Radial arm saws

[Scoffy]

When I first started woodworking, one of the 'must haves' was a radial arm saw, So I bought one, the big DeWalt, I found it very difficult to be accurate, but still quite useful. I sold it a couple of years ago as it was taking up too much space ia my new smaller workshop. Anyway, I never hear them mentioned nowdays, does anyone still use one?

 

[Glynne]

Only for cross cutting.
I spent a very informative week with Dodge (Roger Berwick) of this forum and he persuaded me I needed one. I subsequently got one from eBay and whilst it is very useful & accurate for cross cutting, it's probably the only thing I use it for. I don't use it for trenching cuts or making tenons mainly because I'm a box maker, and because I find it takes ages to set up to cut exactly at 90 degrees, I'm not inclined to alter the settings to cut at any other angle.
But that's just me. Perhaps a commercial maker or someone with a more varied interest might find more use for one but I have yet to find anyone who would recommend one for ripping timber - unless they have a death wish.
If you get one, make sure you get a decent negative rake blade. The experience of the blade grabbing the timber and coming to meet you is one that remains with you!

 

[deema]

I have a Wakin ROS, absolutely love it, use it all the time. Perfectly accurate, and if you follow a simple process, very easy and very quick to setup the blade to cut perfectly accurate. I don't use it for ripping, but trenching, cross cut, mitre cut, compound mitre cuts and occasionally with a wobble saw, trenching block from my spindle moulder.

I'm a bit if a fan of these saws!

 

[sawdust1]

I have the Dewalt power shop, its the most used machine in my workshop, on nearly all day.
Great for cutting Tennons as well.

 

[Selwyn]

How do you cut tenons with a single blade? Just go back and forth all the time?

 

[Scoffy]

It is legal to have a dado on a RAS and so can cut tenons with a single pass or two.