My God,The DW721 RAS, it's huge!!

[whoops!]

Hi Guys,

Just bought a Radial arm saw, the DW721, for an absolute song. ( £200), A couple of small things broken but I've already ordered the parts, so no probs there.

I've never used a RAS before and I keep on going out to the garage and wondering what the flippin'eck I'm going to use the thing for. The thing is HUGE!! I have to squeeze past the arm and the Table everytime I go in the place!

I already have a TS, a SCMS and all the other usual stuff , is there any one out there who could win me over with its merits over and above the other machines.

The space is not an issue as I have my workshop in France which will happily accommodate the beastie, but I'd rather not lug it all the way over there if it's not going to be used.

What I have heard is that setting up is a nightmare, And that they're not usually accurate enough for tenoning, which is really what I'm interested in. (re: setting up)

Any advice or knowledge on this matter would be greatly appreciated, and if there is any literature out there, Titles or ISBN's please.

When I said 'yes', I really had no idea of the size, I suppose the fact it has a 61cm cross cut should have given the game away.,

Thanks

Decklan

 

[RichardC]

Hi Declan

Bit out of my league, size wise, as I have a DW 110, purchased in 1975 and still going strong.

Biggest problems, from my experience, are (a) keeping the table flat and adjusting it so that it matches the flex of the arm as the saw is pulled forward and (b) keeping the saw in 90/45 degree alignment with the fence and table for cross cutting/mitres. I think this is one reason why many people use these saws for cross cutting only.

If you don't have the manual can I suggest you Google "Dewalt Radial Arm Saw forum" which is a US site for DW radial arm saw users! Though they major on old DW saws there is some useful info and in the FAQ section. There is also a ring bound book entitled How to Master the Radial Arm Saw by Wally Kunkel (available via this site) which I have found useful and which goes through the process of setting up, alignment and cutting operations.

Hope this helps

Richard

 

[OPJ]

I'm not sure about this particular model, but I know that some DeWalt radial-arm saws can be fitted with sanding discs in place of the blade, fitted with a dado-head for trenching and grooving and also used to rip timber... :?

But in my experience, I have found these saws to be a pain to keep square - in both axis - and they don't seem to like cutting anything without trying to jam in the timber (which will knock it out of square) or take a bite out of your left hand!

Some people have had success cutting tenons with them though. I guess you just have to be careful and try not to 'bite' off too much in one go.

(But, I'm more of a SCMS person, personally. :wink: )

 

[bob_c]

They are a pain to set up when first bought but i think if you set them up accurately starting with good quality table,(not chipboard but preferably a strengthened one made from two pieces of good quality ply or mdf with glued in metal bars),making sure theres no play in the column and arm,then ive always found them quite reliable.I use mine for crosscutting,rebates,trenching,and ive made a fair bit of moulding using a moulding head .I dont particularly like ripping with them though.Dont be put off by all the horror stories you hear,they are just like any other machine,they`re as safe as the person who uses them.

 

[Streepips]

I had a Dewalt RAS circs 1985ish, a green one, with orange switch etc, and had it running sweet as a nut and as accurate as could be wished.....I admit that setting up is time consuming, but thats all, not specially taxing or technical, just requires patience and a basic tool set.......Manual is handy but not absolutely necessary
The only reason it eventually went was because I got a table saw with sliding table and there was no room for both machines. Having said that, after a year or so alterations to the workshop meant that there was room for a RAS as well as the tablesaw............So I went looking for another Dewalt.......Thought I would upgrade/modernise and had a look at a 720 in the flesh at Machinemart.........What a disappointment, ........flimsy cheap and insubstantial. So hovered over Ebay to get an older more solid one.......All went for silly money so resigned myself to the probability that I was not going to get another RAS . I wasn't a serious necessity, just a "nice to have " Then a 721 came up and no-one bid.......I emailed the seller to ask about it, an artist that bought it new to make a cabinet for a commission, cut 2 sheets of 9mm ply with it and let it stand in the garage for a year...................He wanted rid and so because I had emailed him I could get in touch after the auction, so did just that and got it very cheap.........including stand manual, spanners etc all as new...
and yes they are a big lump compared to the 720 or earlier 1250, but CAST IRON! proper stuff! its solid as a rock, properly engineered and fully adjustable..........All you need is allen keys, 12mm spanners and sockets. a framing square and patience and it will set up as precisely as you need. As for getting knocked out of alignment by a kickback? Nonsense...If it is set up properly it will not shift...There is NO play in the column where attched to the base, no play in the locking collar when the setting wedges are properly aligned, and no play in the rollerhead once the bearings are set to tolerance..........Poorly maintained it will range from nightmare to use to unusable........But rarely will one be beyond fettling back to optimum condition .They are made to be adjustable for wear.
As for ripping with one, I not only ripped 2" oak with no problem ( Clamping guides to the fence to stop lift up ) but used the blade as a moulder for making oversized Scotia mouldings, reed mouldings , sliding dovetails and more.............Never a single problem with any of these procedures.....
It is a far better machine than the 720 junior version and if its too big for what you need and you want a RAS then get one of the pre720 models of the ten inch RAS which were more substantially constructed

 

[whoops!]

Evening Gents,

What an interesting spread of info. As usual I think the only test is to "suck it and see!!', Ripping on the beastie does daunt me a little, only 'coz I have listened to the horror stories but I will listen to Streepips and Bob and proceed with caution.
The idea of the overhead routing does get me interested though, as it can be so much easier and Quicker to set up.

Richard, I was a bit perturbed to hear that you have to adjust your table to the flex in the arm. Sorry mate, that sounds like a real p.i.t.a !!!, Some people have the patience of saints when it comes to setting up and can spend days with a micrometer. I absolutely respect that approach and know how important it is. I have tried that approach but usually towards the end of a wasted day of slackening off bolts for the 30th time, ( and in so doing push everything else out of alignment-again!!!) my patience goes out with the saints for a pint !! Hmmm, after that I either sell it,store it or break it !! However I do make an exception when it comes to fettling antique pieces of kit, and that's because I mostly don't have work and deadlines piling up around my ears as I faf around trying to get them to work for a job I need to do.(C'mon guys, I'm a site joiner, and if I run behind I've usually got half a dozen hairy pineappled roofers or decorators on my case.Can't go and have a nice cuppa and a chat and have a good think about it..!!! Cabinet makers -Pah!!)

I definetly think I' will get that book that was recommended though. How do I get it from this site??

Decklan.

 

[RichardC]

Declan

Getting the table flat and the saw blade/arm properly aligned with it and the fence is critical if you want to get the best out of it. The rationale is probably better explained in the following link. Gloss over the first half and read the section on set up.

http://woodcentral.com/bparticles/dewaltrebuild.pdf

Regarding the book, its a USA publication and can be purchased here ($29.99).

http://mrsawdust.com

Richard

 

[whoops!]

Thank you Richard, that was a fascinating read.
I shall be ordering the book shortly, and then with luck I might get around to setting the monster up correctly. hope it doesn't take more than a day, it's too big to get annoyed with!!

Decklan

 

[Jack in Nepean]

I've been lurking for some time and have picked up a vast amount of useful information, primarily with hand tools. I thought it was about time to contribute. A Canadian book called Fine Tuning Your Radial Arm Saw is long out of print, however it can be downloaded at the following site. I picked up a copy years ago in a second hand book store and found it very useful (while I still had a RAS). It covers a number of brands, including Dewalt. Hope you find it of some use.

Upon viewing the post, I see a somewhat alarming "report to moderator" message - hope I haven't inadvertently broken any rules.

http://www.ebookee.com/How-to-fine-tune ... 39891.html

 

[Gary M]

Hi Jack,
Welcome to the forum
Your link has been caught by the spamulator. It stops after you have posted a few times.
Cheers,
Gary.

 

[whoops!]

Thanks guys for all the info. Just ended up on the "DeWalt" radial arm saw forum. (that's it's name!) Weird trying to navigate around it, I'll venture forth again when I've more time and feeling braver.

The books look to be a good find though.
(oh my gawd, I read books on setting up Radial arm saw's. I've turned nerdy!!! -I'll get me Anorak,)

Decklan

 

[BradNaylor]

In my last workshop, I had two radial arm saws set up alongside each other- a Maggi for cross-cutting and an old Wadkin fitted with dado cutters for trenching.

I used to use them continually and if you had asked me at the time I would have said they were both indespensible.

However, you are quite right in that they are space hogs. I moved to a smaller workshop at the end of last year and reluctantly sold them as there was just not going to be room for them.

You know what, I don't miss them at all!

I now do all my cross-cutting on the table saw with sliding table or on the SCMS, and my trenching with a router.

My conclusion is that radial arm saws are great in a production shop where large numbers of componants are being cut to length, but in a small cabinet shop or hobbyist's shed they are pretty pointless. They need checking and adjusting continually as even the best ones knock out of square in every direction.

And DeWalt saws are not among the best ones!!

A good cabinet table saw with sliding carriage - preferably with a scoring blade - is a far more efficient, versatile and useful piece of kit.

Cheers
Dan

 

[ivan]

I have both books, full of good stuff.

My saw is mounted in a big table so I can disect 8x4 sheets on my own. Setting up the big table took a while but you do it only once. The main drawback of modern DeWalts is the arm lock. If you swing the arm it doesn't return to quite the same place. Not a problem for carpentry, no good for cabinetmaking. To improve accuracy DW sold a pair of angle fences, so you did not have to move the arm to make angle cuts - you might make your own version. Sort of mfrs admission of failings!

On my saw it's the arm 90 deg to the fence that sometimes shifts. To cope with that I have a cheap laser pointer mounted behind the trim plate on the end of the arm. This makes a beam which reflects from a small mirror on the wall opposite to little scale behind the saw. I push the laser button and can see if the arm is spot on straightway. You wouldn't need to set 600mm x cuts to a fraction of a mm for tennons though.