# DIY Radial Arm Saws



## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

Have any of the many gurus that hang out around here seen a descent set of plans for a DIY Radial Arm Saw?

At the end of the day I am a 'dado nut', and this style saw has a lot to offer in that context. Beyond that primary aspect of dado cuts, the idea of not needing to wonder if the board is wide enough to catch the A.K, prawls before cross cutting it comes to mind.

Its all about tearing up the wood, and not the flesh...


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

HI Bill

I have seen so many adverse comments regarding the Radial Arm Saw, I am not sure why one would want to buy one let alone try and make one....IMHO

There are may ways to cut dados with the router.

If you do get to make one, be sure to post on the build.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

JAMES, JAMES, "I have seen so many adverse comments regarding the Radial Arm Saw",
where, when, by whom? I simply couldn't live without a radial arm saw and I doubt that Bj could either. I haven't even EVER heard of an accident with a RAS, only with table saws and router tables. As for the latter, as I've so often said, PLUNGE routing is so much safer, at the first sign of a problem release the plunge pressure and the bit returns safely into the housing. As for actually MAKING a RAS, a lot of metalworking skills and facilities would be required, better to keep watching CRAIGS list or GUMTREE for a cheap second hand one.


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## robersonjr (Dec 5, 2009)

Bill, craigs list would be a much safer and cheaper way to own a RAS. I am the owner of an old 12" Dewalt, made like a tank and will no doubt be usable long after I am gone. I use this saw constantly, I do not find it unsafe by any means but as with any tool respect for safty is paramount. Good Luck. Robbie


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

The radial arm saw lost popularity when the miter saw came out. The miter saw performed cross cuts & miter cuts much easier than the radial arm saw. The miter saw is much easier for a contractor to move from job to job. New radial arm saws are built much cheaper with less precision than the older models. If you want one I would buy an older model over trying to build one. I had two older models but sold them as I didn't have any room to set them up. I prefer to use the table saw & miter saw for cross cuts & ripping. 

Radial arm saw - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi 

I will 2nd Harry post,,,I use the RAS all the time , if you think about it the table saw is the one tool that will take off parts easy unlike the RAS...you never push your hand over the blade..with or without push sticks..

As far for doing dado's I use my RAS that has a router fix to it, I'm not a real big fan of the dado blade set up..on any saw..I call them Shark Blades.. 


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harrysin said:


> JAMES, JAMES, "I have seen so many adverse comments regarding the Radial Arm Saw",
> where, when, by whom? I simply couldn't live without a radial arm saw and I doubt that Bj could either. I haven't even EVER heard of an accident with a RAS, only with table saws and router tables. As for the latter, as I've so often said, PLUNGE routing is so much safer, at the first sign of a problem release the plunge pressure and the bit returns safely into the housing. As for actually MAKING a RAS, a lot of metalworking skills and facilities would be required, better to keep watching CRAIGS list or GUMTREE for a cheap second hand one.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Bill if you want to make some machinery here is a guy on You Tube that has made several shop machines. He has made a band saw, jointer, & a few other things. Look thru his video's it's pretty interesting what can be done.

Matthiaswandel's Channel - YouTube


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi 

What can I say buy one used for about 100.oo plug it in and your up and cutting in about 5 mins..


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

You still need to be carful with a radial arm saw because it climb cuts. I've heard many stories of accidents from old time carpenters that were around when these saws were in there hay day of use. Looking up accident statistics show they are only at about 4% for stationary saws but these were taken (last 10 to 15 yrs)when they are not used as much as the table saw or miter saw. You would need to go back much further to find the accident rate for these. I think the most dangerous saw is the skil/circular saw. Any power saw needs to used with caution.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

bobj3 said:


> Hi
> 
> What can I say buy one used for about 100.oo plug it in and your up and cutting in about 5 mins..
> 
> ...


I'm with you Bob. This is the route I would go also. I would spend my time making some other type of machinery or jig to help the building process go easier.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

jw2170 said:


> HI Bill
> 
> I have seen so many adverse comments regarding the Radial Arm Saw, I am not sure why one would want to buy one let alone try and make one....IMHO
> 
> ...


A lot of my curiosity to date is because I haven't tried a RAS yet and there are many people that absolutely rave about them. I suppose the main advantage of a RAS over a chop style miter saw is it can cross cut wider boards. As to the 'sliding' style of miter saw, they strike me as being a hybrid that is part RAS given the power plant and blade do move across and above the workpiece.

Can you point me in the direction of the 'adverse comments' you have heard. I would like to consider them before making any purchases.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

harrysin said:


> JAMES, JAMES, "I have seen so many adverse comments regarding the Radial Arm Saw",
> where, when, by whom? I simply couldn't live without a radial arm saw and I doubt that Bj could either. I haven't even EVER heard of an accident with a RAS, only with table saws and router tables. As for the latter, as I've so often said, PLUNGE routing is so much safer, at the first sign of a problem release the plunge pressure and the bit returns safely into the housing. As for actually MAKING a RAS, a lot of metalworking skills and facilities would be required, better to keep watching CRAIGS list or GUMTREE for a cheap second hand one.


I suppose the idea of 'cooking one up at home' sprang from lack of patience in finding on on Craig's list that is close enough to my location and priced low enough for it to be an option. Actually building a slide mechanism from scratch would be a challenge for certain.

Your comment on plunge routing is also noted with a smile. I'm smiling because it is the first time I have read it and it makes total sense to me. Plunge bases and skis are parts of the 'routing world' that I don't have any hands on experience with yet see them quite frequently in videos/project tutorials. Do you have any 'brand neutral' basic books on either of those topics handy?


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

robersonjr said:


> Bill, craigs list would be a much safer and cheaper way to own a RAS. I am the owner of an old 12" Dewalt, made like a tank and will no doubt be usable long after I am gone. I use this saw constantly, I do not find it unsafe by any means but as with any tool respect for safty is paramount. Good Luck. Robbie


Hi Jimmie, thanks for your comment, especially a brand specific smiley face. Dewalt stuff impresses me. One of my recip saws is the only Dewalt tool I own so far.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

jlord said:


> The radial arm saw lost popularity when the miter saw came out. The miter saw performed cross cuts & miter cuts much easier than the radial arm saw. The miter saw is much easier for a contractor to move from job to job. New radial arm saws are built much cheaper with less precision than the older models. If you want one I would buy an older model over trying to build one. I had two older models but sold them as I didn't have any room to set them up. I prefer to use the table saw & miter saw for cross cuts & ripping.
> 
> Radial arm saw - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Hi James,

I have a Craftsman 10" Chop Style Miter saw that can only reach the first 5.25 inches or so, just short of the 5.6 or so inches that would make me a lot happier with the unit. For now I just cut 80% of it on the first drop and flip it over to get the other 20%. About 1 in 20 cuts or so Murphy's law kicks in an the second cut ends up off by just enough to notice, and that's what pushes me into yearning for a radial more than it taking two passes instead of one.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

bobj3 said:


> Hi
> 
> I will 2nd Harry post,,,I use the RAS all the time , if you think about it the table saw is the one tool that will take off parts easy unlike the RAS...you never push your hand over the blade..with or without push sticks..
> 
> ...


My hand not getting closer to the spinning blade is a big attraction to me. I have done a few cross cuts with a circular saw, but as we all know they move and spin at the same time without the benefit of being limited to a 'single axis' of movement during the cut.

It seems to me that 'stacked sets' will never give as 'accurate' or clean of cut as a single cutting edge (router bit for example). The idea of clamping a router motor onto a radial arm is now officially added to my pile of ideas! By radial arm I just mean an axis track that crosses over a work piece, not a specific saw or anything.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bill

Just my 2 cents 

I have not seen one chop saw yet that can rip a board or put in true dado slots the way a RAS can, if you think about it, the chop saw, they took the RAS and chopped it down so one could load it up in the truck easy and for the on job work..than they added the sliding type because so many want to use it on wide boards..at one time many just loaded up the RAS in the back of the truck but it took two guys to unload it or take in up to the 2nd. floor on the job site..not so with the chop saw  now you see them in many home shops..but to me the RAS is still the king 

Here's one thing the chop saw/table saw can't do easy , any thing over a 45 deg.cut but it can be done easy on the RAS..

Try this just for kicks ,,make a true triangle cabinet out of plywood that is 18" tall or so and 12" wide parts for the 3 sides, at glue up time you now have a true triangle without any nasty plywood showing the end grain, the RAS can do it easy but not the table saw or any other type of saw ..without a spec.jig..



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wbh1963 said:


> I suppose the idea of 'cooking one up at home' sprang from lack of patience in finding on on Craig's list that is close enough to my location and priced low enough for it to be an option. Actually building a slide mechanism from scratch would be a challenge for certain.
> 
> Your comment on plunge routing is also noted with a smile. I'm smiling because it is the first time I have read it and it makes total sense to me. Plunge bases and skis are parts of the 'routing world' that I don't have any hands on experience with yet see them quite frequently in videos/project tutorials. Do you have any 'brand neutral' basic books on either of those topics handy?


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

jlord said:


> Bill if you want to make some machinery here is a guy on You Tube that has made several shop machines. He has made a band saw, jointer, & a few other things. Look thru his video's it's pretty interesting what can be done.
> 
> Matthiaswandel's Channel - YouTube


That guys 'box joint jig' videos are kind of awe inspiring. The gears look cool, but when I do get around to some 'sledding wood shop style' I will probably try the simpler approach of inserting 'sized' strips to move a fence inside the sled box and clamping the workpieces to the back side of the box before sliding them over the 'stationary' cutter, be it a spinning bit on a router motor or a stacked set on a TS


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

bobj3 said:


> Hi
> 
> What can I say buy one used for about 100.oo plug it in and your up and cutting in about 5 mins..
> 
> ...


Here's hoping I can find one in distance range at that price level. The craving is getting so strong I'm ready to consider a 'fixer upper' so long as the arm mechanism is solid.

I could also rethink my 'policy' of touch and inspect before buying if the price were that low.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

jlord said:


> You still need to be carful with a radial arm saw because it climb cuts. I've heard many stories of accidents from old time carpenters that were around when these saws were in there hay day of use. Looking up accident statistics show they are only at about 4% for stationary saws but these were taken (last 10 to 15 yrs)when they are not used as much as the table saw or miter saw. You would need to go back much further to find the accident rate for these. I think the most dangerous saw is the skil/circular saw. Any power saw needs to used with caution.


Murphy (of murphy's law fame) does seem to find away to butt into most anything he can. I suppose the exact angle of the motor's path relative to the table varies from saw to saw. Your comment about 'climbing' is what brought that to mind. Thinking about them in abstract I haven't been considering anything other than a 'level' with the table path. Do they all run at an angle?


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

wbh1963 said:


> A lot of my curiosity to date is because I haven't tried a RAS yet and there are many people that absolutely rave about them. I suppose the main advantage of a RAS over a chop style miter saw is it can cross cut wider boards. As to the 'sliding' style of miter saw, they strike me as being a hybrid that is part RAS given the power plant and blade do move across and above the workpiece.
> 
> Can you point me in the direction of the 'adverse comments' you have heard. I would like to consider them before making any purchases.


Hi Bill,

This topic comes up from time to time and always generates some debate, both for and against.

If you search this forum as well as others you should find more information.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

wbh1963 said:


> I suppose the idea of 'cooking one up at home' sprang from lack of patience in finding on on Craig's list that is close enough to my location and priced low enough for it to be an option. Actually building a slide mechanism from scratch would be a challenge for certain.
> 
> Your comment on plunge routing is also noted with a smile. I'm smiling because it is the first time I have read it and it makes total sense to me. Plunge bases and skis are parts of the 'routing world' that I don't have any hands on experience with yet see them quite frequently in videos/project tutorials. Do you have any 'brand neutral' basic books on either of those topics handy?


So far as router skis are concerned I have never seen any published works on the subject and very little on making templates and using template guides, this is why I've posted so many projects here on the forum covering all aspects of the above.
When I joined this forum, apart from edge treatment, virtually all routing was done on the table, skis had never been mentioned, but things are now a lot different.


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## LinuxRandal (Mar 11, 2011)

The only DIY'er Radial arm saw I ever saw, was on YouTube. I looked, and it appears he deleted the video. I have an old DeWalt, that I need to get either restored, or sold as I really have pretty much gone to using my Eurekazone stuff more to do what I would have done with other tools.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

wbh1963 said:


> Here's hoping I can find one in distance range at that price level. The craving is getting so strong I'm ready to consider a 'fixer upper' so long as the arm mechanism is solid.
> 
> I could also rethink my 'policy' of touch and inspect before buying if the price were that low.


Radial Arm Saw
Radial Arm Saw
Craftsman 10 inch Radial Saw
Craftsman 10" Radial Arm Saw
Craftsman Radial Arm Saw
Craftsman Radial Arm Saw
Rigid Radial Arm Saw
RADIAL SAW WITH TABLE
Craftsman 10" Radial Arm Saw

I'll stop. I only went back to the 26th.
All from the Snohomish County craigslist.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

wbh1963 said:


> Murphy (of murphy's law fame) does seem to find away to butt into most anything he can. I suppose the exact angle of the motor's path relative to the table varies from saw to saw. Your comment about 'climbing' is what brought that to mind. Thinking about them in abstract I haven't been considering anything other than a 'level' with the table path. Do they all run at an angle?


The saw blade stays level when used. Climb cutting for the radial arm saw is when the blade is spinning towards you (bottom side) & the blade travels across the material in the same direction. Like a wheel rolling down the road. A table saw is the opposite action. The blade spins toward you (top side) & the material is pushed away from you. Like a wheel spinning to the left but traveling to the right. There is resistance between the blade & the material. The difference between a radial arm saw & the table saw is cutting action is preformed by the blade on opposite sides of the arbor.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

Radial Arm Saw Techniques by Roger W. Cliffe (1986, ... | eBay

Any luck with those craigs list links?


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## fantastc (Oct 8, 2011)

I have a radial arm saw which is now 40 years old. I still use it but not like I used to. I prefer to use it for 18 to 6 inch cross cuts versus my table saw. I have the router attachment but now prefer to use a router. If I were to purchase new equipment for a shop it would be last on my list. I do remember a friend using it one day when I was not there and he had rotated the saw so that he could rip a piece of wood. He feed the saw in the wrong direction and it of course threw the wood out and almost got him. I never let anyone else use the saw unless I was present after that. 

Jim


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

fantastc said:


> I have a radial arm saw which is now 40 years old. I still use it but not like I used to. I prefer to use it for 18 to 6 inch cross cuts versus my table saw. I have the router attachment but now prefer to use a router. If I were to purchase new equipment for a shop it would be last on my list. I do remember a friend using it one day when I was not there and he had rotated the saw so that he could rip a piece of wood. He feed the saw in the wrong direction and it of course threw the wood out and almost got him. I never let anyone else use the saw unless I was present after that.
> 
> Jim


No tool is idiot proof, my RAS and all those that I've seen, have metal labels attached showing feed direction.


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## Dan11 (Oct 29, 2011)

As to not many accidents with an RAS some one should tell my Brother about that and then ask him how he became a little short handed as he puts it. He lost better than half of three fingers will ripping a board with a 12 inch Sears RAS, it was a stupid accident but still a loss of fingers.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Here's my take on the RAS.

I bought a used DeWalt MBF for $100. Restored it, and made a cabinet for it.
It is used more than my table saw now. You can find them for $50 if you look enough, but you will want to take it apart for cleaning, bearings, and tune-up.
After that you will have a tool that you know everything about.

They are a great saw, and I prefer mine over a miter saw.

Here's the restoration thread.
http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/21250-amf-dewalt-ras.html


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

*DeWalt Rebuild pdf*

Found this on the Mr Sawdust site:
http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/dewaltrebuild.pdf

Makes a good read.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

Thanks a bunch to Mike & Ralph for tracking down the 'rebuilding saws' info


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

It is fitting to let the many users who contributed to this thread know how my quest to obtain a RAS turned out.

Today Luck was kind enough to provide an awesome RAS to my collection of power saws. I estimate that this 10 inch Craftsman unit is circa 'late 80's' and is in need of some TLC in the form of long overdue maintenance and a full 'table rebuild'. I picked her up on what will turn out to be a swap deal for a PC worth somewhere between $150 to $200 so the pricing couldn't be better as I wasn't using the extra PC anyway.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

You going to take a "before" picture?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

wbh1963 said:


> It is fitting to let the many users who contributed to this thread know how my quest to obtain a RAS turned out.
> 
> Today Luck was kind enough to provide an awesome RAS to my collection of power saws. I estimate that this 10 inch Craftsman unit is circa 'late 80's' and is in need of some TLC in the form of long overdue maintenance and a full 'table rebuild'. I picked her up on what will turn out to be a swap deal for a PC worth somewhere between $150 to $200 so the pricing couldn't be better as I wasn't using the extra PC anyway.


Bill, I'll guarantee that this time next year you, like me will admit that you couldn't live without your RAS. As for accidents, just imagine what damage a careless person using a RAS would sustain using a table saw! It's important to understand that "accidents" don't happen, they are CAUSED. This was first brought to my attention by the officer commanding RAF College Cranwell whilst I was a lowly senior air craftsman in 1956.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

rwl7532 said:


> You going to take a "before" picture?


Thanks for suggesting that I slow down enough to do a better job of 'documenting' the journey!

As you can see in the pics, this unit didn't come with legs or a table top & fence pieces.

I also found out early in the search for the manual that the model number is part of a factory recall. The Emerson Tool Company apparently made a lot of the RAS units for Sears from the late 50s on up into the 90s. It is of course possible some other company made the units and Emerson was awarded the contract to help clean up the mess. Here is a link to there recall page that anyone using a Craftsman RAS might be interested in reading.

The page on the Consumer Product Safety Commission site is here.

I filled out the online form and 8 to 10 weeks from now I should have the new and improved blade guard assembly and a 'complimentary table top'.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

Have you picked out a place in your shop for it?


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

harrysin said:


> Bill, I'll guarantee that this time next year you, like me will admit that you couldn't live without your RAS.


Less than a day of actual hands on time with this RAS, even though it isn't ready for use yet, confirms how useful it will be. Reading the book with hands on the unit goes a long way in showing all the different things it can do. The bevel adjustment 'existing' wasn't really 'expected', but it didn't surprise me either. I was surprised to find out it rotates a full 90 degrees on the bevel access allowing it to be run with the blade parallel to the table.

The swivel axis came as a total surprise also. Locking the carriage and rotating the blade so the blade is parallel to the front allows it to be used more like a table saw is, and give it far more capabilities for rip cutting that I could have imagined it would have.



harrysin said:


> As for accidents, just imagine what damage a careless person using a RAS would sustain using a table saw!


At this point I have to wonder what percentage of RAS accidents were in RIP mode vs. Crosscut mode. With most multi-function tools it seems like the 'primary purpose modes' are the safest and with the highest quality results. Extra 'modes' add to versatility, but generally do so at the expense of accuracy, quality of cut and sometimes a 'increased risk penalty'.

IMHO a RAS offers the lowest risk for cross cuts and a TS offers the lowest for rips. Miter/Chop units are on a par with a RAS for low risk cross cutting when the material is clamped (and not held by hand), but they aren't compatible with dados or molding heads like the TS and RAS are.




harrysin said:


> It's important to understand that "accidents" don't happen, they are CAUSED.


I have to agree with that statement. Inadequate understanding of what 'could' happen is all to common. A great many mishaps are also caused by a persons decision to do something 'risky' under the assumption that they can get away with it.




harrysin said:


> This was first brought to my attention by the officer commanding RAF College Cranwell whilst I was a lowly senior air craftsman in 1956.


I suspect your RAF background is the foundation to your brilliance as a craftsman. I did a hitch in the US Navy right out of high school and served on board a carrier. As a communications electrician, one of my responsibilities was the upkeep of the flight deck loudspeaker system. Compared to working on a flight line, safe operation of the many tools we have discussed is simple, so long as discipline is maintained while using them.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

rwl7532 said:


> Have you picked out a place in your shop for it?


Not having the space was one of the things slowing me down on getting one. I am now tasked with 'figuring it out' anyway. I will probably use it some on a 'mobile' stand until I am ready to install it in a 'fixed' location. (I still have to decide which of three walls to place it on)


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