Thank you for taking the time to show the proper way to rip on a RAS. I prefer to use my RAS as my primary saw as well. It's so versatile and takes up less space than a cabinet saw. Thanks again for all you do to keep us educated on these great machines.

I’m a 60 year Carpenter …..awesome video! Defending, instructing, and safety precautions for the radial arm saw!

Thank you for sharing your insight. I've owned my vintage DeWalt radial arm saw for 17 years now and I enjoy using it. I took great care in setting it up and always get good results. As with all my power tools, making cuts safely is my number one priority.

In 1966 my dad purchased a Dewalt 7-1/4" radial arm saw and built a long work bench for the saw, and integrated the saw into it. But what I soon learned when using this saw especially with dense material, it would "self-feed" and stall the motor, pulling the motor and blade away from the fence, and placing the material against the fence and pushing the motor and blade toward the material and forward to the fence, eliminated the natural grabbing during the cut! When I was 14-years old, I built my first loudspeaker cabinet with miter joints with the saw. When I was twenty, I started my first business as an inventor, designer and manufacturer cutting up aluminum components for my first product with the saw, and hundreds of subsequent components of wood, plastics, non-ferrous and ferrous materials by the thousands. In 1975 I began modifying Polaroid 110A/110B cameras by cutting off a portion of the aluminum castings with the same Dewalt saw, totaling over eight thousand of these cameras! Five years ago, the blade-side arbor ball-bearing was making noise, so I cleaned out the bearing with solvent and re-packed it with grease, and to this day, I still use the same Dewalt saw in cutting up mostly aluminum 6061-T6 plate and extrusions. I would say that this American-made quality saw, has been a life-long tool for me, and my dad only paid $199.00 in 1966 dollars! David Riddle

Helpful video... also nice to see I'm not the only one using a 60 year old Dewalt RAS.

Great video! My dad had a complete shop and the only machine he had an accident with was the table saw. I thought the RAS was safer than the table saw back then, but I didn’t have YouTube to set me straight. Thanks for your well thought out presentation.

Brian my dad left me a Delta/Rockwell 33-267.  I made the mistake of selling that saw.  It's now been 3 years and I've finally found a replacement in a 33-285.  This one needs a new table top along with calibration.  The uncle of the person I bought it from had an 8" blade in the RAS.  My first thought before watching your video would be to replace the blade.  Now watching your video, I see the advantage of using an 8" blade.  It's going to be sometime before I have this saw ready for use.  However; this will replace my need for a cross cutting sled.  I am saving your video to come back and watch again to ensure I employ the safety features.  You showed and mentioned how easy it is for a table saw to launch a board backwards at the operator.  While cutting a 2X4, I learned a very valuable lesson.  The 2X4 was shot back at me and hit me in the stomach.  It knocked the wind out of me.  Thankfully I was lucky enough to walk away with only bruising.  Since that incident(or accident depending on your point of view), I now either stand off to the left of the cut or in some cases on the side of the table saw.  I'm sure someone will tell me the perpendicular side of the table saw is not safe.  I appreciate the time and energy you put into making this content.  Thank you.

Though I don't own a radial arm saw anymore, I still love watching videos showing how versatile and useful they can be. It was great to see you mentioned Mr. Sawdust! Wallace Kunkel was my Grand Uncle (my Grandfather's brother).

Ripped every railing and balister for my deck using a Craftsman radial arm saw.  As with any tool, education is the greatest safety feature.

Outstanding presentation, educational value off the charts!  You bet I subscribed!  One of the best videos in presentation I have recently experienced...very well done!

Thanks Brian, you are the best source for RAS valid information.

I recently acquired a 1967 Craftsman Radial Arm Saw from an older gentlemen. The previous owner good care of it and was more than happy to show me all the features including how to set it up and adjust it properly. He even printed out a copy of the owners manual as he couldn't find his original one, but if he did find it he'd give me a call. As I am building up my small shop I think the saw will be a great versatile piece of equipment. It's difficult to find well explained information out there. I'm very grateful I found your channel as your videos are super informative and helpful in teaching me how to safely operate this unique machine. Thank you!

Thanks! I learned a lot from your channel about RAS. I'm not sure why but the RAS is my favorite saw in my shop.

Hi Brian, excellent video, since it confirms all my own preconceptions. That said, my RAS is my primary workshop saw but I have added a compound sliding mitre saw which now accounts for virtually all my crosscutting work. Ripping and dadoes are the RAS domain.

Thanks for the great video! I inherited my Dad's old DeWalt RAS and have planned to divest myself of it because of a bad experience trying to rip some shelving boards. You talked about all the mistakes I made and I am planning now to make and install a replacement table and fence for it and take advantage of all of its features. By the way, my Dad made a lot of furniture for our home on it and I regret I didn't pay more attention when he asked for help.

Another excellent video Brian ! Well done ! as always , thank you for the Mr. Sawdust mention.

My dad loved his RAS! He also loved to say, "You can make something idiot-proof, but they will just make a better idiot!"

I was frustrated at the beginning of this video because I wanted you to JUST GET TO THE INFO! But after I fast forwarded to it and watched the rest, I went back and rewatched the entire thing. I give you an A+ for excellent information and the presentation. I take full responsibility for my initial frustration. liked and subscribed

Thank you Brian for showing me how to safely operate my radial arm saw. I had a few boards fly out while ripping and now know how to safely operate it. I also made the push board you showed how to make in another one of your videos. Thanks again.

100% agree. Thanks. I was dubious about getting on.e a couple of years ago, but the possibilities and configurations make so much sense! I do think it’s safe if operated properly!