Show me your Radial Arm Saw!!!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I have a thing for Delta/Rockwell Vintage Machinery.

Saw this Delta Rockwell Super 900 RAS for $50 and could not pass it up.

Has the OEM Stand and the Table knobbed rods to make the table able to move the back fence where you need it for different cuts.

I think they call this a "Multiplex" Type saw because it has the under arm.

Seems the DeWalt's don't have this?

Is there an advantage with the underarm?

I do not know?

Thought?

 

[aquinob]

Thats a nice little saw, I had one pass through my hands quite a while ago, IIRC i traded it for an Onieda Cyclone which I still have.

My current RAS is a delta 30c 3phase that I rebuilt a long time ago and it still gets use though not on a daily basis. 10" saw, 2hp motor.

Before that I had a Dewalt MBF that I also rebuilt and sold. It was a nice saw but a bit small and underpowed.



Before that I had a craftsman probably early 60s vintage that was a piece of junk. I could never get it aligned and stay straight because it was such a poor design.



The first RAS I ever had I got new, it was a black and decker 8" saw which made the craftsman look good. Total garbage.
Not my saw, that was way too long ago.

 

[seagiant]

Thats a nice little saw, I had one pass through my hands quite a while ago, IIRC i traded it for an Onieda Cyclone which I still have.

My current RAS is a delta 30c 3phase that I rebuilt a long time ago and it still gets use though not on a daily basis. 10" saw, 2hp motor.

Before that I had a Dewalt MBF that I also rebuilt and sold. It was a nice saw but a bit small and underpowed.



Before that I had a craftsman probably early 60s vintage that was a piece of junk. I could never get it aligned and stay straight because it was such a poor design.



The first RAS I ever had I got new, it was a black and decker 8" saw which made the craftsman look good. Total garbage.
Not my saw, that was way too long ago.

Hi,
WOW!

That Delta 30C is bad azz!

I noticed some of those Dewalts had small 1/2 HP Motors.

The Delta Super 900 is not really big but has a 1 HP Motor and I like that.

The 9" Blade, I can deal with.

Seems with the Delta Design under arm the Blade Carriage can be over the center of the table on right and left miter cuts.

There maybe more advantages, I'm just learning about RAS, but think I prefer the Deltas.

Keeping my eye open for a bigger one to rebuild, now!

 

[aquinob]

The key to how well a saw will stay aligned is how it indexes the arm so it always returns back to 90 degrees. On the turret arm deltas, that is machined into the column in the back as well as the part that pivots for the saw itself.



This is the only picture I have but it shows the machined holes that let you index the turret at 45 on either side of 90 as well at 90. But you can also see the quality of the casting and the machining of the ways that let the saw carriage run back and forth smoothly.



On the Dewalt saws it is also a machined part on the column. On both saws it is a robust bit of engineering unlike stuff sears or monkey ward sold around the same time. The sears POS used a pointed little pin that had about 2-3 degrees of slop so it could never stay at 90 no matter what I tried to do with it. Also had a good amount of plastic and aluminum even at that time.



You can see how the arm is indexed in the back and the saw carriage is indexed on its rotating base. This was quality engineering.



I would stick with any of the cast iron arm Dewalt saws, either the round or later square versions. When you start seeing the later versions with more plastic and aluminum then beware.

On the Delta's I would stick with the cast iron turret arm versions. On both you will find a range of sizes from the smaller homeowner grade with 9 inch blades up to the behemoths spinning 16" blades and weighing hundreds of pounds. Motors of at least one HP or better and 10" blades is where I would start.

 

[seagiant]

The key to how well a saw will stay aligned is how it indexes the arm so it always returns back to 90 degrees. On the turret arm deltas, that is machined into the column in the back as well as the part that pivots for the saw itself.



This is the only picture I have but it shows the machined holes that let you index the turret at 45 on either side of 90 as well at 90. But you can also see the quality of the casting and the machining of the ways that let the saw carriage run back and forth smoothly.



On the Dewalt saws it is also a machined part on the column. On both saws it is a robust bit of engineering unlike stuff sears or monkey ward sold around the same time. The sears POS used a pointed little pin that had about 2-3 degrees of slop so it could never stay at 90 no matter what I tried to do with it. Also had a good amount of plastic and aluminum even at that time.



You can see how the arm is indexed in the back and the saw carriage is indexed on its rotating base. This was quality engineering.



I would stick with any of the cast iron arm Dewalt saws, either the round or later square versions. When you start seeing the later versions with more plastic and aluminum then beware.

On the Delta's I would stick with the cast iron turret arm versions. On both you will find a range of sizes from the smaller homeowner grade with 9 inch blades up to the behemoths spinning 16" blades and weighing hundreds of pounds. Motors of at least one HP or better and 10" blades is where I would start.

Hi,
Thank you very much, nice informative Post!

I have my Delta/Rockwell SUPER 900 and I'm happy with that...

Some say, it is the best made RAS made for the Home Shop?

I do not have that experience, to be able to say that, but seems high quality from what I see.

If I get another RAS it will probably be another Delta/Rockwell Turret Arm in a 12"-14" model.

 

[crguy]

While that particular saw is a little above others, the fact is that more people are getting rid of radial arm saws than using them these days. I see free ones regularly in the ads.

 

[aquinob]

While that particular saw is a little above others, the fact is that more people are getting rid of radial arm saws than using them these days. I see free ones regularly in the ads.

They have been doing that for quite a long while. I have a miter saw that I use along with the RAS. RAS can generally crosscut quite a bit wider boards than a miter. It can also run a dado blade which is something no miter saw can. Are there other ways around that? Sure. If you have the space and like to have different types of tools to use then why not. If you are space limited than the miter would be my first choice. And now most miter saws are sliders/gliders so the amount they can cut gets closer to RAS territory.

 

[Nutria]

Delta/Rockwell 105 turret, 1968, 10". Retractable casters.

 

[seagiant]

Hi,
Nice Saw!

I have the same exact Casters on my 1960 Super 900!

I like them so much, I'm going to weld up a Caster Stand for my Delta/Rockwell 14" Bandsaw!

 

[fordoz]

Such fantastic machines posted, I don’t know if mine is worthy.
It’s a 1987 Craftsman 8 1/4 bought from the original owner. It was in near mint condition. I dusted it off, made a table and changed the blade.