My 20" radial arm saw and my first flat table

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208
Location
central florida
I received all the items I think I will need to make my new router table but when I was telling a friend about it he exclaimed " I wonder if you'll ever finish it the way you "finished" working on you RAS.

He was right. I use it a little but I never made a decent table for it and never made all the adjustments it needs. I felt kinda bad. So I forced myself to try and finish that project. finishing a project is not what I do best.

I started making a table for it. I assumed it would not be flat because none of the tables I have made turned out flat.

this one did.

IMG_2610.jpgIMG_2608.jpgIMG_2609.jpg

I tried this once before but this time it worked. I jointed some 2x4s and ripped them parallel. then I put them on my work bench and shimmed them so they were as flat as I could make them in front, center, and rear as well as on the diagonals
I made a variation of the Mr. Sawdust table with steel flats running on edge sandwiched between two 3/4" sheets of mdf (forgot to take a picture of that) The steel is epoxied into 1/4" deep slots in each sheet. Then I clamped the whole thing down and let the epoxy in the slots dry over night. The next day, while still clamped I put in a ton of screws. NO GLUE. Other than the epoxy for the steel flats I used no glue. I made sure there was no squeeze out from the epoxy either. I think the fact that I didn't slather an uneven spread of glue is why it turned out flat. I have my tiny 12" blade on there now and the guard is not on. you can see the old 20" blade in the back ground.
ras with table.jpg
I was able to get the table very parallel to the arm in all position. hope it stays that way.

I also discovered something I thought was very interesting about this saw. I was looking for some direction on finer adjustments. Off course, this saw is different than all the other old RAS's people have restored. I guess not to many people are crazy enough to want one of these. I was discouraged because I couldn't find any info on it. In desperation I went to the Original Saw Company web site and looked at some of there larger models to see if I could at least get some hints. Figured it was a long shot. I was wrong. From what I can tell so far the Original saw company just used the designs from the old commercial duty dewalts to build their new saws. So far they seem identical. Even the shape of the motor. I have a type 8 3553. Its the little 20" saw. the larger one has a 52" arm. mine only has the 44". Cost new is $8500. Doubt mine is worth any where near that but its nice to know.

Just thought that was kinda neat. doesn't look like they changed anything.
 
those green saws were rock solid, and that is why the other company started making them after the old designs.. you had to really abuse one for it to give up the ghost..
 
Great saw. You're right... The Original Saw Company bought the rights to make excellent clones of the old Dewalts. :thumb:


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That is a monster!

I'm a card carrying member of the old RAS club as well. It's not as large as yours, but it's old!

Red Star 30-a.

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That is a monster!

I'm a card carrying member of the old RAS club as well. It's not as large as yours, but it's old!

Red Star 30-a.

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thats nice. If mine wasn't delivered for free and cost so little I would have one more like yours. what make is yours? I don't think I have seen one like it before.


No one has a comment on my flat table? I thought that was a pretty neat trick
 
I think we were just overwhelmed by the size of the saw! That's a pretty nice trick for a flat table.

The mr. Sawdust book is a pretty good one.

My table is just a couple of sheets of MDF. Since it's not that big, I didn't have too much trouble keeping it flat.

It's a red star model 30-a (with a 40-a blade guard, for some reason?)

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=685

Red start was bought by Rockwell, who merged the red star line in with delta. I'm pretty sure this saw dates from the mid 40's. Still runs and cuts like a champ.
 
I think we were just overwhelmed by the size of the saw! That's a pretty nice trick for a flat table.

The mr. Sawdust book is a pretty good one.

My table is just a couple of sheets of MDF. Since it's not that big, I didn't have too much trouble keeping it flat.

It's a red star model 30-a (with a 40-a blade guard, for some reason?)

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=685

Red start was bought by Rockwell, who merged the red star line in with delta. I'm pretty sure this saw dates from the mid 40's. Still runs and cuts like a champ.


Thats cool. I bet there are not many of those around anymore. Did you have to do a lot of restoration to it or were you lucky enough to get it as nice as it is now?
 
This is my Dewalt RAS. It is about a 1970 model 16inch. When I replaced the table I leveled the table to the arbor by placing a magnetic based dial indicator on it and moved the arm around to different places on the table and used jack bolts to get the dial indicator zeroed. I think this is standard procedure for setting up RAS. It worked well.

 
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I'll say. I hit my head on the arm and almost knocked myself out. It felt pretty solid. thats why I put the black foam on the end.

Ok now that gave me a good laugh. I have an 18" Delta RAS the sticks way out. After banging my head on twice, I added foam on the end too.....Rob
 
Thats cool. I bet there are not many of those around anymore. Did you have to do a lot of restoration to it or were you lucky enough to get it as nice as it is now?

It was my wifes fathers. No restoration at all, other than the new table. Might have took a little arm twisting on my BIL to make sure he didn't get it...

This is my Dewalt RAS. It is about a 1970 model 16inch. When I replaced the table I leveled the table to the arbor by placing a magnetic based dial indicator on it and moved the arm around to different places on the table and used jack bolts to get the dial indicator zeroed. I think this is standard procedure for setting up RAS. It worked well.

Picture didn't make it, but I'd love to see it!
 
This is my Dewalt RAS. It is about a 1970 model 16inch. When I replaced the table I leveled the table to the arbor by placing a magnetic based dial indicator on it and moved the arm around to different places on the table and used jack bolts to get the dial indicator zeroed. I think this is standard procedure for setting up RAS. It worked well.



I think yours is pretty much the same model mine is only newer.. If I took my picture from a different angle it would be easy to see. I bet you were lucky enough to get one with a single phase motor. I paid either 300 or 350 delivered. Used 10hp converter cost me $200. couldn't pass it up. I am waiting on parts so I can fix the brake and do the bearings. From what the Original saw company told me Mine was originally made for a 16" blade but it appears that it was up graded to a 20" guard with a 20" blade. He told me that the model that came with the 20" was identicle to mine but had a different model number.

I am planning the same set up you have there with the cabinets. wish I had that room though
 
Keith, my saw is three phase, I have three sanders and a jointer all three phase. It was probably the reason it was $400 nobody else bid on it. I made my rotary phase converter 10Hp. $200 for a converter is a bargain. I have more than that in mine and I scrounged the parts. Enjoy your saw I do.

Phase Converter


 
Keith, my saw is three phase, I have three sanders and a jointer all three phase. It was probably the reason it was $400 nobody else bid on it. I made my rotary phase converter 10Hp. $200 for a converter is a bargain. I have more than that in mine and I scrounged the parts. Enjoy your saw I do.

Phase Converter



Thats why mine was so cheap also. A guy bought it at an auction and didn't know what he was getting into. He just wanted to get it off his trailer and kept lowering his price till I bought. And even at $350 I wouldn't have bought it but when I was looking up how much a phases converter would cost out of curiosity (which was a lot) I found a used one for sale on craigs. it was even a westignhouse and only $200 in my area. seemed like a sign.

mine has two motors though. the 10hp westignhouse and a smaller dayton motor. I press the start button and the dayton spins. then I push in a magnetic switch and the 10hp turns on. the mag switch is supposed to kick in on its own but it doesn't I have to push it in. never figured out how to fix it.


I am having my arbor washers re flattened at a machine shop right now. I'm putting in new bearings soon and maybe fixing the brake.

Seeing you build phase converters
do you think the 10hp converter is big enough for a 7.5hp motor?
 
Seeing you build phase converters
do you think the 10hp converter is big enough for a 7.5hp motor?

I don't build phase converters, I built "a" phase converter. Is a 10Hp converter big enough for a 7.5Hp motor. Well mine runs my 10Hp wide belt sander plus the infeed (1 Hp I think) motor. I spent an afternoon measuring currents with 1.5,5, and 10Hp motors and the results were interesting. I did this with different size run capacitors to balance current to each leg of the converter. What I found was the phase converter drew the most amps with no load. And second most amps with the 1.5 Hp motor. I have all the readings written down in the shop but in general 10 Hp motor should be no sweat.
The more motors I turn on the more balanced the load on the converter. It works opposite the way I thought it would. I am sure there is a limit though. I suggest you put an amp probe on it and see what you draw.
Although a bit evolved, I have heard of a system where the run capacitor size was switched automatically to match the load being applied. The load of course is the inductance of the motors being run.

All these machines are three phase. The drawer sander has two 5 Hp motors and takes more to start than the wide belt sander.


 
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thanks for the input. I'll read up on amp probes and see if I can borrow one.

I was looking at the pictures of your shop and one thing I have to say is holy bandsaws batman. Is it my imagination or do you have the biggest bandsaw i have ever seen?
 
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