Quote:
Originally Posted by kccrow
Never found the need for a radial arm saw except for making wide cross-cuts that you'd find in a cabinet shop or making cutting boards. In a cab shop, you're probably investing in panel saws anyhow.
Having one in the home garage seems stupid to me. They are dangerous saws because of kickback and the blade exposure when using it to rip and the fact that they pull through wood in either cut. Remember, you're essentially turning a radial arm into a straight line rip less the anti-kickback fingers and guards. You're asking to lose your digits...
I think it's smarter to get a table saw and compound sliding miter unless you really know wtf you are doing with a radial arm. I think you'd spend your money more wisely investing in a jointer and a planer to expand capabilities, than waste money on a radial arm.
Whatever floats your boats.
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This is unbelievably good advice.
You'll never realize how difficult you were making things for yourself until you start doing proper milling with a jointer/planer. Its simple; run a board over a jointer until you get a nice flat 'wide' side (some people say run it with the smile up, others say smile down. Personally I tend to go with the 'frown' shape because it avoids rocking, you just need to be smart and not put too much pressure on it to end up working a curve into it.
Then you put your newly flat side against the fence and run it through to joint an edge. Then with a flat edge and flat surface, run it through a planer to get the wide surface. Finally you run it through the table saw to true up the other edge.
To have every one of your boards the exact same thickness and perfectly square with true corners makes everything you make a million times easier. Your corners come together right, you have to do far less sanding. It's just amazing.
First time I did it I realized I'd never go back to trusting a lumber-yard again. It's a miracle worker.