I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys. So I
bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these circles?)
radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to shape some 1x2's to
make some trim for the edge of shelves but am getting a poor finish.

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

p.s. I know I could buy a router and table but will only use it once every
two years and really don't have the storage space.

"Peter Wells" wrote in message

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

How sharp is the blade? How many teeth does the blade have? Is it just a
regular steel blade or does it have carbide teeth? There's other things that
might account for a rough finish, but I'd start with those three.

The bits are also Craftsman (new), 1/4" shaft, two cutters, carbide. All
small cuts, one is to put three small beads (1/8" R each) and the other is
approx a 1/2" x 1/2" shaped chamfer - I'm doing these in about three or four
passes. The small beads have the worst finish. But none of it is anywhere
close to what you see racked up in somewhere like Home Depot! Should I be
using a different type of wood?

Thank you for replying,

Peter

Is it normal to do router work in multiple passes
"Upscale" wrote in message
...
"Peter Wells" wrote in message

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of
the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

How sharp is the blade? How many teeth does the blade have? Is it just a
regular steel blade or does it have carbide teeth? There's other things
that
might account for a rough finish, but I'd start with those three.

Peter Wells wrote:
I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys. So I
bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these circles?)
radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to shape some 1x2's to
make some trim for the edge of shelves but am getting a poor finish.

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

p.s. I know I could buy a router and table but will only use it once every
two years and really don't have the storage space.

A good finished edge from a router depends on several things, the most
important being proper feed and a sharp bit.

You need to run the work past the spinning router bit at just the right
speed. Too slow and you'll wind up with burn marks, too fast and you'll
see tear out - no matter how sharp the blade.

Given that most routers are working at 20,000+ rpms, you've already
guessed you might have a problem making your cuts at 3,500 rpm. You can
probably do it with the aux mandrel on the RAS but you're going to need
a sharp bit and proper feed.

There may be other problems inherent in your setup but these are two
that immediately come to mind.

In reality, for your purposes you'd likely be better off just buying the
cheapest new/used router you can find, do your shaping and toss it into
a drawer or shelf. They aren't THAT big. If you only use it one every
two years it should still last you a lifetime - even if you're 16 years
oldg

"Peter Wells" wrote in message

p.s. I know I could buy a router and table but will only use it once every
two years and really don't have the storage space.

OK, you already know hte "right" answer.

I'd buy a cheap router for such light use and mount it in an existing table
or bench, or a piece of plywood on saw horses. While I don't recommend
cheap tools, a recent magazine tested some and found that were acceptable
for use like yours. Less than $50 will get you going. I'd also use 1/2"
bits whenever possible.

Peter Wells (in ) said:

| I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys.
| So I bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these
| circles?) radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to
| shape some 1x2's to make some trim for the edge of shelves but am
| getting a poor finish.
|
| I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of
| small cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish.
| Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is
| it a result of the setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the
| type of wood?

A radial arm saw is a versatile tool - but I don't think it's likely
to be a good router. You'll generally want 8000 - 20000RPM (depending
on bit and material) for routing.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html

Peter Wells wrote:
I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys.
So I bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these
circles?) radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to
shape some 1x2's to make some trim for the edge of shelves but am
getting a poor finish.

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of
small cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish.
Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is
it a result of the setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the
type of wood?

1. It is too slow (Ryobi had a RAS model with a fast - c.20,000rpm -
accessory spindle)

- and -

2. the router collet they sold for those saws is a piece of
junk...wobbles like a drunken sailor.

If you insist on using the saw as a router, you have to feed the wood
left to right with the bit between the board and the fence. Regardless
of what you do, the results are going to be bad.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Mon, 19 Sep 2005 13:39:41 GMT, "Peter Wells"
wrote:

The bits are also Craftsman (new), 1/4" shaft, two cutters, carbide. All
small cuts, one is to put three small beads (1/8" R each) and the other is
approx a 1/2" x 1/2" shaped chamfer - I'm doing these in about three or four
passes. The small beads have the worst finish. But none of it is anywhere
close to what you see racked up in somewhere like Home Depot! Should I be
using a different type of wood?

Thank you for replying,

Peter

Well, in my opinion if you are going to do shaping on your RAS you
would be FAR better off with a molder head than trying to use 1/4"
router bits. Get the three blade head often seen on ebay for a good
price, but not outlandish new at Sears. The head essentially turns
this into s real big "bit" so that the cutting edges are moving fairly
fast. The 1/4" bits are made for cutting at 20,000 RPMs, not 3,500.
The molder head is scary to some folks, but anyone willing to spin
1/4" router bits in a RAS shouldn't be (and needn't be) intimidated by
it. There are lots of different profiles available for the molder,
including the two you just mentioned.

Dave Hall
Dave Hall

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who
have not got it." -- G.B. Shaw

"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys. So I
bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these circles?)
radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to shape some 1x2's
to
make some trim for the edge of shelves but am getting a poor finish.

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

p.s. I know I could buy a router and table but will only use it once every
two years and really don't have the storage space.



I know what the problem with my Craftsman RAS and it's not the setup or the
bits. On the collet end the bearing is out of round and I could never get a
clean cut from any router bits even at the 10" saw end results in smooth
crosscuts. Check it out for end play and you see why.

"Peter Wells" wrote in message news:xczXe.20047
The bits are also Craftsman (new), 1/4" shaft, two cutters, carbide. All
small cuts, one is to put three small beads (1/8" R each) and the other is
approx a 1/2" x 1/2" shaped chamfer - I'm doing these in about three or
four
passes. The small beads have the worst finish. But none of it is
anywhere
close to what you see racked up in somewhere like Home Depot! Should I be
using a different type of wood?

Apologies, I was thinking of saw blade when I answered, not router bits. As
you've already learned, you need a much greater speed if you're using router
bits.

"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys. So I
bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these circles?)
radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to shape some 1x2's
to
make some trim for the edge of shelves but am getting a poor finish.

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

p.s. I know I could buy a router and table but will only use it once every
two years and really don't have the storage space.



I've read the other responses and I mostly agree that you're likely to have
a tough time routing with the RAS. That said I did the same thing about 20
years ago to put 1" roundover on 1x stock to make windowsills. I guess I
wasn't smart enough to know that it wouldn't work because it came out
perfectly after some trial and error. This was a 60's vintage Craftsman RAS
(was my dad's back then, my grandfather's before that, and I still own and
use it regularly for crosscutting)

IIRC, I was using oak. I definitely messed up a few boards before getting
the hang of it though. You didn't say what wood you're using or what the
dimensions of the shelves are, but IF you can use MDF, it machines quite
well on the RAS. My experience with this is much more recent. Be aware that
MDF is not nearly as structuraly robust as hardwood so you might need to
plan on extra bracing.

Thanks to all those who replied, sounds like I'm off to eBay to find some
molding bits.

I guess I'll be better off attaching the molder to the table saw than the
RAS - right?

Peter

"Fred" wrote in message
...

"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys. So
I
bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these circles?)
radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to shape some
1x2's
to
make some trim for the edge of shelves but am getting a poor finish.

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of
the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

p.s. I know I could buy a router and table but will only use it once
every
two years and really don't have the storage space.



I know what the problem with my Craftsman RAS and it's not the setup or
the
bits. On the collet end the bearing is out of round and I could never get
a
clean cut from any router bits even at the 10" saw end results in smooth
crosscuts. Check it out for end play and you see why.

On Mon, 19 Sep 2005 21:27:37 GMT, "Peter Wells"
wrote:

Thanks to all those who replied, sounds like I'm off to eBay to find some
molding bits.

I guess I'll be better off attaching the molder to the table saw than the
RAS - right?

Peter

I've used mine on both. Not sure I have a preference. Kinda somewhat
like the difference between a "regular" router table and an overarm
router table - good places to use both.

Dave Hall
Dave Hall

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who
have not got it." -- G.B. Shaw

I have a Craftsman RAS purchased back in 1983 when I moved into my house.
Perhaps for this newsgroup this is the closest analogy to "I am an
alcoholic" in certain support groups.

Like you I fell for the urban legend that the "power take off" was usable
for accesories and routing. I tried both, and quickly found out that, in my
opinion, they do not work.

Other replies have advised that router bits need a rotation speed far higher
than the RAS. Also the RAS carriage is not stiff enough to prevent the
carriage rising/falling depending on the grain and resistance to cutting.

Although my RAS helped me to construct various extensions to the house, it
is hard to keep this in tune. These days I never move the arm out of the 90
deg mark, and never tilt or rotate the carriage, since any of these
movements means the unit will not return exactly to the prior state. So the
RAS is now used as a cross cut saw. For mitres and any angle work I use
either the compound mitre saw or my table saw.

For routing I only use my router table. I highly recommend even a cheap
router over trying to use an RAS "power take off".

Dave Paine.


"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys. So I
bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these circles?)
radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to shape some 1x2's
to
make some trim for the edge of shelves but am getting a poor finish.

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

p.s. I know I could buy a router and table but will only use it once every
two years and really don't have the storage space.

I think if you change the end bearing to take out the play on the RAS, it
should be ok although I haven't done that on mine. It's best to have both
the RAS and TS options. For example I have a planer attachment that could be
use on the RAS but not on the TS. Also some operations are safer on one
machine over the other so have both TS and RAS options is better than just
having one.





"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all those who replied, sounds like I'm off to eBay to find some
molding bits.

I guess I'll be better off attaching the molder to the table saw than the
RAS - right?

Peter

"Fred" wrote in message
...

"Peter Wells" wrote in message
...
I'm not a hardcore carpenter, more of a shelf maker who likes toys. So
I
bought a used Craftsman (is that a four letter word in these circles?)
radial arm saw, the collet and some bits. I'm trying to shape some
1x2's
to
make some trim for the edge of shelves but am getting a poor finish.

I've tried running the wood both ways (grain) and take a number of
small
cuts with a slow feed but still end up with a rough finish. Does
anyone
have any suggestions about how to get better cuts or is it a result of
the
setup (the saw only spins at 3,500 rpm) or the type of wood?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

p.s. I know I could buy a router and table but will only use it once
every
two years and really don't have the storage space.



I know what the problem with my Craftsman RAS and it's not the setup or
the
bits. On the collet end the bearing is out of round and I could never get
a
clean cut from any router bits even at the 10" saw end results in smooth
crosscuts. Check it out for end play and you see why.