# Radial Arm Router



## cabinetman (Apr 23, 2007)

For many years I've always had an extra RAS that I bought to convert to a radial arm router. I would pick up a RAS, and never paid more than $125, and then plan to remove the saw head, and mount a router.

Actually it would be a pretty simple conversion. Maybe a bracket or two to get welded up. So, what would happen is I would get busy and kept putting it off. Would wind up selling the RAS, because it was always in the way. Then I'd get the bug again, and then sell again. The third RAS, I just gave away a couple of months ago to a friend.

The uses would have been varied from repetitive rabbets on drawer sides to simple dadoes. Has anyone here done this? Any comments on this conversion?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi cabinetman

Yes I have and also Lee has done the same thing.

But I didn't remove the motor I just use the other end on the motor to mount the router, Lee has a jig that mounts in the same way on the saw blade side.( saw blade guard mount)

I will see if I still have a snapshot on my HD of it, if so I will post a picture of it.
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Found it see below, also I will try and find Lee's on the forum, I used some big flat washers that anyone can pickup at fasners supply out, If I recall one was a 1 1/8" A325 flat washers and 3 1/2" WW flat washer and then did a bit of welding for the bracket to mount it to the RAS via. the 4 threaded holes on the end of the motor. (4ea. 10-32 holes)

NOTE***** at one time Sears sold a mounting bracket for the router and a jig saw that would mount to the blade side of the RAS for the Sears/Craftsman RAS but It's been a long time ago, but you know Sears they still may have them in the warehouse under one of the 100,000 part numbers >

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FOUND Lee's Post see below

Lee Brubaker

http://www.routerforums.com/general-routing/2818-hey-bobi3-ras-router-mounting.html

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Bj


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## cabinetman (Apr 23, 2007)

Bj

Pretty cool idea you had in the mounting. Did you notice the offset weight mass in routing procedures? It seems like it might want to lift and utilize any minute freeplay from the existing motor and its mounting.

What I was thinking was just to remove the whole saw motor and mount the router in the saw's cradle somehow. Centering the mass on the arm seemed the way to go. Maybe not.

Mike


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

Well because the motor runs on 4 Hvy. duty bearings it's works great and it runs true without any over weight hang on side. 
I have not tried a 3 1/4 HP router but the 2HP is just fine....

I guess you could pull the motor a make a bracket under the arm but it would hang down a bit more than it should not say anything about putting it into the bracket mount.
The end mount is quick and easy (4 screws and it's ready to rock and roll, so to speak) and I do use the RAS for many other jobs.

Plus the motor cradle can be moved to any place over the table like most RAS can do,
and can be locked in place if needed. 

I take off the saw blade and unplug the saw and then just mount the router, it's makes the hard router jobs easy. 
I did have a error with the run out on the end of a pass but I did reshim the table top to fix that error.

I should note it can be used like a Pin Router if you put a pin set up under the center of the router (in the table top) I just swing the router to the front and put the pin in place and then drop the router down and do the work just a like a pin router setup.
I used a broz.wheel bushing to hold the pin in the table top,that way I can just press it in place quick and easy, I have replace the table top many times and the last one I didn't drill the hole for the pin set up becasue I have a pin router setup now.

Bj


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## cabinetman (Apr 23, 2007)

Bj

My 3 1/4 is not a soft start. Ya think when it kicks on the arm will jump?  I've got a question about how you inserted your picture image above. I had no problem doing the thumbnail thing from my file. But when I tried using the "insert image", with the image url from my photo site or web, it didn't work. Is there some secret?

Mike


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Mike, with photobucket or photosite... the image url is sometimes hard to copy and pic up all of the url.

See that brackets at the [ at the end? If you copy the url often you won't pick up the whole url and it will leave off the first bracket or parenthesis and it thing might look like this:

IMG]http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f288/challagan/SpindleTable.jpg[/IMG]

The begining of the url should look like http:..........................

If not, the image won't post. If you have the correct url with the brackets in place it should post like this. 

[IMG]http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f288/challagan/SpindleTable.jpg


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

The 3 1/4 without the soft start should be fine...  unless you have one of the 3 5/8" bits mounted in it.

To post your pictures goto http://tinypic.com/ and upload them and it will come back with 3 url's select the 2nd one and paste in into your post.
I put them in NOTEPAD then just copy and paste the item in the post.

BJ


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Corey

Just want to see if (photobucket) would let me view the Album 

http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f288/challagan/?
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f288/challagan/?action=view&slideshow=true


Worked like a champ 

Almost like your own VIEW BLOG   on the net. 

YOU HAVE made some NEAT stuff BUD    that I have not seen b/4 

Bj


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## cabinetman (Apr 23, 2007)

bobj3 said:


> Hi
> To post your pictures goto http://tinypic.com/ and upload them and it will come back with 3 url's select the 2nd one and paste in into your post.
> I put them in NOTEPAD then just copy and paste the item in the post.
> 
> BJ


Bj

I went there and tried it out. Do they host the image or just give a url. After I uploaded an image to it, I went back to see if was there and no luck. I'm probably not doing something right. Hey, I'm a woodworker, not a PC genius.

Thanks for the help. I'll get it right sooner or later.

Mike


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Mike 
Try it one more time, once you uploaded the picture (file) besure to hit the COPY button on the 2nd item, then open NotePad and paste it in, you should see the URL pop right in the page ( NotePad) then use the that url in your POST.
To make it quick and easy drag and drop the NOTEPAD icon to the taskbar (QL) at the bottom screen...
This way you can get to NotePad QUICK...

BUT DON'T put in on your desktop, it will give Windowns a fit, and pop up errors.....just in the QL taskbar

Bj 




cabinetman said:


> Bj
> 
> I went there and tried it out. Do they host the image or just give a url. After I uploaded an image to it, I went back to see if was there and no luck. I'm probably not doing something right. Hey, I'm a woodworker, not a PC genius.
> 
> ...


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## cabinetman (Apr 23, 2007)

Bj

Ok, got it to work from Photobucket. I did it in a post in "Show and Tell", titled "Oak Toolbox". Persistence pays off. I ain't no quitter.

Mike


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

That's great Mike

Photobucket is a bit easyer to use and it keeps them in a folder just for you.

Bj


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Thanks Bob, I appreciate that. Most of it is in the formal gallery shown in my signature  Everything in the gallery was done in that last 2 years. Up until the kitchen remodel, I was pretty productive!! 

Corey


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