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(Keith) wrote in message . com...
I am considering buying a Craftsman RAS for mostly dado work. Does
anyone have any info thay can share about there experiences with the
Craftsman?

Keith,

One point unmentioned, so far, is: Make your last vertical adjustment
going up to take the slop out of the column gear. Otherwise, you can
risk the blade dropping too deep and ruining your cut. This is more of
an issue, obviously, on a non-throughcut such as a dado.

As several other posters mentioned, there are billions of these out
there on the used market. I have a 1979 Craftsman 10" ,which did have
the recall parts available, and a 1975 Delta 14". I bought both used
and spent less than $200 combined. The nice thing about the Deltas is
that the turret allows virtually 360 degree cutting. The Craftsman is
limited to about 45 to 48 degrees. It would seem that the most sought
after brand is Dewalt. You could save yourself hundreds by buying
used.

Somebody already mentioned "Mr Sawdust's" book by Wally Kunkel. Also,
get yourself a copy of Radial Arm Saw Techniques by Roger Cliff. It is
an excellent resource. It is not in print anymore, but shows up on
ebay and Amazon Marketplace.

Also, you can use the RAS as a shaper. I wouldn't. Routers have come a
really long way and are probably much safer. YMMV.

Good luck,

Eric