# Craftsman Radial Arm Saw Alignment



## Mark After Dark (Dec 3, 2016)

Hi All, 

New member here looking for some expert advice

I have a Craftsman radial arm saw model 113.19771 for which a have installed the recall kit. I'm not sure I ever had it aligned correctly, but since the original table top was quickly eroding from having been left in a damp basement by the previous owner, I found that a level table top was a huge improvement.

I recently wanted to use it so I located a manual online and went through the alignment process again. 
The arm is level to the table. If I put the blade so it just touches the table up close to the fence, it will be just as close to the table top when fully extended.
The blade is perpendicular to the table when set to crosscut.

Here is where I'm stuck:
When I turn the yoke 90 degrees to rip, the blade is now angled, as though the front of the table was sloped down. Likewise, if I rotate the motor 90 degrees so the blade is down, parallel to the table, the blade will be lower on the fence side (rear) and higher in the front. however the head will travel level. now from here, if I rotate the yoke 90 degrees so the handle is to the right side, nothing changes.

It would appear that the carriage is not level, but everything is tight and I can't find a way to adjust the carriage.

Any advice would be appreciated.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*The carriage is not adjustable for that*

It's all in the table ... which is not level with respect to the blade when horizontal and when vertical, is not 90 degrees to blade.

The table is really the only major adjustment you can make on a RAS. The 45 degree stops are set as is the 90 degree. The fence is the other part of the adjustment process. I use a large sheet of 3/4 ply or particle board which extends back beyond the rear of the column. I then screw the fence down on top of the plywood, when I know it's 90 degrees to the blade locked at 90 degrees.

Some folks and the factory want you to have 3 separate pieces for the table and two separate one for the fence. Phooy. :surprise2: Once your 48" or .... fence is squared to the blade with screws on either side of the blade and not in the path at 90 or 45, make one pass and will become 2 pieces, but it won't move because it's screwed down.

Check out my RAS setup for a Craftsman 12":









http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/members/woodnthings-7194/albums/12-radial-arm-saw/14358-100-2136/


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

It sounds like the motor isn't aliened where it is mounted. Turn the arbor straight down with the blade on it and see if the blade is level with the table. Where it pivots there is a cam adjustment which you can true the motor with the arm.


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

the first set-up step in my Craftsman RAS manual is to set a framing square in the corner of the fence&table, lean to 45', and adjust the mounting of the motor-carriage so that the blade is parallel to the 45' extended framing square arm.

and then it says: failure to accurately set the blade to the 45' extension will cause all other settings to be inaccurate. 

and, they are right. 
seems a lot of people think "I never use that configuration so it can't be important." 
wrong.

the following settings are leveling the table to the (vertical) arbor, 
then setting the blade vertical to the table, 
then squaring the carriage travel to the fence

the blade is "cocked" - that shows up mucho fasto when you rotate it to rip.


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## Mark After Dark (Dec 3, 2016)

_It sounds like the motor isn't aliened where it is mounted. Turn the arbor straight down with the blade on it and see if the blade is level with the table. Where it pivots there is a cam adjustment which you can true the motor with the arm.
_

Yeah, i checked that earlier and that's where I first identified the issue. Problem is, when I rotate the yoke, nothing changes. If it were indeed the motor, the problem would then shift when I rotate the yoke.


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## Mark After Dark (Dec 3, 2016)

TomCT2 said:


> the first set-up step in my Craftsman RAS manual is to set a framing square in the corner of the fence&table, lean to 45', and adjust the mounting of the motor-carriage so that the blade is parallel to the 45' extended framing square arm.
> 
> and then it says: failure to accurately set the blade to the 45' extension will cause all other settings to be inaccurate.
> 
> ...




Interesting thought. Unfortunately, all i have is a drywall t-square and rafter square. The rafter square did reveal some heel, but not enough to make a difference. I may pick one up tomorrow.


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## Mark After Dark (Dec 3, 2016)

woodnthings said:


> It's all in the table ... which is not level with respect to the blade when horizontal and when vertical, is not 90 degrees to blade.


I would tend to agree except that when I draw the blade across the table top in a crosscut, the blade stays level with the table. 

Very nice setup, BTW. Those 12" saws are beasts!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*A beast?*



Mark After Dark said:


> I would tend to agree except that when I draw the blade across the table top in a crosscut, the blade stays level with the table.
> 
> Very nice setup, BTW. Those 12" saws are beasts!



What most folks don't know is that the older 10" saws and 12" saws have virtually the same parts, the column, the arm and carriage . The motor is the major difference and iof course the blade guard. The 12" motors usually are 220V only. 

I am somewhat embarrassed to say I have 5 of them, as folks on Craigs List don't know their worth... heh ...heh,... but I do. I have taken the motor and carriages from them and made a panel saw and a radial arm router. You just unbolt the stop screw at the end and remove the carriage and slide on another one with no additional changes. I even leave a dado set in one carriage for when I want to make dado or half laps.
No more setting up a bunch of cutters and blades.

The table can be level at the point of the 90 degree crosscut, but tilted off level to one side. You need to swing the arm to 45 degrees right and left to make it as level as possible. They recommend using the arbor shaft as the reference when setting the table for level and the carriage is rotated 90 degrees to vertical.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

This is what I was trying to describe in post 3.


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