mac davis wrote:
On 6 Oct 2004 14:50:46 -0700, (Allen) wrote:
mac davis wrote in message
...
snip
My question is in ripping... how is this handled in relation to the
fence, as in moving it (adding or replacing filler strips) to adjust
your cut without having a bunch if cuts in the table??
snip
Mac
When you rotate the head 90 degrees for ripping, the saw blade will
move so as to touch the table a couple of inches to the right of the
curf you have already cut in the table. You only need to lower the
blaed until is cuts into the table just a tiny bit. You do not move
the fence to adjust the width of cut but rather move the
blade/motor/carraige along the arm to adjust the width of cut. Only
if you need a wider cut than can be made with the carraige fully
extended do you move the fence to a more rearward position.
Adjust the width of cut with the blade slightly above the table and
then lower it into the table when you are ready to rip. ALWAYS RIP BY
PUSHING THE MATERIAL INTO THE ROTATION OF THE BLADE AND NOT WITH THE
ROTATION. Also make sure guards and anti-kickback devices are properly
adjust before ripping.
The damage to the table is the reason you should cover it with an
equal size piece of 1/4" hardboard. That way, once there are "to
many" curfs and cuts, you can just replace the hardboard cover and not
the whole table. Attach the hardboard to the table with several
recessed flat head screws. Make sure you place the screws where you
cannot pass over them with the blace. This would be at the outside
corners of the table and along near the fence except for a few inches
either side of center where the blace can pass when set for miter
cuts. Also watch for where the blade passes if you do a compound
miter cut (arm to the right and motor tilted for miter cutting swings
the blade even further to the right).
Allen in Sheboygan
Thanks, Allen... I actually understand everything that you said... hot
damn!!
My neighbor claimed that you never move the saw head, only the fence
and furring strips... that seemed kind of lame, as you'd need SO many
different combinations of furring strips that you'd spend your whole
life keeping the fence square to the table and blade...
Ripping is actually the main purpose for getting the saw... well, that
and it was $50 at a garage sale...
Not meaning to rain you your parade but if you mainly are going to be
ripping you'd have done better with a table saw of some sort. While a
radial arm saw will rip just fine as long as you're careful and pay
attention to what you're doing, you work a lot harder at it than you do
with a table saw. On the other hand, for crosscut the radial arm saw
rules.
That said, your neighbor doesn't have a clue with regard to the RAS. Doing
it his way defeats the purpose of having the movable head.
Someone else has suggested the Mr. Sawdust book, I'll add to that a book by
Jon Eakes, available only as an ebook or used unfortunately, but well worth
the price--an improperly adjusted radial arm saw is one of the most
frustrating things you'll ever deal with.
Most of the cross cuts that I've done so far have fit on the CMS....
Mac
--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)