# Radial Arm Saw Table Set-Up



## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

I have received several questions about my RAS T-track top while posting pictures on other topics within the forum. So in order to better try & describe the RAS top, I'm going to post several stages of the table top building here.

I didn't go by any set plans, It was more or less a trial & error type of process!
Originally I had planed to make a drop-leaf style table for the right-hand side, But during the build I changed my mind. That's the reason some of the pictures in the beginning stages show a off-set style top.

I knew I wanted to install the T-tracks & I also wanted a nice solid top that wouldn't warp or twist after it was built. What I ended up with was a modified version of a MR. Sawdust style top.
It has the normal 1/8” X 3/4” wide pieces of steel running from side-to-side in-between the front section, But I also installed two 3/8” X 3/4” steel pieces that run front-to-back. These thicker front-to-back pieces were installed flat 3/4” wide & recessed 3/8” deep into the bottom of the table. These front-to-back pieces also serve as a mounting surface for a new 12- point leveling base connection set-up.

The old flimsy table mounting brackets & base connections were replaced with 1/8” thick 2” X 2” angle-iron. The new angle-iron brackets have (6) holes each that were drilled just under 5/16” which allows me a little wiggle-room for adjusting the table which has (12) 1/4” bolts. 

All things considered it was probably a lot of “Over-Kill” on my part! 
But I was given the saw for free & I pretty much had most of the materials on-hand. So it didn't really cost me much to put it all together. 

Doug


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Here's a few pictures of the top with the T-track.

Doug


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

My latest addition is a sliding table that lets me cut/square-up live edge lumber & make tapered cuts.

Doug


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Here's some pictures of the various set-ups I've came up with.

Doug


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Nice table Doug. Next time I have to redo the table on mine I think I'll use some of your ideas, looks like it could save having to redo it again.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Doug, you continue to edify - thank you.
Two questions:
1. Any reason why you have used twin-T-track, except for the combo track at the front?
2. The placement of the transverse track near the fence could cause problems with some rip-cuts (I don’t see the usual furrows from the blade in the rip position on your table). How did you determine where to locate it?


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Biagio said:


> Any reason why you have used twin-T-track, except for the combo track at the front?


I already had it on hand, It was left-over from a all plywood workbench I built awhile back.
I basically followed this PLAN But I added an extra sheet & supper track to the top.

Originally planned to use the twin track on the bench but I went with the supper track instead. 

Doug


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Biagio said:


> (I don’t see the usual furrows from the blade in the rip position on your table).


That's just me being picky & not wanting to mess-up the top anymore than is needed. 
On stock 1" & under I usually adjust the blade to where it's just barely touching the top of the table.

With thicker stock I usually adjust the depth of cut to roughly 2/3rds. of the boards thickness & then make 2 cuts, Flipping the board end-to-end for the second cut.

A closer pic. shows a light mark where the blade's teeth just barely make a mark.
Also shows were I needed to cut into the fence a little while making a odd bevel cut.

Doug


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Biagio said:


> How did you determine where to locate it?


That was pretty easy!

4 foot piece of track cut into 4 pieces worked out to roughly 11-3/4" each.
The front track location was determined by the maximum out-rip position. 

Doug


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Another benefit of being able to clamp the stock to the table is while making dado cuts!

Dado cuts on a RAS are usually pretty limited as far as the depth of cut goes since the normally action of pulling the blade through the stock will try to grab/dig-in pushing the motor towards the operator. 

With the stock securely clamped to the table! 
I'm able to push the dado blade into the stock (With-out fear of it lifting-up) which can happen if you try this on a stranded RAS. 

Here's some pictures of dado's I've made using the push-through method (Sorry didn't think to take "set-up" pics)
These dado's were made at full depth (aprox. 1-1/4") using a 8" Freud supper dado stack, 3/4" wide set-up.

Doug


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Here's a couple of unusual set-ups I have used this RAS & T-track system to cut metal!

First one is shown HERE where I re-cut some teeth on a cast-iron gear.

Here's some pictures of a set-up I used to cut some slots in a piece of 1/8" thick aluminum, The plate is a top/cover for a 20" Walker Turner drill press I'm working on.

Doug


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Years ago I had a Craftsman RAS and I was terrible. I could not keep it adjusted. I still used it for several years and sold it and bought my first table saw, a Craftsman. I was a happy camper. You are making me want to buy another RAS.

What are the holes in the fence for? Doug, you have come up with some great ideas on your custom table.


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## Bob Adams (Jul 5, 2014)

I gave my Dewalt RAS for a miter saw about 15yrs age. I have regretted that decision for about 14 yrs. Doug, really like what you've done with your saw!


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

hawkeye10 said:


> Years ago I had a Craftsman RAS and I was terrible. I could not keep it adjusted.


I believe one of the biggest problems with keeping everything adjusted & squared-up has to do with the old flimsy style table & mounting system.

On my set-up with the steel reinforced table & all the adjustment points it really keeps the top level & square. I may have also gotten lucky getting the saw I did, Since it didn't look to be used much!

I also took my time making sure everything was dead square when setting it all up, Including adding .010" ~ .015" shims to the base of the column mounts! I actually used a dial indicator & machinist set-up blocks in the alignment process. 



hawkeye10 said:


> What are the holes in the fence for?


Dust collection!
There's a 4" dust port located next to the column, But it's currently reduced to 2-1/2" for a shop-vac connection.
It works ok for crosscuts & miter-cuts, But it's not much help for rip cuts.


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Bob Adams said:


> Doug, really like what you've done with your saw!


Thanks! 



Bob Adams said:


> I gave my Dewalt RAS for a miter saw about 15yrs ago. I have regretted that decision for about 14 yrs.


 I actually have a 12" DeWalt T-1533 2HP 3-phase that's currently disassembled & waiting to be rebuilt. Being I was given the Craftsman for free, I figured I would tryout my table ideas on it first!

The Craftsman really surprised me on how good & strong it runs so I'm not in any hurry to start rebuilding the DeWalt.
I did start on reinforcing the base, Since I really believe that's one of the weak spots on most RAS.

Here's a picture (not mine) of the type of DeWalt I have.

Doug


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## Grant Eksteen (Jul 14, 2020)

dwall174 said:


> Here's a few pictures of the top with the T-track.
> 
> Doug


Hi Doug, this is really neat table, would you mind providing more info on the adjustment at the back of the table? (behind the fence) 

Grant


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Grant and welcome. I'm not sure if he'll answer right away. His last activity was about 3 weeks ago.


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Grant Eksteen said:


> would you mind providing more info on the adjustment at the back of the table? (behind the fence)


That's just some thick angle-iron with a 1/2"-13 tapped thread, The head of the bolt pushes the fence forward.

Doug


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> I'm not sure if he'll answer right away. His last activity was about 3 weeks ago.


Haven't been doing to much woodworking lately! 
I've been tied up with some metalworking equipment I recently bought from a machine shop that went out of business.

I also just added a 60 amp sub-panel & some 240V circuits to my garage, It involved a quite a bit of moving things around to install the new circuits. 

Doug


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## graeme.c.payne (Jun 21, 2017)

Doug, 

I just discovered your series of posts from a couple of years ago, about your Radial Arm Saw setup. That is the most amazing and complete system I have ever seen. I see a lot of elements from various internet sites, but here all combined into one system. And with even more. 

My Craftsman RAS is about the same vintage as yours. I can't exactly remember if I bought it in the late 1970's or early 1980's. The main difference is that mine is sitting on a steel cabinet that Sears made for it. 

For several years I have been gathering ideas for better tables and dust collection solutions. I think what I see here is close to what I want, although I'm not certain about the sliding table yet. I like your improvement on the Mr. Sawdust table, with the additional steel bars running front to back. 

Question 1: the bolts coming down from those steel bars on the bottom of the table: I would like to verify a couple of assumptions. First, I assume those bolts are coming from the top side of that bottom sheet of plywood. Second, I assume that there are unseen nuts on the upper side of the steel L-section mounting beams, so the table is held firmly instead of relying on its weight. 

Question 2: I noticed the port on top of the dust collection shroud that can be connected to the blade guard for ripping. Is that more effective (or even just as effective) as connecting a shop vacuum? 

Question 3: how effective is the dust collection? Does it actually capture most of the dust, with little or no dust bypassing it? 

I think seeing your system is a strong prompt to me to get started on the realization of my long delayed planning. Thanks. 



Graeme


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

graeme.c.payne said:


> That is the most amazing and complete system I have ever seen.


Thanks for the complement! 



graeme.c.payne said:


> I'm not certain about the sliding table yet.


Yeah that was a sort of build for the job kind of project that I made out of extra wood I had on-hand.
I basically made it to cut some tapered 2" X 6" & 2" X 8"lumber for a wheelchair ramp I built for my neighbor. I have probably only used it a couple of times since then! 











graeme.c.payne said:


> Question 1: the bolts coming down from those steel bars on the bottom of the table: I would like to verify a couple of assumptions. First, I assume those bolts are coming from the top side of that bottom sheet of plywood. Second, I assume that there are unseen nuts on the upper side of the steel L-section mounting beams, so the table is held firmly instead of relying on its weight.


Yeah your correct! The screws are flat top machine screws that were counter sunk into the top before the sacrificial hardboard top was installed. On the bottom against the front to back steel bars are nylon lock nuts tightened to hold tightly in-place, But still allow movement with a wrench. Up against the top-side of the angle-iron support is a jam nut. Basically it's like having 6 little jack-screws on each side for adjusting the table top.



























graeme.c.payne said:


> Question 2: I noticed the port on top of the dust collection shroud that can be connected to the blade guard for ripping. Is that more effective (or even just as effective) as connecting a shop vacuum?


That blade guard hose with the 2 90 degree bends tends to get clogged pretty often. It would work a lot better if it was larger in dia. & had gradual bends. 

As for ripping the dust collection really doesn't work too well. It's works better to just secure the end of my shop-vac hose near the end of the guard/shroud. 



graeme.c.payne said:


> Question 3: how effective is the dust collection? Does it actually capture most of the dust, with little or no dust bypassing it?


Well that all depends on what I'm cutting!
On thin stock like 1" X 4" or 3/4" plywood it works pretty good. I would say it's around 90% with a regular cross-cut & maybe 75% with a 45 degree cut. However on thicker stock like a 2"X4" the wood blocks most of the holes in the fence & it's basically that small guard hose that does most of the work.

I still just have the RAS connected to a shop-vac which is ok for now, But I'm in the process of building a cyclone style dust collector which should help out a lot!

I think with the higher airflow from a dust collector I'll go with a larger shroud style collection box & maybe a separate 2-1/2" hose some how connected to the guard. 

Doug


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## graeme.c.payne (Jun 21, 2017)

Doug, thank you for the information! 

Graeme


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## Straightlines (May 15, 2013)

Ha! Nice implementation of the tracks. I have mulled over the idea of T-tracks for years, and in fact your use of the combo track along the front with a quality TS miter gauge is an idea I’ve also considered.

FYI, I use a 1/4” thick sheet of MDF or a door skin as a sacrificial surface, but unlike Mr. Sawdust, mine is loose and I move it around as needed to keep a clean kerf always available.


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

Straightlines said:


> Nice implementation of the tracks.


Thanks! 


Straightlines said:


> FYI, I use a 1/4” thick sheet of MDF or a door skin as a sacrificial surface


Basically the same with mine, I used 1/4" hardboard that's attached with spray adhesive. The pieces can be replaced fairly easy with a putty knife.

Here's a picture of the hardboard in-place before I added the front section. 








Doug


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Lots of ideas to think about. Congratulations for your outstanding job.


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## schmitt32linedrill (Apr 23, 2013)

dwall174 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I actually have a 12" DeWalt T-1533 2HP 3-phase that's currently disassembled & waiting to be rebuilt. Being I was given the Craftsman for free, I figured I would tryout my table ideas on it first!
> 
> ...


I have that same DeWalt RAS. I added an 8 foot table extension on each side of the original included table. they have adjustable continuous fences which can be aligned with the center fence. It makes a great tool for processing long knotty boards into shorter clear cabinet stock, you can simply mark the various lengths on the table for rough pre cutting and accumulating materials for a cabinet project. You can clamp on accurately positioned stops for cutting multiple cabinet parts, or framing materials for building construction, such as studs, cripples, stair treads etc.


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

papasombre said:


> Congratulations for your outstanding job


Thanks for the complement! 



papasombre said:


> Lots of ideas to think about


Here's another one to consider!








I made a circle cutting jig out of a scrap piece of plywood, I used short flat-head screws that were counter sunk into the bottom piece then attached to the 'T" track. The wing-nut in the center allowed me to secure the piece in place while cutting off a corner section at a time. Basically I cut the corners off the original square piece that left me with a somewhat octagon shape then I cut those corners off giving me a 16 sided shape, I guess it's called a hexadecagon? 
From that 16 sided shape I was able to lock the saw's carriage at the approximant outer edge of the cutting radius & then I rotated the piece slowly into the blade. 

Doug


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## schmitt32linedrill (Apr 23, 2013)

dwall174 said:


> Thanks for the complement!
> 
> 
> 
> ...





dwall174 said:


> Thanks for the complement!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think that a router with a straight cutting bit, screwed to a board with a pivot bolt through it at the desired radius, and through the center of the circle would have been quicker. You'd probably have to lower the bit in 2 or 3 successive passes.


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

schmitt32linedrill said:


> I think that a router with a straight cutting bit, screwed to a board with a pivot bolt through it at the desired radius, and through the center of the circle would have been quicker


Yeah your probably right, But once I got it figured out the process was fairly quick. 
The main reason I set the RAS up like this was because the two routers I have were already set-up for other operations. 

I have a Bosch RA1054 router guide that can also be set-up as a circle jig, But that was part of one of the router set-ups.








Doug


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## schmitt32linedrill (Apr 23, 2013)

dwall174 said:


> Yeah your probably right, But once I got it figured out the process was fairly quick.
> The main reason I set the RAS up like this was because the two routers I have were already set-up for other operations.
> 
> I have a Bosch RA1054 router guide that can also be set-up as a circle jig, But that was part of one of the router set-ups.
> ...


Thanks Doug for the reply. 

What are you using the circles for?

Do you really need to cut all those corners off first or could you just slowly lower the saw as you firmly hold and rotate the part?


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## dwall174 (Feb 15, 2010)

schmitt32linedrill said:


> What are you using the circles for?


They were for a DIY Thien Baffle style dust collector project that's currently on hold for now.




















I've decided to try my hand at making a DIY cyclone style dust collector out of sheetmetal first.  
But If that doesn't work out, Then I'll go back to the Thien Baffle project. 



schmitt32linedrill said:


> Do you really need to cut all those corners off first or could you just slowly lower the saw as you firmly hold and rotate the part?


Yeah it really needed to be a somewhat circle shape before I could start rotating the piece into the blade. 
The problem with trying to do it without cutting the corners off first, Was that the back of the blade was also trying to cut into the waste wood which would tend to grab & pull the stock into the blade. 

I somewhat followed this process for Cutting A Circle on a table saw.

Doug


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