ATLANTIC CENTRALThere are only a few on the market, and the good ones are very expensive, like $4,000.
The one I bought was a Dewalt, and I don't remember paying anything even close to that amount. But then, that was over 40 years ago.
Since the current ones are $4K plus, it is obvious to me that they don't want me to have a new one.
IRONROOSTER ATLANTIC CENTRAL j. c. ATLANTIC CENTRAL j. c. .why not get a radial arm saw . Because they are big, heavy, and dangerous - nobody uses them anymore. https://www.rockler.com/are-radial-arm-saws-a-thing-of-the-past Sheldon if nobody uses them why do they still sell them , i my self have never had a use for one but know several that use them alot Does anybody have new ones for sale? I don't see any in the tool stores where I shop? There are only a few on the market, and the good ones are very expensive, like $4,000. If you look up radial arm saw on Home Depot's web site you get sliding compound miter saws....... Sheldon Unfortunately, only industrial models from the Original Saw Company seem to be currently available new. I have had my Craftsman radial arm saw for 40 years now and it's great. I have no need for a table saw as the RAS does just about everything the table saw and miter saw do and more. And it requires less room in the shop. They are no more dangerous than a table saw. But like a table saw they have to be used correctly. Sure they're not very portable, but then neither are the hybrid/cabinet table saws. And small table saws have limited capacity. The main reason RAS went out of favor is that because while they do more, they cost more than a table saw of comparable quality. So if you all you need are a couple of cheap tools to cut a few boards to length and trim some plywood then buy a small table saw and a simple chop saw. Paul
ATLANTIC CENTRAL j. c. ATLANTIC CENTRAL j. c. .why not get a radial arm saw . Because they are big, heavy, and dangerous - nobody uses them anymore. https://www.rockler.com/are-radial-arm-saws-a-thing-of-the-past Sheldon if nobody uses them why do they still sell them , i my self have never had a use for one but know several that use them alot Does anybody have new ones for sale? I don't see any in the tool stores where I shop? There are only a few on the market, and the good ones are very expensive, like $4,000. If you look up radial arm saw on Home Depot's web site you get sliding compound miter saws....... Sheldon
j. c. ATLANTIC CENTRAL j. c. .why not get a radial arm saw . Because they are big, heavy, and dangerous - nobody uses them anymore. https://www.rockler.com/are-radial-arm-saws-a-thing-of-the-past Sheldon if nobody uses them why do they still sell them , i my self have never had a use for one but know several that use them alot
ATLANTIC CENTRAL j. c. .why not get a radial arm saw . Because they are big, heavy, and dangerous - nobody uses them anymore. https://www.rockler.com/are-radial-arm-saws-a-thing-of-the-past Sheldon
j. c. .why not get a radial arm saw .
.why not get a radial arm saw .
Because they are big, heavy, and dangerous - nobody uses them anymore.
https://www.rockler.com/are-radial-arm-saws-a-thing-of-the-past
Sheldon
if nobody uses them why do they still sell them , i my self have never had a use for one but know several that use them alot
Does anybody have new ones for sale? I don't see any in the tool stores where I shop?
There are only a few on the market, and the good ones are very expensive, like $4,000.
If you look up radial arm saw on Home Depot's web site you get sliding compound miter saws.......
Unfortunately, only industrial models from the Original Saw Company seem to be currently available new.
I have had my Craftsman radial arm saw for 40 years now and it's great. I have no need for a table saw as the RAS does just about everything the table saw and miter saw do and more. And it requires less room in the shop.
They are no more dangerous than a table saw. But like a table saw they have to be used correctly.
Sure they're not very portable, but then neither are the hybrid/cabinet table saws. And small table saws have limited capacity.
The main reason RAS went out of favor is that because while they do more, they cost more than a table saw of comparable quality.
So if you all you need are a couple of cheap tools to cut a few boards to length and trim some plywood then buy a small table saw and a simple chop saw.
Paul
Paul,
A radial arm saw can be a very useful shop tool, especially for furniture/cabinetry work.
But they have generally been replaced by the various task specific tools being discussed here. Why?
Tradesman like me need tools that can easily take the "shop" to the jobsite.
Some of the "best " features of a radial arm saw are actually features that are least used.
Also, 40 years ago, the higher end "consumer" radial arm saws were pretty good, and top quality commercial ones were plentiful. But as these other tools took over the market, the quality of radial arm saws declined, and/or the prices went up.
The rapid decline in the market for radial arm saws began nearly two decades ago, today only commerial grade machines remain available, for those who truely need the features and who require top performance.
Here are few pictures of what I have been doing for the last week:
And most of the cutting has been done with these:
A few more thoughts about tools.
I have both a portable DeWalt table saw, and a large Sears/PorterCable shop table saw. The shop table saw has attachments which allow it to also be a router table, and my oldest router is perminately set up on a removable table section for that saw.
Opinions about brands vary, but most of my power tools are DeWalt.
I have gotten good serive from most every product, and the features and ease of use are at the top of the industry.
And, with so many battery tools, it is good to limit the number of battery types/systems. Currently we use only DeWalt 18 volt and 20 volt systems.
I use my tools nearly every day........
Most of my pneumatic tools are PorterCable or DeWalt, the DeWalt brad nailer is hard to beat.
The PorterCable trim nailer and framing guns are the lightest in the business, and they work.........
We have to take the shop to the job, to build on site stuff like this:
ATLANTIC CENTRALTradesman like me need tools that we can easily take the "shop" to the jobsite.
Sheldon,
I agree that for hauling to job sites the more portable tools are the way to go.
In my case, woodworking is a combination of hobby, saving money, and getting the job done the way I want it. So I have home shop that doesn't travel.
ATLANTIC CENTRALAlso, 40 years ago, the higher end "consumer" radial arm saws were pretty good, and top quality commercial ones were plentiful. But as these other tools took over the market, the quality of radial arm saws declined, and/or the prices went up.
You're right, but I think that's really been a shame. My home shop has never been more than a corner in the basement or a wall in the garage (I have this "other" hobby that needs a lot of space ) and the space saving of the RAS has really been critical for me. I know that when I talk to most people who like me are amateurs and have one, they really love it.
ATLANTIC CENTRALHere are few pictures of what I have been doing for the last week:
I can see you like good tools and know how to use them well.
IRONROOSTER ATLANTIC CENTRAL Tradesman like me need tools that we can easily take the "shop" to the jobsite. Sheldon, I agree that for hauling to job sites the more portable tools are the way to go. In my case, woodworking is a combination of hobby, saving money, and getting the job done the way I want it. So I have home shop that doesn't travel. ATLANTIC CENTRAL Also, 40 years ago, the higher end "consumer" radial arm saws were pretty good, and top quality commercial ones were plentiful. But as these other tools took over the market, the quality of radial arm saws declined, and/or the prices went up. You're right, but I think that's really been a shame. My home shop has never been more than a corner in the basement or a wall in the garage (I have this "other" hobby that needs a lot of space ) and the space saving of the RAS has really been critical for me. I know that when I talk to most people who like me are amateurs and have one, they really love it. ATLANTIC CENTRAL Here are few pictures of what I have been doing for the last week: I can see you like good tools and know how to use them well. Paul
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Tradesman like me need tools that we can easily take the "shop" to the jobsite.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Also, 40 years ago, the higher end "consumer" radial arm saws were pretty good, and top quality commercial ones were plentiful. But as these other tools took over the market, the quality of radial arm saws declined, and/or the prices went up.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Here are few pictures of what I have been doing for the last week:
Thank you for the kind words. I like what I do, it's fun and rewarding. Not only am I part of the craftsman team on a project like this, I am part of the design team.
On this job I had major input on the design of this kitchen, as well as a number of other items.
I am also the chief plumber and electrician........
Nice work Sheldon.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
We would have got along great Sheldon, looks like you are well rounded in the trades and one of my major jobs through the years has been as a kitchen designer, my specialty was designing kitchens for people with champagne taste and beer budget with no one being the wiser.
rrebell We would have got along great Sheldon, looks like you are well rounded in the trades and one of my major jobs through the years has been as a kitchen designer, my specialty was designing kitchens for people with champagne taste and beer budget with no one being the wiser.
Yes, from all our conversations on here over the years, I sure we would be right at home with each other on a job site or a model train event.
And thanks to all for the kind words. It's fun to build beautiful houses, big or small.
It may sound weird but i kinda miss the percise chisel work to install a century old lock or repairing the skeleton key locks or just cutting new keys for them.
As a woodworker, I have a table saw (actually, two of them), a compound miter saw, and a skil saw. For work on the railroad, you cannot beat the table saw. With care, it can do everything a miter saw can do, and then some.
Get yourself a good contractor's table saw . . . they aren't too expensive . . . and take some time to learn its capabilities.
billslake For work on the railroad, you cannot beat the table saw. With care, it can do everything a miter saw can do, and then some.
I'm sorry. While you can do a cross cut with a table saw, I cannot see how that can possibly be easier than with a chop saw. But that's my opinion.
My real purpose for posting is to bring up something that I don't believe has been mentioned. And that is making provisions to move these tools around the room or basement, especially if space is limited.
Taking the table saw as an example, to get the most use out of it one needs to plop it in the middle of the floor. That is due to the in and out feed requirements. But then it gets in the way of anything else one wants to do. So to get it out of the way when not in use having the saw sit on some sort of rollers makes it convenient to shove the assembly against the wall to free up the space.
I'd also recommend buying two height adjustable roller stands so that the items being cut have a place to rest during the cutting process.
maxman Taking the table saw as an example, to get the most use out of it one needs to plop it in the middle of the floor. That is due to the in and out feed requirements. But then it gets in the way of anything else one wants to do. So to get it out of the way when not in use having the saw sit on some sort of rollers makes it convenient to shove the assembly against the wall to free up the space.
My table saw is in the workshop (the new garage). Heavy carpentry takes place there, and the assemblies are transferred to and installed in the train layout room (the old garage). Also in the workshop: jointer, planer, drill press, band saw, chop saw, clamps, clamps, clamps, and more clamps.
Regarding bolded text in the above quote . . . My main work bench is a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" AB plywood framed in with two-by-fours and has eight sturdy braced legs. It is set 1/4" lower than the deck of my table saw and serves as an outfeed table. Very convenient (actually essential) for one-man operations involving long or large workpieces.
Carry on . . .
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
I admire all of you with woodworking skills. I can create anything out of steel or aluminum, but wood is much less forgiving!
One of the most useful woodworking tools to come out over the last 20 years is the Festool track saws. Especially for cabinet making.
Back to the Op's original issue.
My mitre saw is just a cheap Craftsman that I bought about 15 years ago for around $100. It has served me well and see no other reason to have a different one. That being said, it is not a replacement for a table saw. I would find a good used table saw and a cheap mitre saw and forget a compound or radial arm saw. Also make sure you have a jig saw and circular saw. Neither of those are bank breakers.
Ed
Semi newbie HO scale modeler coming from the O scale world
I see practically no use for a table saw in making a model railroad. What exactly are you cutting that would need a table say? Large sheets of plywood? I guess I am just not he-man enough, but I can't lift a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood by myself and safely run it through a saw. Extension tables or not. If I need to rip long stright pieces froma full sheet, I have a rip guide for my circular saw, all I have to do it set the plywood up on some other lumber to get it high enough so the blade clears the ground. But I doubt I will be doing much of that. If building L-Girder, you will mostly be cutting out roadbed peices to chape - that's a job for a jigsaw. Even tangent areas perfectly straight is probably not what you want anywya, slightly irregular makes the scenery you then attach more realistic, instead of laser-straight lines everywhere. Dimensional lumber is eacily cut with a simple miter saw, doesn;t even need to be compound. That's all i have - a cheap Craftsman miter saw. Half my previous layout I built with a hand saw and a miter box to get good 90 degree cuts, as I was living in an apartment and stayed away from power tools. I eventually broke down and got the miter saw, and since I had the top 2 floors, and the layout was in a room on the top floor, the small saw was not audible by the other tenant living below me. Plus it had a hookup for my shop vac so it kept sawdust to a minimum. It is big enough to cut at least 2x4s, as I used it to cut the parts for my workbench I built, but the main layout cutting was 1x3 and 1x4 material. I also made layout legs by combning a 1x3 and a 1x2 into an L shape - and I was able to easily cut those assemblies on my saw.
Again - for building a model railroad - I don;t see any advantage to a table saw and the space it takes up - or needs to have available to work with large sheets of material. For OTHER woodworking - sure, it definitely has its uses. Yu really can build nearly any size layout strictly with hand tools - though I much prefer screwing benchwork together as opposed to nailing it, and drilling pilot holes and then setting screwes even with one of those classic Yankee screwdrivers gets tiring real quick. That's where I would draw the line and use a cordless drill/driver - 2 of them, one with a drill bit and the other with the screwdriver bit. Cutting 1x4 and smaller material by hand is not terribly onerous, although now that I have a power saw I wouldn't go back.
Like Sheldon, I prefer the DeWalt cordless drills, after seeing EVERY professional I've ever hired to do work using them.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
mrrdadBack to the Op's original issue.
The OP said a week ago that he'd decided on the miter saw.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
If you are only going to use it to build benchwork I would not buy either. Square cuts can be made with a skillsaw & square. Most people won't use a miter saw or table saw on a regular basis and I would think it would be money/space that could be better used elsewhere. I have a fully equipped woodworking shop, tablesaw, miter saw, jointer, planer, router, but I do a lot of woodworking and making furniture. None of these would be required for making benchwork for a layout. With a skillsaw you can cut plywood sheets, dimensional lumber to length and even rip boards if you need to although it takes a bit of practice. I know it isn't the same but when I built our deck I cut almost everything with the skillsaw. If you plan on building other things I would go for the tablesaw. It's not the best for cross cutting long boards but it can be done and is the most versital.
carl425The OP said a week ago that he'd decided on the miter saw.
This is the Internet, once you make your first post, you've lost control of the thread.
I hate batteries, maybe I'm the last guy with an electric drill. I replaced the cord with a 10-12 extension cord. I remember my father's drill, it was in a box thicker than 2 briefcases and almost as tall and wide.
If you don't have some sort of power drill, sander, saw and a socket wrench, you need to turn in your man card.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
gary233 Hi all, to those of you who have built L-Girder benchwork which saw will be the most useful, a table saw or a compound miter saw?
Hi all, to those of you who have built L-Girder benchwork which saw will be the most useful, a table saw or a compound miter saw?
I don't know why I stayed away, but I did. In any event, I have both types of saws. I use the miter saw many times more often. But I use the table saw mostly to rip 1X4's for L-girder construction. The two ripped pieces comprise the flanges on two girders, meaning each half is fitted to a 1X4, those being the vertical members.
No matter what you are building, the primary advantage of a table saw is not to cut plywood, or any sheet goods, it is to change the dimensions of stock lumber.
Maybe you need or want to do that, maybe you don't. It depends on your building methods and situation.
As stated three or four times earlier, If I want to rip plywood, even very accurately, I don't need a track saw either.
I have an 8 foot level, two clamps, and a circular saw (mine is not a "skilsaw", Skilsaw is a brand, like Kleenex is a brand of facial tissue, mine is a Dewalt).
All the proffesional cabinet shops I have been in, and the ones I subcontract on a regular basis, have table saws with VERY LARGE feed tables for cutting plywood, because for them it is a time issue.
Clearly, even as a proffessional carpenter and sometimes custom cabinet maker, even I do not need that ability.
We do at times use a large shop table saw to cut realtively narrow widths (less than 18") of plywood accurately. To do this we usually rip it slighly oversized with the "circular" saw first.
We almost never make cross cuts with the tablesaw.
I have an 8 foot straight edge (breaks in two for easy transport) that I used to cut foam for my old layout. Clamped to plywood or other sheet goods it would make a perfect guide for a circular saw. I also just got one of those Kreg rip guides but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. That will be useful as long as there is a known good edge to work from.
I know there is a lot of talk about ripping 2x4's to make 2x2's for legs - there I would want a table saw - but I find it just as easy to use two other pieces and make an L shaped leg. I can;t tell you the last time I saw a reasonably straight 2x2, all the big box stores have are horribly twisted. For leg levelers, I just buy these otherwise uselss 2x2's and cut short lengths off of them and screw them to one end of the L shaped leg, allowing me to drill a hole for a leveler. For my new layout, I see no need to have an adjustment on the leg - the layout is more or less permanent, AND the exact level of the frame does not really matter since the roadbed will go on risers and the proper level can be adjusted there.
MJPinSEWI If you are only going to use it to build benchwork I would not buy either. Square cuts can be made with a skillsaw & square. ... I have a fully equipped woodworking shop, tablesaw, miter saw, jointer, planer, router, but I do a lot of woodworking and making furniture. None of these would be required for making benchwork for a layout.
If you are only going to use it to build benchwork I would not buy either. Square cuts can be made with a skillsaw & square.
...
I have a fully equipped woodworking shop, tablesaw, miter saw, jointer, planer, router, but I do a lot of woodworking and making furniture. None of these would be required for making benchwork for a layout.
I don't think I'd want to build a layout without any power tools at all, but I built my last layout in 2014/2015 with only 2 power tools when I was on a very tight budget:
1) A cordless drill
2) A corded sabre saw.
I had some 4x8 sheets cut down at Home Depot to get them in the car and cut to the width I needed for the layout. The rest was all with the above two power tools:
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 MJPinSEWI If you are only going to use it to build benchwork I would not buy either. Square cuts can be made with a skillsaw & square. ... I have a fully equipped woodworking shop, tablesaw, miter saw, jointer, planer, router, but I do a lot of woodworking and making furniture. None of these would be required for making benchwork for a layout. I don't think I'd want to build a layout without any power tools at all, but I built my last layout in 2014/2015 with only 2 power tools when I was on a very tight budget: 1) A cordless drill 2) A corded sabre saw. I had some 4x8 sheets cut down at Home Depot to get them in the car and cut to the width I needed for the layout.
I had some 4x8 sheets cut down at Home Depot to get them in the car and cut to the width I needed for the layout.
When I bought my first retirement home and had yet to move the power tools, I built a 5'4"x12' table top layout using a cordless drill as the only power tool.
I had Lowes cut the 2 sheets of plywood at the 5'4" mark.
The rest of the lumber was cut using a miter box and back saw.