DW720 advice needed please

[dickspanner]

Hello Folks, just joined and first post.

I decided due to a wood working project I am about to undertake I would get myself some good tools instead of struggling with DIY tools.

So I made the jump and I have purchased a DW720 radial arm saw. It has come with a blade but I was wondering if there is other users with this saw and if so do you have a Dado stack for it.

I have looked all around and there are plenty in the States etc but not many in UK.

I do not want to purchase a stack if they are not really compatible with this saw, I have searched for answers on the internet and came up with nothing hence joining the forum to ask for advice.

BTW the project is a 36m long 4m wide covered walkway at my house made from 150sq oak columns and oak roof members.

Cheers folks

Dickspanner

 

[misterfish]

Hi and welcome.

I'm assuming that you have bought the 720 used as if it's new you should have a copy of the the manual included.

The 720 is the 'latest' yellow incarnation of a well established series of such saws. If you look at page 28 of the English extract of the manual you'll see it gives details of accessories http://www.drosera.f2s.com/RAS/dw720.pdf

These accessories appear to be the same as those for the previous 1250 and earlier 125 models - my 1251 came with a manual http://www.drosera.f2s.com/RAS/DW1251.pdf and also a more detailed DW publication based around the 125 which gives a lot of useful infor http://www.drosera.f2s.com/RAS/DeWalt_P ... ndbook.pdf

My saw came with a dado set, a small router bracket, a sanding disk and a sanding drum. Subsequently I bought a set of angled fences, dado flange and dado guard.

Most of the time i use it just as a crosscut saw but from time to time use the dado cutter.

I would suggest you look at the stuff I've linked to to get an idea of the flexibility of the machine and just ask more questions if you have them.

Misterfish

 

[marcros]

Have you ever used the router attachment misterfish? I have never actually seen a picture of it in use. Although if you have a dado cutter, perhaps the router attachment doesnt do a great deal that the dado doesnt.

 

[misterfish]

No I haven't used the router attachment. There are two different router attachment brackets available - I have the smaller DE3453 which is designed for use with small routers (like my old but very useful Bosch POF500A). There is also the DE1212 designed for larger routers.

I have thought a few times that I must have a quick experiment with overhead routing but have never got round to it. I can imagine it would be useful for producung stopped dado cuts. Also with different profile router cutters a variety of cuts would be available.

Misterfish

 

[MARK.B.]

usefull links there misterfish,thank you

 

[dickspanner]

Thanks for the advice.

Yes I did purchase S/H but it is like new so I am very chuffed with the saw but it came with nothing else except one pressed blade which I intend to change for a laser cut blade.

I am intending to do many mortice and tennant joints on the project and I already have a pillar mortice drill but will need to take 150sq columns down hence the new saw. It could be done with multi-cuts and a chiesel out afterwards but this work would be far quicker and easier with a dado set on the saw.

I had to chase out a 50x70dp channel through a oak beam the full length that was 3m long to overclad a wall tie through my kitchen and even though I ran my circular saw up and down it with 10mm gaps it still took me many hours to chiesel the slithers out. I do not want to suffer that again. LOL.

Dickspanner

 

[misterfish]

I use a 60 tooth negative angle rake blade for most work -this crosscuts and angle cuts fine. I have never used the RAS for ripping along timber - it doesn't feel safe to me. I sed the tablesaw for ripping.

When i got the RAS it included a basic Dewalt 6 inch dado set -- cut steel without carbide tips. I sold this on Ebay and for the same amount bid on and got an 8 inch Freud dado set.

Misterfish

 

[Jelly]

I have never used the RAS for ripping along timber - it doesn't feel safe to me. I sed the tablesaw for ripping.

It's as safe as you make it... Having an accurate setup is essential, if you don't pay attention to getting the blade and the fence in line and keeping the riving knife in line with the blade; you will have issues and increase the risk of kick-back.

 

[Dicky]

Hi and welcome.

I'm assuming that you have bought the 720 used as if it's new you should have a copy of the the manual included.

The 720 is the 'latest' yellow incarnation of a well established series of such saws. If you look at page 28 of the English extract of the manual you'll see it gives details of accessories http://www.drosera.f2s.com/RAS/dw720.pdf

These accessories appear to be the same as those for the previous 1250 and earlier 125 models - my 1251 came with a manual http://www.drosera.f2s.com/RAS/DW1251.pdf and also a more detailed DW publication based around the 125 which gives a lot of useful infor http://www.drosera.f2s.com/RAS/DeWalt_P ... ndbook.pdf

My saw came with a dado set, a small router bracket, a sanding disk and a sanding drum. Subsequently I bought a set of angled fences, dado flange and dado guard.

Most of the time i use it just as a crosscut saw but from time to time use the dado cutter.

I would suggest you look at the stuff I've linked to to get an idea of the flexibility of the machine and just ask more questions if you have them.

Misterfish

Misterfish, if you are still about, have you ever used the dado with the standard blade guard, as described in the instructions? I can't seem to get it to fit correctly.

 

[TRITON]

So I made the jump and I have purchased a DW720 radial arm saw. It has come with a blade but I was wondering if there is other users with this saw and if so do you have a Dado stack for it.

Ah yes, the well known and loved most dangerous machine in the workshop.

Fit a dado head to a RAS ? only if you've chosen death.

I have looked all around and there are plenty in the States etc but not many in UK.

Thats because we in the UK have sense

 

[Allen Quay]

Ah yes, the well known and loved most dangerous machine in the workshop.

Fit a dado head to a RAS ? only if you've chosen death.

Thats because we in the UK have sense


Have you any experience of a radial arm saw. Do you know the do's and don't's ?, do you know what type of blade is needed and you cannot just fit anything.

I used to use a huge industrial one and despite my experience it still scares the willies out of me. I'd much prefer a chop or slide miter saw, even though the latter is just as dangerous.
We got the usual talk from a 50 yr experience cabinetmaker when we were first trained on one and he told of a story where the operator pulled the saw too quickly. It leapt forward and seriously bent the arm, and that arm is a serious stiff bit of kit, so the power behind it and inexperience make it deadly in the wrong hands.

OP is from 2013 (by someone who only posted twice since joining?)

 

[TRITON]

Righto. I'll leave it up in case someone else joins looking to commit harakari