I’m 65 and have enjoyed using my 1963 DeWalt radial arm saw for years. RAS are not dangerous if you know what you are doing and have respect for safety. Jealous of your vintage router, but I am blessed to have a full shop of “antique tools” because when I was young and single I could not afford to go to Sears and buy new Craftsman tools like my friends. My 1948 Delta bandsaw and 40’s vintage Craftsman 6” jointer and shaper are built like a tank and still going strong. My prized passion in my 1914 Victor Koontz pattern makers vice. Too bad America does not build things to last like they use to🇺🇸. Loved the video! You definitely have a new follower!

Finally someone on youtube who isn't afraid to rip with his RAS. I'm sick of the bad reputation this saw has because of the ignorance of others.I have ripped for years and never had a kickback.

I have been looking at Dust Collections for RAS videos galore for some time now. I find yours to be one of THE greatest I have seen. As a result I am going to build mine based on what you did. Thank you kind Sir.

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks! It works incredibly well.

Greetings, I will be making one tomorrow. Outstanding idea about the holes in the fence. Vinny

@TommyTompkins

2 жыл бұрын

Have fun with the build!

Love that old router.

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Me too! :)

Im liking your old tools... back when they were made solid to last a lifetime... or two

I dig that craftsman router

great video I have to make the same kind of fence. That router looks really awesome as well, those old tools sure had style.

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Evan! That old craftsman router is solid. Still wish I had one of the newer plunge routers but there's just something about this old one that I like.

@FIGGY65

2 жыл бұрын

@@TommyTompkins . Hello Tommy, I’m a Delphi member and this is a great video ! Is the vintage CM router a 1/4 inch bit? I appreciate your time, Best regards, Shawn

Very cool, just getting my old school turret delta saw set up. I'm adding this to my must build list!

@TommyTompkins

5 жыл бұрын

Cool. This dust collection box works amazingly well.

Great design, thanks so much will build one this weekend.

@TommyTompkins

5 жыл бұрын

It really does work great. You'll love it.

I love what you are doing, man! Keep up the great work!!

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Brandon!

thanks! I am just starting to use my Delta Rockwell Super 900 after having it collect dust in the corner for decades. Going to get that book too.

Got a DeWalt 1400, a real war horse of a saw, I defy any tablesaw user to rip to the center of a 4 x 8 panel while his saw is backed up against a wall- you can handily do it with a radial, that's what Mr. Sawdust meant when he said you could do everything with a radial in 80% less space than a saw table. Anyhow, I just got rid of my dust collector for it and constructed a simple dust catcher, not as effective as the old collector but sufficient for my now occasional needs. One last brag: I also got rid of my 12" Delta planer and scored a rotary planer head for the 1400, it really is a "Power Shop" with the right accessories.

@TommyTompkins

5 жыл бұрын

Nice! Enjoy that power shop!

To answer your question about airflow on the inside of the box... no. It won't hurt, but in terms of airflow, on a close system the "flow" is determined by constraint to the amount in any given area, in other words, the draw can be mapped for a mathematical model of which areas get more or less of the draw, run out of numbers to subtract from the draw, and anything further than that point gets no draw. It looks to me like the two baffles will have little effect on the draw, so they won't constrain the flow from any other areas. Also, the main draw coming into the box will take the path of least resistance, meaning if the draw reaches 0 before it spreads to the holes on the far right side of the box, they get no draw. Here is another factor: just because all of the holes have draw, it will not mean that the flow of air to the inside of the box has enough vacuum to pull the dust to the back of the box, there will be dead spot within the mass of the box. Most of the time, these spots are fill by the fine dust and eventually make the perfect vacuum zones for the main draw, but this also will present an increasing resistance for flow, and a fire danger. I know your design works fine, it's a proven way to take dust out of the way, but these are facts about draw and flow. I can advise you to make use of the dust port on the saw itself, because you really don't want the sawdust building up inside of the blade guard.

I love the video - to the point and no nonsense - liked and subbed. I really like this fence, and will build something similar for my saw, thanks! PS: Noticed you are in a 1 shop garage - I'm off to your channel for a shop tour for more inspiration for my own 1 car garage shop!

Hi. I really like the dust collection fence/system. As a side note. I have the same router and radial arm saw. Thx!

I recently acquired a RAS from a colleague of mine. He was tired of it in his garage and I was looking for one so it worked out well. Your information is fantastic. I use the Forrest Woodworker II on my table saw. Its one of the best around. It will cost you a pretty penny but its worth it.

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Nice! I don't have the Woodworker II but I've been thinking about picking one up for my table saw.

I like it !!!!!!! Simple but very cool ! Thanks alot

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

Simple and works very well.

Great job. Give me and idea for both my Craftsman radial arm saw and my drill press table I've thinking about building.

Good job I am going to try much of your design on my Craftsman RAS.

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

Go for it!

Thank you so much as I'm trying to set up 2 radial arm saws though franks system is wonderful your seems more doable not all of us have that wonderful C&C machine that does. I have a question where did you get that laser for your radio arm Saul really love that once again thank you.👍

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Leo! I picked up that laser from Amazon: www.amazon.com/Oshlun-LG-R01-Radial-Laser-Guide/dp/B002PMV4UQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487178949&sr=8-1&keywords=radial+arm+saw+laser

@amatamat55

7 жыл бұрын

Tommy Tompkins thank once again for the wealth of knowledge you shared love that you involved your children my daughter is 28 years old and she has been in my shop as a little girl and today she can Handel all my woodworking tools with out any hesitations. It's so nice to see your videos 👍

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Leo! That means a lot to me :)

0:50 Rage Against The Machine! Top music taste! One of the great bands.

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Man you must have some good ears! That BARELY made it through the video :)

Great 👏🏼🇧🇷

A very decent solution to an old problem with dust collection. I like it and plan to build one similar. I am particularly impressed with the strength of the suction at the fence. What HP is your collector? Thanks for sharing!

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

That's a great question. It's an older dust collector from 1989 and I'm not even sure who made it. There's a badge plate that has some numbers on it and there's an "H P" with a bunch of space between the H and P so not sure if that's horse power or not, but the number next to that is 1. So my guess is maybe 1 HP?

Tommy: You probably have been asked this before.....where did you get the laser line for the radial arm saw? BTW: Great videos!!! They are inspirational, because your material and methods are certainly "reachable" for us amateurs. I am now a subscriber. Keep up the good work!

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks John! I picked up that laser from Amazon and should work on any saw with a 5/8" arbor: www.amazon.com/Oshlun-LG-R01-Radial-Laser-Guide/dp/B002PMV4UQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491356084&sr=8-1&keywords=radial+arm+saw+laser

@thebradleysoncatbirdhill6849

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tommy!

Супер. Я також купив такий продукт з СРСР, зроблю той же екстрактор для тирси.

Hi after watching your video I decided to get a Dewalt 925. I took the yoke/carriage off the change roller bearings. Now I cannot get off old bearings and I can’t get the yoke back in the arm. Is there a trick to it? The back of yoke goes in first and seems too large to fit, but it came out. Please help. Thank you

Nice video Tommy. Wally Kunkel....son of Mr. Sawdust

@TommyTompkins

5 жыл бұрын

Hey Wally! Nice to hear from you. I hope your plans to reopen the Mr. Sawdust school are coming along nicely.

Nice video...well done. What type of dust collection are you using? Looks to me the holes in your fence are 5/8" diameter (judging by the kerf line)?

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

I just measured and you're right on the money! 5/8" diameter holes

I like what you did, very awesome. Im in the process of going from Table Saw to Radial Saw. Question. Where did you get that outer shell for your router? I like the idea of being able to push the router up/down with ease and that looked very awesome what you have.

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

That's an old craftsman router that I inherited from my grandpa. It works great and you can still find them on Craigslist.

@CP-fz4sr

4 жыл бұрын

@@TommyTompkins Thank you. I was able to actually get a hand held one from DeWalt model 611, which can twist up and down like yours. Thanks again. Im building the same model type table you have, and just a quick question. I see your fence is NOT plywood or MDF. How did you make sure that piece of wood is PERFECTLY FLAT? I have a jointer and planner, but my pieces never ever comes out perfect square, and Im sure that the fence MUST be perfect square, correct?

I love watching your vids. I just refurbished my grandfathers DeWalt 925H...complete cleaning, new bearings, Forrest WWI blade, etc. Runs great and I'm building a bench, new top, and NOW a dust collector (from your vids). Gotta question about your "sacrificial top"...are you happy with it? I'd think that the screw heads would be a constant worry, even if you laid them out carefully. Mr. Sawdust (have his book) doesn't talk about a sacrificial top. Just curious as I'm about to start building a new table as well as the original masonite top from my grandfather is shot. Thanks.

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Hey Erik - it's nice to hear from another 925 owner! Yes, I'm very happy with my sacrificial top. I strategically placed the screws so that they wouldn't get in the way of standard 90 deg and 45 deg cuts. So far, I haven't cut any other odd angles with it but when I do, the plan is to line up the cut, see if any screws are going to be in the way ahead of time and if so, simply remove the screw(s) that's in the way and put them back when I'm finished with the cut.

@erikwilkinson8968

7 жыл бұрын

Brilliant, ok, makes sense....I see the wisdom of using screws. I'm a bit embarrassed about missing the sacrificial top in Mr. Sawdust. I reread everything now, see it's description, and see why it is needed. Thanks again.

Why’d you quit KZread? Love your channel and I hope you come back!

I use all different types of radial arm saw I was wondering why yours can cut up to a 6-inch piece like a six-by-six

What router were you using? Didn't recognise it. Good vids 🤘

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

That's an old Craftsman router that I got from my grandpa. I think it's early 60's era maybe?

this is a great series. I was thinking of doing one myself but i have limited time and filming while building takes so much more time. I do have a question in reagrds to the RAS as a whole. Does yours hold it's setings well? I have a dewalt from the mid 70's and it does ok but i do have to check it once a month or so to be sure it is holding it's alignments

@TommyTompkins

6 жыл бұрын

For the most part, my settings stay pretty solid so I don't have to mess with them very much. But when I first got started with the saw I was adjusting them all the time because I didn't really know what I was doing. Over time, I learned that my miter setting on the column has just the slight amount of play in it so before locking it down into position I need to pull it to the left slightly. If I do this, everything is right on the money. If I push to the right a little before locking it into position, it's just a fuzz off. I'm sure there's a way that I can correct this with other settings on the column but I haven't found any time to do a deep dive into that yet. I don't have any experience from radial arm saws from the 70s, but from what I've read, all the DeWalts built after 1960 weren't as solid as the ones from the 50s. They supposedly cut corners on the design to save money so it's possible that you're running into some quality issues with your adjustments drifting.

@theburkesmith3154

6 жыл бұрын

thanks for the reply. Love your content. I also have a channel where I decided I am going to video the making of a simlar workbench. I start filming this Friday!!!!!

What laser are you using on the RAS? I've seen some on amazon, looking for my delta turret RAS, just want one that works and is accurate. Really like your design, think im gonna build this! Great vid!

@TommyTompkins

3 жыл бұрын

The laser that you see in this video is this one on Amazon: amzn.to/3nv2qpo. To be honest, I don't even use it anymore because I'm more accurate lining up the kerf in the fence with my cut line.

If you were to cut a long 2x4 in half, does the dust collection continue to work fairly well, or does the 2x4 end up blocking all the holes in the fence?

@TommyTompkins

Жыл бұрын

Do you mean rip the 2x4? When ripping, it doesn't use the holes in the fence at all. The dust collector is hooked up to the port on the blade guard which works ok but nothing like the fence when cross cutting.

What is the size of your table in front of the fence?

What hardware or setup did you use for the tilt out portion of your Radial Arm Stand? It sounded like something snapped into place or clicked when you used it on one of your other videos?

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Hey Michael - it's the original hardware that comes with the Dewalt 925H saw. That saw had drop leaf hardware with the frame. You can see how it operates here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/aIiBpLZtZcrFoco.htmlm50s

@mflure

7 жыл бұрын

That is a really cool feature to have so you're not taking up valuable space for a large depth cabinet.

Does the dust collection box work at all when ripping on the RAS?

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

No, the box only works for cross cutting. The port on the blade guard is used for ripping and does a pretty good job when it's rotated down against the workpiece.

How did you add the laser to the RAS?

I recently bought a radial saw just like yours...., Cutting through a 2x4 is not quick, what is your saw blade and where did you purchase it at, plus are u using 120 or 240 voltage, thank you

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

I normally use the Forrest Woodworker 1 blade with TCP tooth design as recommended by Mr. Sawdust. I run the saw on 120 but I've heard that the motor could potentially run more efficiently on 220. The motor is 3/4 horse and a little underpowered to cut quickly so you do have to take your time.

That's a pretty cool router you got there, what is that?

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

It's an old Craftsman that used to be my grandpa's.

Hi, is the Laser you're using the Oshlun LG-R01? If so how do you like it?

@TommyTompkins

6 жыл бұрын

Yep, that's the one I'm using. I like it a lot when it works but the battery seems to wear out fairly quickly.

Maybe attach a hose from saw blade vacuum fitting to vacuum box?

@TommyTompkins

6 жыл бұрын

When cross cutting it's not necessary because 99% of the dust is sucked into the box and doesn't make it up to the blade guard vacuum fitting. When ripping, the board is being fed into the opposite side of the blade and the blade teeth are pulling the board up from the table and throwing the sawdust upward into the blade guard. For this reason, the vacuum fitting on the blade guard is really only designed for use when ripping.

Hi Tommy, I read that you can not rip with the radial arm saw because it's dangerous. What do you think? I have the opportunity to buy an old radial arm saw and I have several doubts. Thank you.

@TommyTompkins

6 жыл бұрын

Ripping on any saw can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing and if the saw isn't setup properly. On a radial arm saw specifically, it's just as safe as any other saw as long as the blade is perfectly square to the fence, the blade guard is rotated to keep the workpiece against the table, and the anti-kickback fingers are set properly. In my opinion, most guys that get hurt on a radial arm saw aren't using it properly. But any saw can be dangerous. If you ask around, I think you'll find way more people in the woodworking community that lost fingers on table saws than you have with radial arm saws. But for some reason the table saw doesn't have the stigma that the RAS does. My advice would be that no matter what saw you use, just make sure that it's setup properly and that you're following proper safety procedures and you'll be just fine.

@carlononne3244

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tommy for the exhaustive answer, I will follow your advice to set up the saw and work safely. Maybe I'll still bother you to ask for technical advice on this type of saw. Thanks again for your kindness.

I saw that you had a laser line on the saw. What did you use? Thanks

@TommyTompkins

6 жыл бұрын

I used one of these: amzn.to/2HoEp33

@kerfnut7898

6 жыл бұрын

Tommy Tompkins It looks good. Thanks for the help.

Checkout frank Howard's channel. He designed an excellent dust collection system for his radial arm saw. Great videos.

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

Frank Howarth does great work!

Are you losing suction by not permanently attaching the dust collection box to the fence?

@TommyTompkins

Жыл бұрын

Not at all.

Do you have a solution for dust collection when making rip cuts?

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

For rip cuts the best dust collection is to tip your blade guard down on the board and use the dust port with a dust collector hose. That's what I do and it works pretty well, although not as good as the dust collection box for crosscuts.

at the end of the video ... there's a laser cut line indicator ... where did that come from?

@TommyTompkins

3 жыл бұрын

The laser that you see in this video is this one on Amazon: amzn.to/3nv2qpo. To be honest, I don't even use it anymore because I'm more accurate lining up the kerf in the fence with my cut line.

what type of dust collection system do you have

@TommyTompkins

5 жыл бұрын

It's an older bag type system. I'm not even sure who makes it. Here's a picture: instagram.com/p/BTCw1XMlNB2/

Tommy if you haven't already you should check out Ed Waggoner Sr.'s channel, he's a wild man with his radial arm saw.

@TommyTompkins

7 жыл бұрын

I think I know who you're referring to. I'll check him out!

That saw looks similar to mine and I am pretty sure it is supposed to have a 10" blade on it.

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

Nope. The DeWalt 925H was designed for a 9 inch blade but most of the guys that run these saws run 8" blades on them since the motor tends to be a little under powered and there's a bit more torque with a smaller diameter blade. I have run a 10 inch blade on this machine for very special operations, but it requires adding a block of wood in between the column and the carriage as a spacer so that the blade doesn't accidentally cut into the column.

@rickamori7340

4 жыл бұрын

And to be a bit more specific, Mr. Sawdust notes in his book that he preferred an 8" blade for most of his operations.

@EdwardT9

3 жыл бұрын

There is a 10” model that looks like this, might not be green though. Powershop something... 770 or, 7730 or 7790? They’re out there though, built at the same time as this one. DeWalt had 9, 10, 12, 14, and I think 16 inch blade models!

+1

Frank Howarth also has a nice design as well for his old DeWalts. kzread.info/dash/bejne/e5d725R-o9ydZNI.html

Does anyone know what year this saw was manufactured? Looks like it's from the AMF era.

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

This one in particular was 1960

@Gold-oj8do

4 жыл бұрын

@@TommyTompkins Thanks for replying back Tommy. Do you know if it was made when AMF had control of the company? I only ask because I bought one from a customer of mine in 1989. My saw is like brand new to this day and I think it was built during the 1950's but I'm not 100% sure.

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

@@Gold-oj8do Is yours a 925 model? I think the 925 came out in 1960 which is the same year that AMF sold to Black and Decker. During this transition, I think some 925s had the AMF branding and some did not. Mine doesn't have any AMF branding.

@Gold-oj8do

4 жыл бұрын

@@TommyTompkins Mine has the AMF branding but I'm not sure of the model number. Next time I drive to my shop I will look and see if it's the 925. Mine has the key just like yours and in the exact same spot. Mine has the flat housing not the rounded housing. Mine looks exactly like yours but has the AMF on it. Great saw!

Laser lines on a radial arm saw are my dumbest invention of the week. The kerf mark in the fence shows you exactly where the blade is going to cut. I fail to see how a blade beam about an 1/8" wide at the table with feathered edges because of light diffusion at the surface is going to better that.

@TommyTompkins

4 жыл бұрын

I originally added the laser as a reminder to keep my hands out of the path of the blade - not as a reference to line up the cut. The glow from the laser does limit the accuracy if you try to use that to line things up. I always use the kerf to make my cuts. The batteries ran out in the laser a couple of years ago and I haven't replaced them so I don't even use it anymore.

I have an old Dewalt Radial that I picked up and I am wrestling with keeping it or getting a new compound sliding miter saw. Your thoughts?

@TommyTompkins

5 жыл бұрын

How old is your DeWalt? The really nice ones are typically 40s-50s era up to 1960. After that, they started cutting corners on the design. The older ones can hold their settings much better and are much more solid machines. If you can get your hands on one, personally I would go with an old DeWalt radial arm saw over a newer sliding compound miter saw if it can be stationary and you don't plan on taking it to job sites. If you're anything like me, you might sell your table saw and do everything on your RAS including ripping. But the key is to make sure that you set it up properly and learn how to use it safely. Most people that have accidents on the RAS were not using it correctly. Get the Mr. Sawdust book and he'll set you straight.

@brucewallen593

5 жыл бұрын

@@TommyTompkins 1950's Identical to my father-in-law's. But I am just getting ready to retire in December and I am getting my workshop set up. I do own a good table saw and a miter saw, so I am vacillating between setting up like you did, or just buy a very good miter saw. Thank you for taking the time to get back to me. One last question, what is the total length of your complete system, trying to see where things will fit in my workshop.

@brucewallen593

5 жыл бұрын

i am intrigued by the laser line, can you tell me more about that?

@TommyTompkins

5 жыл бұрын

@@brucewallen593 The total length of the 3 tables that I'm using is 16 feet but many people make them shorter in length to fit their shop. The tables are modular so that helps with shop configuration as well. The laser is just a battery powered 5/8" arbor laser that I got off amazon: amzn.to/31WP76o