Perfect Miters with a Radial Arm Saw
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- čas přidán 10. 03. 2020
- This video demonstrates how to miter perfect 90 degree corners with a radial arm saw using the "broken fence" method. This is particularly useful for making things like picture frames or boxes. The broken fence method is described in Wally Kunkel's book, "How to Master the Radial Arm Saw".
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You have a rare combination of skills Mr. Weekley. You have great woodworking skills and knowledge and you know how to make a video that is clear yet succinct. Thanks for contributing your knowledge with this video; it was very helpful to me.
Thank you very much!
Once again, very useful. Thank you.
Glad you found the video useful. Thanks!
thank you, but the project i have can't be done this way the parts are too long. but I learned somthing I hadn't thought about.
Thanks. Using an adjustable roller stand, this technique will work with parts of any length.
Thanks so much Brian. Comparatively speaking there isn’t much information out there on jigs for radial arm saws. This video was very well done and a great help to me.
Thank you very much!
Great idea, I'm going to have to build it now, thanks for posting.
Thanks. It’s very easy to do.
I like it. I’ll have to try that out. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks. It works great!
That's wild. I was just thinking today that you haven't posted a new video in a while. Thank you!
Thanks. I still have a few videos to do.
Thank you once again, I need to make the aux fence for my RAS as I have some doors to make for a cabinet. Great tip.
Thanks!
Well done Brian. I use and love this method all of the time when making frames. It's very different when making a full frame as apposed to just a 90 degree corner. The error per corner would show up dramatically. The complimentary angle theory is key to the perfection. Great video.
Thank you, Wally. Your dad was a genius! I referenced his book in the video description.
How cool is it that he commented! I was just corresponding with Mary last week.
Thank You much easier and convenient than the method I was taught and used. Once again the RAS
Thanks. It is a good method for making frames.
I remember my dad using this method to make frames for mirrors when I was a kid, in the 60's
Radial arm saws were/are so much better & versatile, I'm happy they're becoming popular again.
The older saws are still good machines to use!
@@brianweekley5700 Hi, for 2 Days a Bought a Dewalt DW 1503. It's seems pretty solid, and heavy. 1990 kinda model.
What do you think, it's a good RAS, or the older are much better ? :) Thanks for the answer
@@adamhideghety5612 Hello, the DeWalt 1503 is a nice, solid cast arm saw. However, when you indicate "DW", that usually indicates a European model and may be different from what I thought you might have. I suggest joining the "DeWalt Radial Arm Saw Forum" where you can find a lot of good information and answers to any questions you might have. There are several forum members that own European models that may have more familiarity with it.
Great tip! Just setting up an old craftsman ras, got a new table on it until I can setup a nicer one
Thanks. It’s a great use of the RAS.
Great job, Brian! Thanks for the video. It shows perfectly well how versatile the RAS is. Using jigs (just like a table saw) will produce outstanding results. I like the dust collection box that keeps the saw concealed and dust down.
Thanks. All the things you can do with a good RAS continues to amaze me.
Terrific! Perfectly logical. I'm right handed so I'll copy but reverse the orientation of the 90° fence, so it is more natural for me to draw the saw and also hold the piece on final cut with my left hand.
Thank you. I think you'll find that this is the best orientation to perform the broken fence method (unless maybe you have a Delta, turret-style saw). If you were to fix the saw to a left 45 degree angle or change the orientation of the fence, you would probably need to make your second cut from the opposite side of the frame. Although you assume the frame sides to be parallel, you are not setting the same (reference) side of the frame against the fence. It's very common to use both right and left hands to pull the carriage depending on which hand you hold the wood (but never cross your arms when doing so). Another excellent way to cut accurate miters is with a fixed jig (search CZcams for the "Flying Wing Jig" by Wally Kunkel). Note that the "Broken Fence" method on the RAS was also published by Wally Kunkel Sr. in his book "How to Master the Radial Arm Saw" (I highly recommend it).
Thank you!!
Much appreciated!
Thank you! Please make some more RAS videos!
Thanks! More will be coming in the future, but right now I’m in the process of moving! Might be a little while. LOL
nice job :)
Thanks!
Genius
Thank you! LOL!
Great stuff! Question for you, Brian....What is the purpose of the 1/2" "taller fence"? If mainly doing window casings or picture frames, it seems superfluous as the base 3/4" ply would be more than enough.
Thanks for the question. In my case, I added the extra fence height anticipating I may use thicker stock. If you're only working with 3/4" stock, it wouldn't be needed.
Thanks Brian. Seems much more efficient than the flying wing jig. Do you think you can do crown molding with this? Thanks
This is the miter method described in Wally Kunkel's book. As long as the fences are high enough, I don't see why you couldn't use it for crown molding too. However, the flying wing jig is designed to easily block the pieces in place against the fence. The accuracy of both depends on how square they are made.
Hi Brian, thanks for putting out informational videos for everyone, that's awesome. I have a question for you though. I'm just getting started with wood working and I have a very nice radial arm ridgid miter saw. But it is not giving me precise cuts that I desire. I checked my squares, checked if I'm square to my fence and I still don't get the cuts I'm looking for. Then I watched reviews on this saw (out side my return date) and found out there are some flaws in them, witch would explain my bad cuts. But now I picked up a radial arm saw off Facebook market place for cheap! Its old but runs good. In your opinion, radial arm saw over radial arm miter saw?
A vintage, quality cast-iron, radial arm saw (like the old DeWalt's) are excellent machines. The disadvantages are they are very heavy (not easily portable to job sites) and needs to be setup/calibrated properly. However, a radial arm saw can do many things a sliding miter saw can't. You can't beat a radial arm saw for cutting dados, it makes an excellent molding machine, and can also rip. For my use, I'd take a (good) radial arm saw over a sliding miter saw anytime.
@@brianweekley5700 It's not even close.
Looks like you have a De-Sta-Co 305-U on your stop block. Is that the hold clamp you are using?
I have another video titled “Making Stop Blocks for the Radial Arm Saw”. I had bought the small toggle clamps on eBay many years ago. At 1:40 in that video, you can see the markings as “GH-13005”. Probably a cheap knockoff of the DeStaCo. I hope that helps. Note that the stop blocks I used for the frame miters are inside vs. outside angles (good to have both).
czcams.com/video/OYLoUxIp1uY/video.html
Think I'll just go but a used miter saw instead.
A miter saw doesn't guarantee perfect miters either, but thanks for the comment.
So dark.
What's dark?
Baloney. I challenge anyone to get accurate results this way. Good luck. Bottom line, wrong tool for the job.
I appreciate the comment. Challenge accepted-results were perfect! This idea wasn’t mine-it’s a proven technique used to cut 90 degree corners on a RAS (published by Wally Kunkel in his book, “How to Master the RAS”). Unfortunately, this technique is not widely known so I thought a video might be of interest. I’ve been using this for many years and it works fantastic! As long as the auxiliary fence is 90 degrees, you will end up with perfect 90 degree corners every time. It really couldn’t be easier.
You really don't know what you're talking about. If you haven't tried using a well-setup RAS, don't criticize. I just checked your YT site, but I couldn't find any woodworking videos. Strange that someone spouts so-called wisdom but doesn't show any proof, don't you think?
Quality craftsmanship requires attention to detail. This technique absolutely works for those with an eye towards perfection and the skills to match. I do agree that many people would not be able to pull this off on a consistent basis, but the issue is them - not the machine or approach.
The classic DeWalt radial arm saws aren't like anything else. They are engineered beyond anything made today. They are infinitely adjustable and fine tune-able so that perfect cuts that are repeatable. Brian's videos follow the directions put forth by Wally Kunkle, recognized as the guru for these saws. Brian's videos do a remarkable job of detailing how to set up your saw perfectly and I'm very thankful he has. He's my favorite content producer on CZcams.
Accurate cuts are the norm for a well set up DeWalt RAS - especially one from that era, the golden age of American machine tools. Today, this is achievable with almost any off the shelf chop saw, sometimes with a smidgeon adjustment. The difference is that the RAS is not just a chop saw, but a true multi tool, equally accurate in all phases of its design. With proper set up, they are very satisfying to use. Back in the 1950's when you purchased one, a DeWalt trained technician would come to your house and set the machine up for you, with a guarantee of accuracy. The only thing you needed to do was learn to always know the location of your thumb.
Genius
I can't take credit for the idea, but thanks for the comment!