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Ok, so I've been scoping out CL for radial arm saws for the past 3 or 4 months now and finally got the go-ahead from the wife to pull the trigger. This is my Christmas present and I'm hoping to score a drill press for my b-day in February.

Anyway, I picked this up for $65 today and it works great. It's a craftsman and looks like it's at least 30 years old. It's a beast. 10" blade and cast iron arm. I'll be cleaning it up and fitting it with a new work surface tomorrow. Pretty excited now because cutting fret boards is going to be soooo much easier.

The only thing I can't get figured out is how to pivot the arm to cut angles. There's a knob on the front of the arm, coupled with a catch. I've tried loosening the knob and squeezing the catch, but it won't pivot. There is a screw at the back of the machine that holds the main post steady, and I can loosen that screw to get the entire thing to pivot, but that's not the correct way. Anyone here have any ideas? If not, I'll try a little google-fu.

Good score Roger! That is indeed a beast!

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Jim Hansen

Alright, got it all cleaned up and back in fighting shape again. Now all I have to do is get my .024 kerf blade and my scale template, and I'm read to rock

Holy Guacamole Batman!
Does that thing come with it's own 8-track player? I can send you a Foghat 8-track tape, but you may have to shove some matchbook covers under the tape to get it from warbling!

NICE score duuuuuuude!
I ended up watching a vid on youtube that lets you do the fret slotting with a table saw too - looks like you might beat me.... oh wait, you haven't made your radius jig yet! Better get crackin'

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Is that a Briggs & Stratton engine on that thing?

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Nice thing about those ole radial arm saws is,
once you get em set up to cut square,
they rock!
Just take your time, and get it poifect.
I'm glad yer happy!
Merry Christmas, ROGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everybody else too!
By the way,
what's that lavender thing with the black handle on the floor?

Nice Score!

I recently did the same - will fit it out when it comes time to do my next batch of fretboards....
Check out this radial saw tuneup guide - in lieu of the original owners manual, this covers all the steps to set it up:

[url]eberhardt.bz/GME_Wood...Tune_Ups/7_Tuneup_Radial.pdf[/url]

We were wondering the same thing down here in Florida - at first everyone was guessing that it was an iron, then it was decided that it's one of them "Girly dumbbell's" probably for Rog to get toned up to use that heavy-azz saw! Better go with the 50 lb. one Roger!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

, dude you're nuts. You're right, I've not made my radius jig yet. I'll be using the radius block until then. That will probably be the next thing I build, though.

Merry Christmas to you too, Alan!

That purple thing is a 25lb kettle bell. I have a pair of them that I work out with. can't you tell by my rock hard, chiseled physique?!

I couldn't get the link to work, Robbie, but based on the title, it's the same pdf I found on Saturday. I did indeed use it to tune up the saw, so it's running like a champ.

Here is the link to the pdf
http://eberhardt.bz/GME_Wood_Land/GME_W ... Radial.pdf

_________________
Jim Hansen

Yep, that's the same document I used when getting mine set up.