I was just given this same model a couple weeks ago ... I just fitted a table top to it and am finally at the squaring stage .. this video helped alot Thank you!!

That is a beautiful Craftsman saw. That particular model (1975 era) was the best one they made, it has the super heavy duty solid cast iron arm, and the solid, one piece cast iron column, as well as the centrally located power switch on the handle, for increased safety. As well, this particular Craftsman cast iron saw has over 1" longer arm travel than the newer aluminum models that followed, about 14.675 vs 13.500 inches. This Craftsman also has 1" more travel than all of the Dewalt cast iron saws, in the 9" and 10" variety. All the plates are screwed on, and bolted on, unlike newer saws which had badges glued on. The top cover is made out of steel (not aluminum or plastic). This makes the saw worth collecting, as every part can be restored and repaired. The only downside to this model saw is the horrendous wood grain paint scheme, although this model is still my favorite Craftsman saw by far. I own this saw, and a newer 1978 aluminum saw. Both are equally good, and the newer saw is about 50 pounds lighter. I simply don't like the cheap covers on the newer saw.

My Craftsman is different than the 9/16" bolt shown here. They are on the back of the arm joint, three hex setscrews on a collar underneath the power cord shroud behind where his hand is at 7:50, mine being plastic.. Took a lot of climbing and stretching but it was this video that gave me the breakthrough. I have fought this dilemma for weeks with my RAS. Moving the fence, squaring it with the blade was a disaster as wood moves over time. Humidity and temperature, it all moves. That constant removal of wood screws for the fence was getting old. Hell, 'old' was in the rear view mirror months ago!

Great info. However, I'd encourage people to square the blade to the fence, instead of to the front edge of the table. Unless a perfectly rectangular fence is attached cleanly to the back edge of a perfectly rectangular table, it may not be truly parallel to the front edge of the table. Nearly all projects will have the wood up against the fence, so getting square to it can prevent headaches.

@allenmatthews4680

7 жыл бұрын

Rural Life You make a great point. If I was to make this video again I would definitely include your suggestion. I had just replaced the table recently before making this video. The table material is a particle board which I specifically had chosen because the sides are cut with machine precision for being square. The fence material was square as well but confirmed by use of the known square table board. So for my situation I simply needed to square the arm/blade of the saw with the table. Hopefully people read your comment and use the fence as the standard surface to square the arm and blade with.

@richardweiner6815

6 жыл бұрын

allen matthews x

Thanks for the video. I just purchased one for 40 bucks and replaced the top today. I realized it was out of square and this video will definitely help me out.

I inherited my fathers 12 inch RAS by Craftsman. The blade height adjustment was seized up where the smaller pole slides inside the larger. I also think it was knocked out of adjustment when we moved it. On my saw there is an adjustment mechanism on back of the upright that allows for truing the blade to the fence . It has set screws on both sides that are loosened and retightened afterwards. The mechanism rides in the slot on the rear of the inner pole. Somehow I turned a 2 hour job into a 6 hour job, but I learned something.

Thank you!!!! I have the exact same model that i just bought and am trying to dial i, so I can start making stuff! This video confirmed that I needed to adjust the two hex nuts in the column to get the blade square to the fence! Because my table could not be adjusted the direction I needed anymore! I just wanted to say thanks for posting this video! You have ending my frustration! Have a great day!

@Ritalie

2 жыл бұрын

Are you still using your radial arm saw? I also have the same Craftsman cast iron model, and it's a beautiful saw. It's my favorite Craftsman saw by far. The only downside is that it weighs about 150 pounds (maybe more) and it's almost impossible to carry it around. I wish it was a bit thinner and lighter. I have a newer aluminum model and it's less than 1/2 as heavy, it's so light you can carry it around no problem.

Good share. Much appreciated.

great news! glad to hear it! this can be a tricky device to adjust but built solid, unlike alot of tools you see on the new market these days.

@toonybrain

5 жыл бұрын

allen matthews Agree

I have a craftsman radial arm saw from the fifties. There is supposed to be two adjusters that fit the holes on the back of the frame, level with the post. A floating board is inserted, then the fence. Adjust the board and fence to square, then attach the rest of the table. This way, the fence can be easily replaced.

Thanks. Dusting off the exact same older model that i picked up from a pawn shop and it badly needed adjustments!

The blade needs to sit behind the fence. We use a pull cut on the RAS and NOT a push cut!

thank you for this video! just got an old Craftsman Radial Arm saw that needs a tune-up.

@allenmatthews4680

9 жыл бұрын

Tina Haldiman Glad you like the video Tina. You are welcome and thanks for viewing.

@jamesknezek2134

3 жыл бұрын

You can probably find an operators manual online for your saw. You'll need the model and serial #, and many of these are free to download and print.

thanks for the heads up rmojo. I did look into that recall and at the time they had given away the last of those packages. it seems they are giving $100 in exchange for the motor, they cover shipping expenses. I decided to keep the saw and be smart\safe when operating it. the biggest risk is with ripping lumber, you have to feed the board into the teeth in the opposite direction you normally mmake cross cuts. also lowering the blade guard down to just a 1\8" inch above the board you are ripping is a must. if I explained this poorly and this doesn't make sense I would strongly urge you to research this more before doing any rip cuts because it is extremely dangerous when done incorrectly. doing a rip cut incorrectly can result in: 1). saw blade will eject board at HIGH velocity and force without warning! 2). violent kickback of board, can break saw teeth or injure you the operator.

@jamesknezek2134

3 жыл бұрын

Get a Freud LU83 saw blade, which will be vastly superior to what is shown on the video, especially on rip cuts. I've had a RAS for over thirty years and never had a kickback yet. Also go to the DeWalt Radial Arm Saw Forum. That's where all the pros hang out and there is more information there than you can imagine.

@jimwiskus8862

2 жыл бұрын

Check this out from BigMikeTuna: kzread.info/dash/bejne/dYpo17qtqNG1lMo.html

thanks for making. I've got the same saw.

I have watched so many people not starting by LEVELLING the saw to the table which is done on the runners below the cutting surface. You need to take the wood table, tilt the motor assembly (without the blade installed) and usually staring at the left back corner of the adjustable angle channel . Lower the motor shaft to barely touch the channel and tighten the bolt enough to stop the piece fron moving . Without adjusting the motor height adjust the left channel at the front to barely touch the shaft. Do the same on the right hand side with the same shaft setting. tighten up all the bolts from the channels and double check all four corners, making sure the tightening has not changed the channel settings. WITHOUT THESE SETTINGS ADJUSTED THIS WAY YOU CANNOT SQUARE THE SAW UP PROPERLY.You may have to repeat this periodically, especially if something heavy falls onto the table or you use it as a workbench :-), we all do at times !!! Table assembly front to back, Large table->Fence ->rear spacer -> the narrow spacer to touch the holding adjustment bolts at the rear. NOW you need to square the blade !!!!

@jerrywilson1303

2 жыл бұрын

I couldn't agree more with D. Tank - you have to first level the table to the "swing" of the saw blade. My old Craftsman has T-nuts with set screws on the underneath side of the table, but you can also shim with washers or cut up aluminum shims to make sure the table is level with the entire range of the blade - moving the arm in an arc across, and using a level. That bow in MDF can be a bummer. I, too, have glued two MDF sheets back-to-back to neutralize the bow. I also wondered why the author chose to not use the narrow table section with the fence between it an the actual table top. The way this saw is used in the video, one would have to raise and lower the blade at the start of every cut. If you need to cut more than 16" wide - a RAS is probably not the tool you want for that. The narrow table section assures quick replacement of the sacrificial fence.

As stated below, the crosscut should be squared to the fence. Also, you didn't address the heel adjustment if it's off. This is important to keep the blade cutting cleanly and not splintering the wood.

Thanks. It is definitely better to adjust the miter angle using the table NOT the arm, as the manual says. You are shifting the pin from its optimum position between the teeth in the gear and then locking it out of position. It will work for a while, but then any bump will likely drop the pin back to its optimum position. Much better to adjust the table, as the manual says. (though I see why you didn't want to adjust your new table)

Thanks for the helpful info. I just inherited my grandfather's old Craftsman, which is a welcome addition to my shop. Any chance you care to make another about other maintenance? All of the movements are pretty rough/tight on this one and I would love a quick overview of where to focus my efforts to get it tuned up.

Thanks i just purchased my first Rad saw. Its an ancient DeWalt. I need to do this. It dies criss cuts fine. When i trued to line up a 45 degree cut to the right i have to set it at almost 52 degree to get 45? Will continue research so i can set this up properly. Starting to do lot of wood working for learning and hobby.

Missing is heel adjustment of the blade; that is, parallelism between the blade and the travel of the arm ( if the arm has be made perpendicular with the fence the blade should be perpendicular to the fence). This is functionally the same consideration as heel in the table saw; that is, parallelism between the blade and the miter slot of a TS and hence also the rip fence. This can be a apart of the calibration of yoke rotation stops (indents) vs the arm. A tiny amount of heel in the correct direction can be deliberate and desirable (heel-in), but has to be of the correct direction to prevent pinching, as in the TS as well.

If I am right (I believe) the Craftsman does not have motor-yoke adjustment other than bevel angle. The opposite end to the bevel angle adjustment is just a plate that cannot be adjusted; correctness assumed and permanent. The Dewalt small saw has a separate adjustment in addition to the bevel adjustment. This is the three machine screw setup in the way of an isosceles triangle (120 degrees apart) that allows one to adjust for the concentricity of the rod into the round well in the yoke that receives the rod.

i just bought an old craftsman RAS 12" thanks for the info

Wrong to assume the front edge is square to the back fence. The work is placed against the back stop and the runout has to be set from the backstop. It is far more likely that the set of the blade retains it's preset condition and that the jostling of the saw when moving moved the wood top which the backstop is attached to......

Thank you for the comments. I am sorry the video is taken with a narrow perspective and not landscape. Im not a regular at posting videos to youtube so next time I will hopefully remember.

Thanks for the video. I just purchase one this afternoon for $70 and when I was unloading it I noticed the arm was loose. Like side to side loose. I had to leave for work so i couldn't troubleshoot it but when I get home I will look at the 9/16" bolts and see if they are tight. Hopefully not. I'll work on alignment when I get it to its final spot, but I need to make sure the arm will be fixed first. Great video. Not much info out there for these older tools.

@Ritalie

2 жыл бұрын

The negative comments from people online who say that radial arm saws "cannot cut square," don't understand the adjustments. On all radial arm saws, the column wears out, and gets loose. So there is a provision, a small nylon pad, or brass insert, depending on which brand saw you have, and there is a "looseness adjustment screw" on the column. When the column gets sloppy, you just tighten the screw, and the column will be like new again! They are designed to last forever, so every single part on a RAS is adjustable.

@markyohe4462

Жыл бұрын

@@Ritalie I have side to side play in my arm. Tried loosening the two 9/16" bolts in the column, adjusting so the blade is square to the fence, and then tightened the bolts. But I still have play when I rotate the arm to the square position. Maybe I'm expecting too much from this RAS? Seems like when I rotate the arm and it "locks" into the preset square position that the arm shouldn't move side to side at all?

I like this video

Great video! Thanks!

Thanks for the video. You might want to check to see if your Craftsman was under a recall. If it is they will send you ca new blade guard and a new tabletop...for free!

I have this exact saw and I need some help. The nut and the plastic bevel gear fell off of the threaded, shaft elevating rod when I was attempting to raise the blade. Can you remember how I get that thread rod to come back down far enough so I can thread the nut back onto it. Presently, the rod it almost flush to the surface, and I cannot get the nut onto it. Thanks!

So you have to loosen all 4 screws every time to tilt the head from vertical to horizontal???

Missing is toe-heel adjustment of the blade. That is, parallelism between the arm's line of travel and the blade's face.

@mcween18

4 жыл бұрын

How do you adjust this? Really interested to know as I am currently setting mine up which is similar to this and it is not cutting square. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Thank you. It did help.

I have the same saw! so exciting, Lol.

@yomero579

3 жыл бұрын

Just got one and looks like it. Do you lnow what model is it? Ty

I've printed out my manual for my craftsman saw and done this bevel alignment, but after I make a cut it lands back off center again. Do you have any ideas of what I might need to do or replace?

I found this exact saw in my area. Would you recommend it? I have hear some radial saw can get out of alignment fairly easily.

Thanks. I've been tryin to figure out why the carriage on my saw is so far off. So all I need to do is loosen those 9/16 nuts and square it up, right? I'll give it a shot tomorrow. This has been troubling me since I got the saw.

Hi i just bought a used craftmen radial arm saw and do not have the msnual and on line it does not explain mutch about the srews on the back arm . I can’t seem to raise my saw anymore and don’t want to get more rong as it is . Can you help me out please . Thx

Allan,is that a standard place to put your table backing where it is,?

I think I have the same older model Craftsman radial arm saw. I pulled up the Swivel Latch Knob to release the power unit to swivel it into rip-out position. Used the saw and now cannot return the power unit to its normal blade in-lin with arm position. I pull the Swivel Latch Knob but it does not seem to release the power unit to swivel back. Can you post some help for me please?

Very useful information. I have the same model. My up/down adjustment is very stiff. Is there any way to loosen the mechanism? I have to push up on the arm while cranking to get it to go up.

@MrCt333

5 жыл бұрын

The height adjustment sometimes needs some love. When I picked up my radial arm saw the height adjustment was rusted together. I pulled the entire assembly apart, sanded the rust off, then lubed the threaded rod up with grease and lubed up the slide assembly with synthetic motor oil/penetrating oil. The slide you just want a really light oil so dust don't stick to it. The gear on the crank handle on mine was in bad need of being lubed up, the old grease was clumped up and not on the gear.

@randyknowles

5 жыл бұрын

@@MrCt333 Thanks for the tip, I'll try that.

Thank you for shearing. I have one exactly like this one. Does. A ybody know what modelmis it. Trying to find a manual to learn how to ise it and adjust it. Tt

How would you correct slight sagging? Meaning if you pull the saw all the way out, it drops a little deeper than when the saw is resting in the start position.

@markyohe4462

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like you need to adjust the table to the arm. In other words, drop the front of the table (closest to you) lower and/or raise the back of the table up. When you move the blade in and out it should be a consistent height from the table. Also when you rotate the arm. Anywhere you can put the blade over the table, the blade should be equidistant from the top of the table. Loosen the bolts holding the table in position, add shims as needed. Square the table to the arm and retighten the bolts.

How do you turn the saw to cut horizontally ? I have the exact same saw. Please help !

@crabtrap

5 жыл бұрын

their is a pull up lever on top of the motor trolly(should have a knob on it). pull up on it and the motor should swivel parallel to the table top for a rip cut. BEWARE that ripcuts on radial arm saws can be dangerous becuase of kick back!

I have a craftsman RAS. Can someone tell me how to remove the drill chuck? I downloaded the manual and I can’t find it anywhere.

@detleftank8351

5 жыл бұрын

LOock the blade against a piece of wood to stop the shaft from turning, insert the CHUCK KEY into the chuck and tap it slightly top to bottom, it will spin off

Square should be coming off the fence and not the front edge of the top

To clarify. I need to do a rip cut.

I cant tell for sure,but that looks more like a mitre saw blade than a RAS blade.That can be dangerous regardless of your alignment.

Might be a good idea to demonstrate adjusting the various parts, not tell us how you did it. 🧐😒🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

For anyone watching this, the table and fence are absolutely not correct. Should be movable fence in front and behind the saw. Next, the saw and table must be aligned and the height corrected before where this video starts showing. There are many things that MUST be set correctly for them to be accurate and safer to use. If not done, you will not enjoy the real benefits of these saws. Go to this old video. kzread.info/dash/bejne/g3-HzbxqpqTgfsY.html

@markyohe4462

Жыл бұрын

The video in the link is excellent

You did not align the table correctly. Your speed square belongs on the other end of the table, up against the piece of wood that you cut off of. You aligned the saw to who ever cut that particle board.

Shouldn't you check square on the run of the blade from the edge you're sitting the boards against, not the front edge. The board doesn't sit along the front edge. I get it, you're so square, that no matter what edge you line it up against, it's going to be square. Got it. I've had trouble finding square squares. Either they got that nub on the end or the corner ain't right, most of em got a little rock to em. Ain't none of my squares, square to another square. 🤷 Went to the store to buy a "good" square. They're all the same. Any recommendations on a quality square you don't have to use a file on? The internet ain't quite up to speed on what is quality. If the word quality is in the marketing statement. You'll get the same recommendations every time. 🤦🤦🤦

sorry I guess it's called a fence

@allenmatthews4680

7 жыл бұрын

Gus Abar Yes the fence is in the standard location Gus. I haven't noticed until just now that a few people have asked about the fence and the saw movement in relation to the fence. I'll try to clear this up. The fence is in the standard position and I do pull the blade from a starting point beyond the fence and into the wood to be cut just as you would expect with a radial arm saw. I believe part of the confusion is that typically a portion of the table extends beyond the fence (the side away from the operator). I don't have that portion attached to my table anymore. When I replaced the table and fence I omitted that part of the table because it isn't necessary for operation. It may not look like it but the blade's starting point is well before the fence.

This is an incomplete instruction video, missing two other key adjustments while completely screwing the pooch by aligning the saw's movement to the outer edge of the table top rather than the fence itself. Also, don't shoot vertical videos! Argh!!!!

Information incorrect and the table top is totally wrong blade has to be behind fence and you square the blade from the fence not the front edge of table CLUELESS

God damn DUDE! What's with the skinny picture in the center of my screen???? Buy a real camera. I have an old Sears VHS camcorder that makes a better picture than what you have.