Repurposing radial arm saw

[skeer]

Howdy gents, Just a quick question.. looking for opinions. I’m not going to use this craftsman radial arm saw. I’m just not comfortable even with the guard and anti kickback prong things.
I also can’t sell it for any more than maybe $20 in my area.

So what sort of things or uses could a tool like that be repurposed for or into?

 

[aquinob]

Some sort of planter or garden art?

 

[BTL-A4]

You can get $50 if your saw is eligible: http://radialarmsawrecall.com/

 

[Old Man Roger]

Google radial arm saw attachments.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

Put a antenna on it and check out what radio stations you can pick up.

 

[gungatim]

Scrap the steel and aluminum and repurpose the motor.

If you are more inclined, I used to have a Yuba SawSmith (made by ShopSmith) that was a radial arm saw that had attachments to turn it into a drill press, router, sander, and a bunch of other things that were better served by other dedicated tools.

I have never found any use for a radial arm saw once I bought a SCMS other than scrap.

 

[aquinob]

I'm a fan of RAS's but the craftsman saws were garbage. I have a Delta 30C turret arm with a 2hp motor that I keep around mostly for long straight crosscuts. The kind that no SCMS is going to get close to. The older Dewalt cast iron arms (either round or rectangular) are also good. They have their purpose but most home shop guys can get by with a miter saw just fine.

 

[bwringer]

Izzat one a' them "radio alarm sawz" I keep seeing on CrackList?

Apparently they're worth HUGE money, even if they're all rusty and fell out of a truck a couple of times.

 

[jimy]

My dad had one. It did work well cutting plywood into shapes to build trusses for a small pole barn. Other than that, it didn’t get much use.

 

[tclark]

Buy a good blade and make it a dedicated crosscut/dado machine. With the right blade it's no more dangerous than most woodworking tools(although agree that the Craftsman's weren't very good machines).

 

[dchawk81]

Howdy gents, Just a quick question.. looking for opinions. I’m not going to use this craftsman radial arm saw. I’m just not comfortable even with the guard and anti kickback prong things.
I also can’t sell it for any more than maybe $20 in my area.

So what sort of things or uses could a tool like that be repurposed for or into?

I know women who would make it a planter. Kinda like old TVs and John Deeres.

 

[WildBill]

You can get $50 if your saw is eligible: http://radialarmsawrecall.com/

I've done this probably 10 times with free ones.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Mount a wood router on it to make circular moldings by swinging in a radius.

 

[nadogail]

Howdy gents, Just a quick question.. looking for opinions. I’m not going to use this craftsman radial arm saw. I’m just not comfortable even with the guard and anti kickback prong things.
I also can’t sell it for any more than maybe $20 in my area.

So what sort of things or uses could a tool like that be repurposed for or into?

Radial arm buffer.
Firewood Processing
Boat Anchor.
Charitable Donation.

 

[Mike65]

I have one that I have had for probably 25 years. I use it to cut wide boards that I cannot cut on my miter saw. I have it in line with my miter saw & use the miter saw outfeed table for support of long pieces of wood that I am cutting on the RAS.

 

[Doozer75]

I have one that I have had for probably 25 years. I use it to cut wide boards that I cannot cut on my miter saw. I have it in line with my miter saw & use the miter saw outfeed table for support of long pieces of wood that I am cutting on the RAS.

The radial saw works better in the middle of the bench
because then you have that nice back stop as a fence
and you can rip lumber, and straight line it. It saves a
lot of work before going to the jointer.

-Doozer

 

[driftpin]

I have a Sears Craftsman (Emerson) 12" cast-iron RAS I bought new probably 45 years ago. It has done a good job when I've used it, though I haven't used it much lately, as I haven't been doing much woodworking compared to when I first bought it, along with my first home, and much of my mechanics' hand tools collection.

 

[Old Man Roger]

They’re awesome if you have the room for a long bench.

 

[Packard V8]

I used one for more than fifty years, built several buildings, cut thousands of board feed of lumber. Those who know how, the Craftsman RAS is an OK machine. Those who don't buy a SawStop.

jack vines

 

[PugetDude]

Trade it for a pair of Harbor Freight jackstands.

 

[WildBill]

Trade it for a pair of Harbor Freight jackstands.

I traded one for a harbor freight jack.

 

[carlaisle]

I modified one into an overarm router. Very handy if you have use for such a thing.

 

[zendriver]

I had a nice one and I never used once that was on top of a big steel cabinet

It’s been repurposesd as part of a steel girder or railroad rail somewhere

 

[RTM]

Router would be my thought, use it to surface big stuff by putting the arm on a left right moving rail.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Performax made a kit for Radial arm saws that converted them to a power feed drum sander. It used the saw's motor with a small pulley to power the drum. The belt feed had it's own variable speed motor. Kind of a useful rig. Now I think they only make dedicated machines. I picked one up for $50 a few years back mostly for the novelty of it. I do still use radial arm saws as intended too. None has ever come after me with malice, but of course, my off hand is never in line with the cut. Ed.

 

[skeer]

Like I hate to junk it, especially since i spent a few weeks cleaning, and repainting the rusted up nasty parts. But I don't have the room for a proper board bench.

 

[skeer]

I like that sander attachment!~

 

[lardy1]

I made a mobile base unit for my old Porter-Cable router table (First picture). I later upgraded to a bigger and better router table and gave the old base to my wife with another top on it. She uses it in her jewely/silversmithing shop.