# Never assume it is square.



## Sac (Jun 14, 2008)

I am sure many of you have experienced this crazy phenomenon. The saw gets out of square?
I've been cutting true cuts with the radial arm saw for a few months now. No Problems. The other day when I was cutting the tableboard for the router/table saw all was going well until I went to rip. The blade got into a bind, and wanted to kickback every other second, there was smoke and some burning in the cut. I thought how odd. When I assembled the table board onto the legs and went to attach the table board to the rail extension I noticed a small gap on the upper right side where the table board meets the saw. Well I know my garage floor isn't perfectly level so I shimmed up the leg under the gap and it went away. I attached the board to the legs and the rails and cut the top out of some oak veneered flooring pieces I had left over. Laid it over the table board after I applied glue and put about hundred pounds on it and left it over night to dry. I had a devil of a time getting the top to square up with the tableboard base. Yesterday when I went out to the garage to cut the square for the router plate, that 1/8th inch gap was back. It wasn't square. I checked the table saw and it was square. But that radial arm saw wasn't when I checked it.

*So how in the world does a radial arm saw get out of square when there are all the bolts so tight?
Seriously I haven't a clue.*

Squared it up and now all cuts are true and less chance for kickback for sure when ripping. Now I am off to finish the crosscut sled and miter gauge for the router.


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## brunob (Dec 26, 2006)

A small bump will get my radial arm saw out of wack. Dosnt take much since a small difference at the attach point translates to a larger difference at the saw. The arme flexes some as well. I check mine every time I need close tolerances.


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## tenontim (Feb 24, 2008)

I happen to like radial arm saws, but you need to become an expert at setting them up, because they are constantly getting out of alignment and need adjustment. It's a good idea to check it almost every time before you use it.


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## Sac (Jun 14, 2008)

Well after listening to what you all have to say I'll be checking the alignment alot more for now on. Even though it was a tableboard I hate to see something out of square. I considered taking it apart and re-sawing. But I am looking forward to getting some jigs finished and work on my first attempt at a dovetail project.


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## ChicoWoodnut (Dec 15, 2007)

Yup, Every time i want to use the RAS I slap a square against the fence and run the blade out with a tooth against it. It doesn't get out of square often but I usually know when I did something violent to knock it out (like letting it run out too fast and bind)


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Your RAS has to be square both vertically & horizontally but I would look for that bit of sawdust or wood chip that got in the way, very often that is the cause.


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## oldworld124 (Mar 2, 2008)

The RAS should be pulled out and then pushed into the stock or piece to be cut. By pulling it into the work, one risks having it climb onto the board. Sometimes the board is too wide and the RAS must be pulled in order to cut the piece fully. I sold my RAS after purchasing a sliding table saw. I am thinking of purchasing another sometime in order to cut certain dados.


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## fredf (Mar 29, 2008)

John

the blade for a ras (or a miter saw for that matter) should have a negative tooth angle to minimize the tendency to climb cut, and the tendency to lift the board off the table


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## tenontim (Feb 24, 2008)

I think John has the Radial Arm confused with the sliding miter saw.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I prefer to push-cut with a RAS as well. That's the European
way to do it. It's more work because you have to 
slide the stock in between the blade and the fence for
every cut. It feels much safer to cut this way though.


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