Tommy T wrote:
I have had a Craftsman 10-inch electronic radial arm saw (113.198211)
for about 20 years. For years it has not made a clean cut. The cut is
warped. Lately it can barely make it through anything thicker than
3/4" pine. This morning it stopped dead trying to cut a 2x4. I've
adjusted the blade many times to make it square in every direction. I
don't believe it's the blade because, although it has been several
years since I replaced the blade the newer blade that i bought at that
time didn't improve the cut at all. Besides, I have a comparably old
(and comparably used) 8-inch table saw and it cuts the same piece of
wood with ease, cross cut or rip.

Does anyone have a suggestion before I begin the costly, inconvenient,
and most like unsatisfactory experience of taking it to a sears repair
store?

Check the spindle or motor bearings.....Last winter on my 28 yr. old Sears
RAS(bought new) I repeatedly went through the alignment process, to no avail
until I checked for run-out. I pulled the motor and a basic electric motor
repair shop replaced the bearings for around $100. According to the shop the
bearing are epoxied in place. I think it likely(best guess) that sometime
back when I did a careless sloppy cut and bent a saw tooth I knocked the
bearings off center a bit as well.

Incidentally last week I picked up a spare saw (couple of years older) on
Craigslist for $20.00......They commonly sell around here for $50-$150. I
still think the repair compared to buying used was worthwhile though at
least for sentimental reasonsG.....Rod