The one power tool I wish I still had from my father's woodshop growing up! Hands down the easiest way to lose a digit or three in the entire shop, but also the most useful in the entire shop imo. Most "radial arm" saws I see now are basetop miters that pull forward a few inches at best. The travel on most I have seen doesn't seem all that useful, and as you mentioned, are wicked expensive.
Mine had a longer arm and the table was the full width of the back wall of the garage, 24'. It could cut a 2x10 at 45 degrees. But now all I have is a single open stall of five. The only electricity is for the door opener. Hand tools will have to do for the rest of my life I guess.
I think mine might be the next generation after the one you posted (bought it mid 70's). Still looks and runs like the day I bought it. If someone is interested in one looks like you can find a used one under $300. If it has been cared for I wouldn't hesitate to buy it if you have a need for one. The arm is long enough that when you flip the saw around 180 degrees on the arm it will rip up to 26 inches wide so will rip a piece of plywood in half or less and I've done that. It will crosscut up to about 16 inches. You can run router and other attachments with it. I've done a lot of dado cuts with it over the years (cranks up and down). Will angle cut to any vertical or horizontal angle. Where I have it set up I can rip boards upt to 12 feet (maybe even 14) long. Anchored to the wall it is rock solid. I'll hang onto it until the end............... Sumner
My Grandpa had one of those for several years. He eventually bought a 10" table saw (Delta Tilting Arbor Saw, one step below their venerable Unisaw) for ripping, and then even for small cross-cuts. He kept the RAS until he sold all his power tools when he moved after Granny passed away. My dad got the table saw, and my BIL still has it today. Sliding compound miter saws have all but replaced the RASs. But they don't dado or rip. But then again, ripping on an RAS is one scary operation (forbidden in HS shop class, they were only used for cross-cutting). I ripped a couple boards on Grandpa's RAS, and quickly decided to use his TS instead. I bought my Delta Unisaw table saw new in the early 90's (still made in USA back then) and still use it. It came with the Unifence, and a long extension table, all on a mobile base. Well, it 'came' in boxes; a friend and I had to assemble it on the mobile base.
I'd agree with that if you don't have a runoff table (like in my picture) but with it ripping a long board is much easier and safer than doing it on a table saw unless you have runoff on it also. I've ripped well over a couple hundred boards I'm sure with mine and never a problem but I keep the guard down just above the board I'm ripping. Sumner
Having proper outfeed support for any stationary power saw is critical for safety, as well as for satisfactory results (smooth, accurate cuts). Sometimes a portable circular saw with a guide rail (or a track saw) is a better idea, especially for one person cutting large stock. However, there is no safer stationary saw for ripping than a band saw. But one that will rip to the middle of a 4x8 sheet is very expensive, unless you find and rebuild an old one (and often even then!)
a 2x4 and a couple of clamps works great as a saw guide for a good 'ol fashioned circular saw, too - provided of course you know how to use a tape measurer. Get a few points, remember to include the width of the guard -AND- blade (DOH!!), snap a chalkline and clamp down your 2x4, then let 'er rip tater chip The irony is I have a cheapo plastic Craftsman table saw with an 8.25" blade that I barely use. I have a handheld 4-1/2" circular saw that is my go-to, and a 7-1/4" behemoth for when I really need to mess something up so I can go buy another and try again. I rarely use the table at all, blade depth is so shallow being a smaller diameter blade. Anything it can cut, I can cut with a circular.
Ya know! I wasn't sure I'd get much of a response for my simple question. It is surprising how important it was. I agree with all of them and am grateful for them. But still - WOW!! NO I'm not going to try making a joke.
I've bought a few second hand saws, miter, compound miter and table. Haven't been disappointed in doing so. If your only use is layout building and you don't se much use for them in the future maybe a local contractor would make your cuts for a reasonable fee. Home centers will rip 4x8 sheets with the first cuts usually being at no cost.
Reason not to own a table saw.... Last Sunday I had been working again on the backdrops/divider for the layout and noticed one of the shop florescent bulbs was out on one of the shop lights. The ceiling in that part of the shop is 10 feet so went and got my tall step ladder where the steps are a little further apart. Went up with a bulb and replaced the bad one. Headed back down with the bulb in one hand. Before I go further is should be know that I've been up and down ladders thousands of times in building 3 houses, a commercial building and working on others. So I'm headed down and get to the last step, I thought, and stepped back expecting to put my food down on the floor. In reality I was at the second to last step and stepped off into thin air. What happened next I'm not totally sure of. I think I hit the floor with a foot and pivoted into the table saw with my body hitting one corner in my side. The force of me hitting it slammed it over into the garage door. I hit the floor and had my wind knocked out of me so spent a few minutes there. I wasn't too bad off the rest of the day but since then through yesterday more pain than about any thing else except for my first hernia operation when they still made big incisions. It has been close to or equal to the pain then. Wednesday I decided to go to the clinic as they would be closed Thurs to Monday. A couple rib are bruised but luckily no breaks or cracks. Main cause of the pain is a contusion between the ribs and pelvic. Have to say today I can finally bend over and move around without feelings someone is sticking me with a knife. Hopefully maybe back out working on the backdrops again by Sunday or Monday. Been staying busy with Fusion 360. I was lucky to not of broken anything or hit my head. Must still have pretty good bones. I gave up the dirt bike a year ago after a couple falls and not breaking anything but will stick with the ladders for a while longer but will be darn sure where the bottom step is and move the table saw further out of the way. Sumner
I tell ya what, that's exactly what I do. My cordless is a 6 1/2" model, I think, and I have ripped 3/4" sheets with a simple clamped straightedge. If I had a table saw, I don't know where I'd put it. And you're 100% right about that big corded circular saw! My dad has a RAS, a burly 10" Craftsman model from when they made legit tools. The ripping potential was immense, and the risk of kicking is also high. I was a kid, but I'll never forget the first time I watched when a rip went bad, and the workpiece shot across the basement at warp .9, rammed into the wall and splintered. Wow.
Sumner, sorry to hear of this... Most recent ladder I bought has a first-step attention-getter, a bar set in the step that when you step on it makes a clacking noise. Now I know what it's for... Company I work for has done away with ladders completely, using stair-stands and man-lifts instead. I can't avoid them at the house, but I think it through before I get on one, now.
Agreed! My dad had a Craftsman Radial Arm Saw for 40 years and used it safely until one day when he tried to rip with it. The board exited from the saw, pierced our canvas car top carrier, dented the wall and fell to the floor. He was fine, but I'm sure his heart rate spent some time in the red zone. I have a table saw and thought about getting a sliding compound miter saw, but even when stored, they require deep space which I don't have.
Glad you didn't get hurt worse than that. Take it easy and make sure you don't over do it before you are all healed up.
Sumner, glad to hear you are okay (or at least healing!) Ladders are indeed one of the most dangerous non-powered tools. I have a Little Giant clone ladder that that can used as a step ladder or an extension ladder. I mostly use it as a step ladder. It's that time of year to put up Christmas lights and decorations, so it'll be used for that soon, and then again to take them down later. It is rather heavy, but very well built and sturdy. I got it after a friend who was an insurance adjuster (claim inspector), and used one daily, recommended it. I also have a couple of light weight step ladders that are used for changing lightbulbs or decorating the Christmas tree. One of them would be gone (in favor of the LG clone) if it weren't so much lighter weight, to lug upstairs when needed. I am not particularly comfortable on a ladder, so I still hold on, watch every step, etc. A career desk/lab job will do that to you.
I'm working on a backdrop/divider too on my layout. But since I don't have a table saw, I've had Lowes cut me strips of hardboard, mainly for the fascia that's going in lately. Here are the divider supports going in. Fascia and divider hardboard and supports going in. The 3 strips of hardboard will support some vinyl flashing that I got since I didn't think a 23 inch wide piece of hardboard would easily conform to the curve.
