Is The Radial Arm Saw Obsolete Or Should It Be Part Of A Well Rounded Workshop?
Should You Buy a Radial Arm Saw Aside from the cost, there are other factors that cause many woodworkers to opt for other tools in place of a radial arm saw.
A radial arm saw is bulky, heavy and not very portable.
They are most often found in a larger workshop where being portable is not an issue.
That being said, the radial arm saw is a pretty amazing tool that can perform many different and useful operations.
Although it would mainly be used for cross cuts, it can cut miters, bevels, rabbets, dadoes and form moldings.
You can also use it as a router guide.
The Upside-Cutting Rabbets, Dadoes, Miters and Bevels The radial arm saw is perfect when you want to cross cut rabbets, dadoes and make tenons.
You can also cut up to a sixty degree miter, either right or left, and up to a ninety degree bevel.
However, you can only cut a bevel in one direction.
Although you can cut more complicated angles than with a compound miter saw, the setup on the radial arm is a little tricky when it comes to getting the angles correct.
The Downside-Ripping Stock and Cutting Compound Miters Although versatile, there are some drawbacks associated with a radial arm saw.
The set up for certain tasks is often more difficult.
If you wanted to cut compound miters; the setup is much quicker and consistent when using a miter saw than it would be using this saw.
Ripping stock is also faster and easier to setup on a table saw.
A radial arm saw can easily perform these tasks but the setup is easier using the compound miter and table saw.
Use Your Saw Safely Common sense and good safety habits are important when working with any type of machinery, especially any type of power saw.
A blade guard is critical and you should never turn the saw on without the guard being in place securely.
Do not alter the guard and always be sure that it functions properly.
It is also a good idea to setup the saw with a little bit of a backward lean, so that the front of the saw is slightly higher than the back.
This will prevent the saw from ever sliding forward and reduce the risk of serious injury.
Never start cutting until the blade is at maximum speed.
Always control how quickly you actually pull the saw when cutting.
This is a good habit for safety's sake and also produces a better cut.
The saw blade rotates toward the rear of the saw which can, when used improperly, result in the saw lurching forward while cutting.
Always grip the saw handle firmly, so that you are controlling the cutting speed and it is not being controlled by the saw.
When doing any type of cross cut set the depth of the blade slightly below the table surface.
This means that the first time operation will result in some grooves on the table top.
Once again, do not lower the saw blade onto the table during this process until it has reached its full speed.
Always use the saw's fence and be sure that you hold the wood being cut firmly against it, at the same time keeping your hand away from the blade.
Never do any free hand work with a radial arm saw.
As with any power tool, read the user manual and be sure that you understand all of the instructions.
Taking the time to make sure that you have set up your saw according to the manufacturer's specifications will familiarize you with all the features and teach you how to use the radial arm saw safely.
A radial arm saw is bulky, heavy and not very portable.
They are most often found in a larger workshop where being portable is not an issue.
That being said, the radial arm saw is a pretty amazing tool that can perform many different and useful operations.
Although it would mainly be used for cross cuts, it can cut miters, bevels, rabbets, dadoes and form moldings.
You can also use it as a router guide.
The Upside-Cutting Rabbets, Dadoes, Miters and Bevels The radial arm saw is perfect when you want to cross cut rabbets, dadoes and make tenons.
You can also cut up to a sixty degree miter, either right or left, and up to a ninety degree bevel.
However, you can only cut a bevel in one direction.
Although you can cut more complicated angles than with a compound miter saw, the setup on the radial arm is a little tricky when it comes to getting the angles correct.
The Downside-Ripping Stock and Cutting Compound Miters Although versatile, there are some drawbacks associated with a radial arm saw.
The set up for certain tasks is often more difficult.
If you wanted to cut compound miters; the setup is much quicker and consistent when using a miter saw than it would be using this saw.
Ripping stock is also faster and easier to setup on a table saw.
A radial arm saw can easily perform these tasks but the setup is easier using the compound miter and table saw.
Use Your Saw Safely Common sense and good safety habits are important when working with any type of machinery, especially any type of power saw.
A blade guard is critical and you should never turn the saw on without the guard being in place securely.
Do not alter the guard and always be sure that it functions properly.
It is also a good idea to setup the saw with a little bit of a backward lean, so that the front of the saw is slightly higher than the back.
This will prevent the saw from ever sliding forward and reduce the risk of serious injury.
Never start cutting until the blade is at maximum speed.
Always control how quickly you actually pull the saw when cutting.
This is a good habit for safety's sake and also produces a better cut.
The saw blade rotates toward the rear of the saw which can, when used improperly, result in the saw lurching forward while cutting.
Always grip the saw handle firmly, so that you are controlling the cutting speed and it is not being controlled by the saw.
When doing any type of cross cut set the depth of the blade slightly below the table surface.
This means that the first time operation will result in some grooves on the table top.
Once again, do not lower the saw blade onto the table during this process until it has reached its full speed.
Always use the saw's fence and be sure that you hold the wood being cut firmly against it, at the same time keeping your hand away from the blade.
Never do any free hand work with a radial arm saw.
As with any power tool, read the user manual and be sure that you understand all of the instructions.
Taking the time to make sure that you have set up your saw according to the manufacturer's specifications will familiarize you with all the features and teach you how to use the radial arm saw safely.