How to Use Radial Arm Saws

Proper use of a radial arm saw, keeping safety foremost in mind, will lead to the satisfaction of keeping the user's fingers and eyes intact while producing clean and accurate cuts needed in the completion of woodshop projects.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Safety Glasses, goggles, or faceshield
• Hearing Protection
• Dust mask
• Optional Shop Apron
• No Gloves
• No Loose Clothing or Long Hair

1. 
    

   Make sure saw is free from debris including wood pieces and sawdust. Sweep or blow off the saw if necessary. Before turning saw on, make sure all parts of the saw are in good working order. Check for a sharp blade, intact fence, easy sliding safety guards, and make certain the saw will slide out to its full extension with a freely turning blade that does not contact any portion of the work table or fence. Check to be sure there is adequate room around the saw area allowing safe, unhindered operation.

2. Be sure to check that all adjustment knobs are tightly locked into the desired positions. For most saws this means firmly hand-tightened. Only use wrenches or other leveraging tools to tighten adjustment knobs on saws designed to use such devices. Be aware of the saw blade’s starting position. The blade must be entirely behind the fence so it won’t allow contact with the board before the saw is pulled forward.

3. If your radial arm saw allows cuts made at angles other than 90 degrees to the fence, your saw likely has a replaceable wooden tabletop. Use the crank or device that raises and lowers the saw, to raise the saw above the surface of the table. Once the blade is clear of the surface you can set the angle of the saw to the desired degree.

4. If your saw allows setting of different angles to the fence, and the saw has a replaceable wooden table and fence, usually of plywood or particle board, the saw must be turned on before being lowered down to a position capable of cutting cleanly through the entire board. While the blade is running, lower the saw slowly until blade just barely touches or goes below the surface of the wooden tabletop. Pulling on only the proper handle for the saw, extend the saw far enough out to cut the top; thereby setting up the saw for the cut to be made once the board is in position. Move the saw back to its “full back” position, guiding the saw the entire distance. Never let a saw, with a weight or spring assisted backstroke, to fly freely back to its start position. This can damage the saw, or at the very least, be an unwanted adjustment to your settings.

5. Measure the board to be cut precisely, using a tape measure or accurate ruler. If the board is to be cut on a 90-degree angle, use a square to mark the top surface across the entire board with a light, sharp pencil stroke. If the angle desired is other than 90 degrees, use a square and/or a protractor to find and mark that angle across the top surface of the board.

6. Now is the time to check the specific cutting area of the board for loose knots or other defects that have the potential to become projectiles during the cut. Nothing is as exciting and unwelcome as a loose knot of wood sent flying across a woodshop. If any defect lines up with the location of the cut, find another stock of wood or change the location of the cut. Defects on the edge of a board are often problematic for other reasons, but safety alone dictates that a different cutting location be made.

7. Place the board to be cut flat on the saw table and flat against the fence, with the marked side up. Line up the mark with the kerf (saw blade cut) made in the fence during set up. With the saw off, pull the blade forward to see if it lines up with the mark on the board. Slide the board to adjust; making the very side of saw blade line up exactly with the pencil mark. Be aware that saw blades make a kerf that is typically 1/8” wide and position your work piece so that the kerf will be on the proper side of the line. Otherwise the board will end up shorter by the thickness of the blade. This is called “cutting the wrong side of the line.” Once the board is properly aligned with the blade and ready to cut, move the saw blade back to its start position.

8. Once positioned for the cut, do not allow the board to move. Clamp or hold the board firmly in place against the fence with one hand while turning on the power with the free hand. Keep the board held firmly against the fence and be certain the hand holding the piece is at least 8 inches from the path of the moving saw. The further away this hand is kept from the blade, yet maintaining a comfortable grip on the board and a balanced stance, the safer the cut.

9. Now place the “free” hand on the approved handle of the saw. Never pull the saw forward by grabbing any part other than the intended handle. Pull the blade forward until it is almost touching the board. Make a final visual check to ensure the mark is still aligned properly. If it is aligned, or if it is difficult to tell, pull the blade ever so slightly and slowly forward until the blade just nicks the board. If this nick is lined up with the mark, begin to draw the saw forward, slowly and in a controlled manner. Keep a firm grip on the saw handle, and control the blade through the board cut. Don’t let the saw move backward. Do not move a radial arm saw too quickly forward as this can cause the blade to stop cutting and “grab” the board. It could stop the blade, throw the board, damage the saw, or cause injury.

10. Pull the blade entirely through the cut. If the board was held rather than clamped, and the blade is now through, clear of, and in front of the board, use the hand holding the board to move it slightly away from the blade area. A fraction of an inch is enough to allow the blade to be moved back to the start position clear of the board now cut. If the board was clamped, the return pass will likely brush the piece, which could cause a less than perfectly clean cut, but is fine if the return move is slow and controlled. And, all movement of the blade should always be slow and controlled. Followed properly, these steps should leave the woodworker with a nice clean cut.

Tips & Warnings

• Read any and all safety and operation manuals that come with the saw being used. Many radial arm saws can be used for various operations or functions including cross cutting or ripping at different angles.
• Seek experienced shop instructors if possible before trying any advanced operations of the saw. Confidence in the use of the saw comes with experience. A good shop instructor can pass this confidence to a pupil eager and willing to learn.
• Always wear safety eyewear, hearing protection, and a dust mask while operating a power tool.
• Keep any long hair, or loose clothing, tied up and tucked away from any moving parts.
• Never wear gloves. The discomfort of a blister or sliver of wood is trivial when compared to the agony of losing fingers or other serious injury due to loss of control of the wood or saw handle. Gloves do no allow hands that crucial sense of feel for the wood needed to ensure total awareness of where exactly everything is, and what it is doing.
• Never operate any saw while intoxicated, under the influence of substances that may impair your vision or judgment, or while your mind is distracted. Woodworking while angry or upset could cause the loss of fingers, which would only lead to further frustration.

[soanyway]

on 11/28/2008 WoW! very good instructions!~thanks~