I ALMOST feel guilty!

[stingray_65]

Sign out front said  big garage sale.

Poked around at a bunch of old clothes and nick-nacks.

Under a basket of 25 cent VHS tapes was a Dewalt 10" Radial Arm saw.

Made an offer of $20 and it was mine! I felt worse when the old guy loaned me his pickup so I could take it home! I did top off the tank, but I spent less than $10 before it was full to the neck.

He said he seldom used it after a near miss on his thumb. It look almost showrrom except for a bit of light rust on the exposed machined surfaces.

Did some research and it was made between 1940 and 1950.
3/4hp  Model GWF

Looks a lot like this one on the yootoob except mine has red knobs

Crosscutting on a vintage DeWalt radial arm saw

I'll be cleaning and dialing it in, making a new sacrificial top and back stop and just be as giddy as can be all the rest of this week!

Ray

[G._Hoffman]

We've got one of those at the shop my father inherited from my grandfather.  I hate radial arm saws, though.  Never trust any tool that self-feeds. 


Gabriel

[rafe]

I too prefer a table saw or a band saw. But have used a radial arm saw many,many times....I always know where my hand is and know that the blade is free and able to come flying at you...good score though

[G._Hoffman]

I too prefer a table saw or a band saw. But have used a radial arm saw many,many times....I always know where my hand is and know that the blade is free and able to come flying at you...good score though

Well, really that is the key with any tool - always know what CAN go wrong, so that WHEN it does, you aren't in the way.


Gabriel

[sluckey]

One key to keeping your fingers with a radial arm saw is to lock your wrist and elbow joints and pull the carriage with a smooth shoulder/upper body motion. The blade will not run out at you when you use this stiff arm technique. Another key is don't do stupid stuff like you saw in that video.   

[stingray_65]

I ran a radial arm saw on a factory production line when I was 16, and my Dad had always had one in his shop.

In all honesty I think a chain saw is a LOT more dangerous, And I've witnessed both machines remove a thumb at different times.  They got a nasty rep for a good reason, they aren't for the careless or novices.

Funny thing about that video, The guy running it is the son of Wallace Kunckle aka "Mr Sawdust."

He literally wrote the radial arm saw bible "How to Master the Radial Arm Saw"

I find out too, the fella running the saw in the video is a top notch luthier.

Still no excuse!!

Ray

[G._Hoffman]

In all honesty I think a chain saw is a LOT more dangerous, And I've witnessed both machines remove a thumb at different times.  They got a nasty rep for a good reason, they aren't for the careless or novices.

Well, sure, but a chain saw's apparent danger level vs actual danger level is much more accurate.  If you don't know any better, the radial arm saw doesn't seem nearly as dangerous as it actually is.  It is pretty obvious how a chain saw is going to kill you.

I've always felt that my level of safety with a tool had a lot to do with my level of fear of the tool.  The more scared I am, the more careful I am, and the safer I'll end up being.  I'm scared spitless of the jointer, but I'm scared s#!tless of the shaper, so I'm probably safer when I use the shaper.  On the other hand, I have very little fear of the band saw, so I've nicked my fingers a couple times.  It wasn't that serious because as soon as I felt it, I pulled my finger away, and because the band saw can't self feed it just wasn't that serious, so I just don't have the fear of it, which is probably a problem.  (Though I have to admit, given the need to actively feed a band saw, I don't quite see how you could accidentally cut your fingers off.  I know people have done it, but I don't get it.)  Having sanded off my fingertips more than once, I'm pretty nervous around the belt sander. 


Gabriel

[eleventeen]

My Dad had that exact model! The grey krinkly paint!

What was funny was that it sat for 25 years, he dragged it out here (CA) from the East Coast and I suspect he never used it in those 25 years. I had a small project and fired it up. I was amazed that it worked. It cut EXACTLY the number of pieces that I needed and then the motor died!!

I dropped it off at the dump. Yeah, sorry to see it go in some ways, they are very flexible but NOT especially accurate.

[jjasilli]

Great find.  Love those vintage tools.  I think the old ones were made better with no play in the arm.

[stingray_65]

Great find.  Love those vintage tools.  I think the old ones were made better with no play in the arm.

LOL I know you like your vintage tools for sure!

Until 1960, Dewalt was the only mfr of the radial arm saw, was his invention. The 1940-1960 AMF's are considered by most to be the ultimate in construction.

I've been using mine too much lately to build a proper table.

The cast iron (meehanite) arm and chrome steel column are like new with no wear that I can find.

The bearings for being 50 yrs old are smooth and tight, Heck the blade spinning is louder than the motor itself and it takes a good3 minutes to wind down after the motor is shut off (the new blade stiffener has a lot to do with that too)

Blade selection is VERY critical I've found out. They need less than 5deg of rake or they grab like all the other Radial Arm Saws I've ever ran do.

It had an OLD rusted carbide tipped Freud blade on it when I got it. After a few days of playing around I put a fine 80 tooth Oldham blade on it  from a chop saw.

BIG NO NO!

Chop saw blades are high rake and designed to pull the wood hard against the fence! after 2 tries the old Freud was back on to stay!

I've got my eye on a Forrest Wood Worker 1 blade. they are the only blade still made specifically for radial arm saws, but WOW! $100 for a saw blade is steep!

Ray