing accurate. So many things that could go wrong:
- Arm not 90 degrees to fence
- Saw not perpendicular to arm
- Fence not parallel with table
Any time I had a "difficult" cut - I was using cheapo blades back then, if the saw struggled, everything was thrown out of whack, and I'd spend half an hour with a square and a level trying to get it set up again. I think I only kept it for about a year before I got a contractor's saw.
However, I did most of my stuff with my Unisaw. That thing ran so smooth that I could turn it on, set a nickel on edge on the cast iron top, and it wouldn't tip over.
@george-k said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
@jolly for framing and the like, it's probably just fine.
I never felt comfortable ripping a longer piece with a radial arm, let alone sheet goods.
The biggest issue I had, however, was keeping the thing accurate. So many things that could go wrong:
- Arm not 90 degrees to fence
- Saw not perpendicular to arm
- Fence not parallel with table
Any time I had a "difficult" cut - I was using cheapo blades back then, if the saw struggled, everything was thrown out of whack, and I'd spend half an hour with a square and a level trying to get it set up again. I think I only kept it for about a year before I got a contractor's saw.
However, I did most of my stuff with my Unisaw. That thing ran so smooth that I could turn it on, set a nickel on edge on the cast iron top, and it wouldn't tip over.
I've never had a unisaw, but those things are nice. As for radial arm saws and keeping them tracking straight... all saws have to be fiddled with quite a lot to keep them tracking straight, even a lowly skilsaw. I've got an old Craftsman radial arm saw, and to be honest I wouldn't trade it for 2 of any brand of radial arm saws being built today. It's cast iron, heavy, and once it's set up it stays there. With a saw you either move the wood through the saw or the saw through the wood. Sometimes you just need to move the saw through the wood. A common mistake people make is in not remembering that the part of the equation that doesn't move (in the case of a radial arm saw that would be the wood) has to be anchored down. I don't care how perfect you get the saw to track, if the wood you're cutting can move around, even just a tiny bit, you're not going to get a good cut.
And you sure won't get a good cut with a cheap blade.......
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@george-k said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
@jolly for framing and the like, it's probably just fine.
I never felt comfortable ripping a longer piece with a radial arm, let alone sheet goods.
The biggest issue I had, however, was keeping the thing accurate. So many things that could go wrong:
- Arm not 90 degrees to fence
- Saw not perpendicular to arm
- Fence not parallel with table
Any time I had a "difficult" cut - I was using cheapo blades back then, if the saw struggled, everything was thrown out of whack, and I'd spend half an hour with a square and a level trying to get it set up again. I think I only kept it for about a year before I got a contractor's saw.
However, I did most of my stuff with my Unisaw. That thing ran so smooth that I could turn it on, set a nickel on edge on the cast iron top, and it wouldn't tip over.
I've never had a unisaw, but those things are nice. As for radial arm saws and keeping them tracking straight... all saws have to be fiddled with quite a lot to keep them tracking straight, even a lowly skilsaw. I've got an old Craftsman radial arm saw, and to be honest I wouldn't trade it for 2 of any brand of radial arm saws being built today. It's cast iron, heavy, and once it's set up it stays there. With a saw you either move the wood through the saw or the saw through the wood. Sometimes you just need to move the saw through the wood. A common mistake people make is in not remembering that the part of the equation that doesn't move (in the case of a radial arm saw that would be the wood) has to be anchored down. I don't care how perfect you get the saw to track, if the wood you're cutting can move around, even just a tiny bit, you're not going to get a good cut.
And you sure won't get a good cut with a cheap blade.......
@larry said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
all saws have to be fiddled with quite a lot to keep them tracking straight, even a lowly skilsaw
Not my Unisaw. Once the blade was set parallel to the miter slots, the only adjustment I ever had to do was align the fence now and then.
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Thanks for asking. The comfy chair and ottoman are made from crates that were made from assorted hardwoods that apparently came from Brazil. An acquaintance, a retired iron worker, got the knocked down crates from a steel mill about 30 years ago. He had them stacked in his garage all these years with intentions of doing something with them. Five years ago he gave them to me. I brought them to our garage, de-nailed them (big job!), sorted them, then stacked them in my garage where they remained until this spring.
It's pretty Brutalist in design (it also weighs a ton) in keeping with the rough hewn and blemished boards. I finished the wood with a clear Minwax followed by a rubbed beeswax finish. My wife made up all the cushions and fabric work.
We also salvaged the frame from an old Ikea loveseat that we plan to remake using this crate wood next next spring. Some of the wood is pretty interesting; some spicey fragrant when sawn, some iron hard and so dense it will not float.
Main thing is that my spouse finds it a perfect and very comfortable reading chair.
@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
Thanks for asking. The comfy chair and ottoman are made from crates that were made from assorted hardwoods that apparently came from Brazil. An acquaintance, a retired iron worker, got the knocked down crates from a steel mill about 30 years ago. He had them stacked in his garage all these years with intentions of doing something with them. Five years ago he gave them to me. I brought them to our garage, de-nailed them (big job!), sorted them, then stacked them in my garage where they remained until this spring.
It's pretty Brutalist in design (it also weighs a ton) in keeping with the rough hewn and blemished boards. I finished the wood with a clear Minwax followed by a rubbed beeswax finish. My wife made up all the cushions and fabric work.
We also salvaged the frame from an old Ikea loveseat that we plan to remake using this crate wood next next spring. Some of the wood is pretty interesting; some spicey fragrant when sawn, some iron hard and so dense it will not float.
Main thing is that my spouse finds it a perfect and very comfortable reading chair.
Those look very comfy and inviting -- the scale of them fills the room as functional sculpture, and the warm wood tones and grain are enhanced by the neutral upholstery. I particularly appreciate the book shelves built into the arms. It doesn't look at all like a DIY project -- it has the feel of a curated aesthetic. Bravo!
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@renauda said in Hay, Jolly! Radial Arm Saws:
Thanks for asking. The comfy chair and ottoman are made from crates that were made from assorted hardwoods that apparently came from Brazil. An acquaintance, a retired iron worker, got the knocked down crates from a steel mill about 30 years ago. He had them stacked in his garage all these years with intentions of doing something with them. Five years ago he gave them to me. I brought them to our garage, de-nailed them (big job!), sorted them, then stacked them in my garage where they remained until this spring.
It's pretty Brutalist in design (it also weighs a ton) in keeping with the rough hewn and blemished boards. I finished the wood with a clear Minwax followed by a rubbed beeswax finish. My wife made up all the cushions and fabric work.
We also salvaged the frame from an old Ikea loveseat that we plan to remake using this crate wood next next spring. Some of the wood is pretty interesting; some spicey fragrant when sawn, some iron hard and so dense it will not float.
Main thing is that my spouse finds it a perfect and very comfortable reading chair.
Those look very comfy and inviting -- the scale of them fills the room as functional sculpture, and the warm wood tones and grain are enhanced by the neutral upholstery. I particularly appreciate the book shelves built into the arms. It doesn't look at all like a DIY project -- it has the feel of a curated aesthetic. Bravo!
Thank you for the compliment. It does fit well in the large room (approx 21’ x 20’ with a 10’ ceiling in the centre.
I look forward to next spring’s project using the crate wood to makeover the salvaged love seat frame.
