# Craftsman Radial Arm Saw Alignment Problems



## minuteman62-64 (Mar 15, 2012)

Hello all. New to this forum - came across it doing a Google search. Appears there are some folks in here who are respectful of the good old RAS, so maybe someone can help with my problem.

I have a Craftsman 10" Accra-Arm RAS, 113.29460, circa 1972. Over the past 40 years its done all I've asked of it, but had two annoying traits. First, with everything aligned, including the table parallel to the arm and the blade square to the table in the X-cut position, when I'd rotate the carriage assembly to the rip position the blade would no longer be square to the table. Second, when the motor was rotated so the arbor pointed down towards the table, the blade would not be parallel to the table.

I lived with those traits until now. Since I've retired, I've made fixing my old friend as one of my projects.

The first thing I noticed was that the Carriage Assembly casting was not machined very well. The top, where the Carriage Bearings bolt on, was not flat. The bottom, where it bears against the Yoke Assembly, was not parallel to the top. The result was kind of an eccentric motion when the yoke was rotated.

So, I hand scraped the top of the casting flat and filed and hand scraped the bottom so it was parallel to the top. That seems to have fixed the first problem (blade not perpendicular to table when rotated to rip position).

I was hoping that would help with the second problem, but, no such luck. So, the attached photos show the current situation. With the blade in a position where it should be parallel to the table, its about 3/16" too high (out of parallel) across the 10" blade.

I could correct this if the fittings that mount the motor to the yoke could be adjusted (and this would not disturb the other alignment settings). However, I can't see any way to make such an adjustment. From my internet readings I remember that the Dewalt has some sort of adjustment like this, but found no such info on the Craftsman.

Anybody have any thoughts/ideas. Appreciate any and all input.


----------



## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Adjust your table top. I know... not much help.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

You might try rotating it to the level plane and then locking. If it locks before the stop, you may have to adjust that.










 







.


----------



## minuteman62-64 (Mar 15, 2012)

The rotation plane of the motor is not the plane where the error is. The error is 90 degrees to the rotation plane of the motor - if I could raise or lower the motor mounts it would correct the error.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Yep*



mdntrdr said:


> Adjust your table top. I know... not much help.


The process for "leveling" the table requires that it be parallel to the blade as you show. 
You can have the blade horizontal like you show or put it back to vertical and swing the arm to full left and full right to just kiss the table surface or a small block resting on the table. Washers under the particle board are the means of adjustment. There are 2 Allen bolts that will loosen the yoke in the carriage, but it may throw off the vertical alignment. 
As far as I know there is no other adjustment for that condition in the yoke or carriage. I'll take a look and make sure, but in the meantime download a manual from the http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/manuals.aspx site for all the major alignment issues.  bill


----------



## Murphy's Law (Dec 15, 2011)

Minuteman - I have that exact same RAS and I feel your pain. I have used mine since 1976 and it has been my WORKHORSE in my barn/workshop for framing and not-so-perfect cut requirements. Back in the '80s I tried many times to make it plum, square, level, and everything else we want in a good saw. My best efforts were usually lost within a few months. One time I laminated two 1" table tops together to make a more stable table that would stay in adjustment with tiny shims under it in the necessary locations - it worked great for a few months and soon lost the fine tuning I had worked so hard to obtain. As you probably know there are several adjustable "stops" that will help fine tune the saw but they are not the best. Good luck.

Caution . . . when you have the yoke apart please inspect the main pivot bolt carefully as well as the castings in that area. This saw has a history of failure in that area. The entire motor with blade attached can instantly break off the mount and the resulting damage to your body can be extreme. I have a friend who now has a deep scar from his left thumb all the way up his arm and left side of his face from this saw.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

When you said you had the saw in adjustment, but found it was out when you rotated the motor to that position, I had assumed that you had it adjusted both left and right and front and back, but it was out only when the motor was in that position.

The left right "level" can be checked with the arm at its far left and right positions and checking the proximity of the blade to the table. Or, unplug the saw, and remove the guard. Take a framing square and lay it on edge on the table with the other edge along the side of the blade. Make sure it's flat to the blade (assuming the blade is set to perpendicular. Take into account for hollow ground or protruding teeth. If it's out shims can be used underneath the table to the frame. So, you have the assessment of having the blade perpendicular to the table, by its own adjustment and the table adjustment. 

Then you have to recheck the front to back "level to the arm. That can be done with the the blade skimming the table from rear to front. Or, lay the framing square along the fence and have the edge line up with the corner of one tooth, and slowly pull forward. You can get a line of sight along that movement. This will also tell you if it's at 90 degrees to the fence.

If your left to right "level" is out only when the motor is rotated to rip, the depth of cut will be affected, and if you are one that does dadoes that way they won't have a correct cut.

If you plan on doing any cutting with the motor in that horizontal position (which I wouldn't) both left and right, and front to back "level" would have to be right on. I cringe to think about cutting like that. Reminds me of *this guy*.










 







.


----------



## minuteman62-64 (Mar 15, 2012)

_"If you plan on doing any cutting with the motor in that horizontal position (which I wouldn't) both left and right, and front to back "level" would have to be right on. I cringe to think about cutting like that. Reminds me of *this guy*."_

Hey, there's a cut I haven't tried yet. What a great way to handle those full 4x8 sheets of plywood. I don' need no stinkin panel saw 

Seriously, I haven't done any cuts with the blade in the horizontal position, although I can't say I wouldn't in the future if I can resolve the alignment problem. I have, however, in the distant past, used the surface planer attachment (which doesn't work very well with the cutter head canted left to right or front to back, depending on the orientation of the motor) and might again if I can fix the alignment. However, the main reason for wanting to fix this is that it bothers me to have the saw not do what it is supposed to do and frustrates me to not be able to fix it.

I've done some additional research and found that the motor mounts are called "trunions." Also, that the Delta RAS apparently has an adjustment for the rear motor trunion that would "fix" my problem if the Craftsman were similarly equipped. When I get the time I may remove the motor and see what's going on with the trunions. Since I had one flawed casting I might well have more.

Appreciate all the comments/suggestions to date. Craftsman, are you suggesting that I align the table parallel to the blade in the left-to-right position, then level the table front-to-back as per the manual?

I noticed the weak spot in the yoke casting, where the main pivot bolt sits. I actually replaced the manufacture's provided washer with a bigger diameter one to spread the load over a wider area. 

I haven't had the real finickey alignment conditions some of you have described. Almost always when my saw has slipped out of alignment I have been able to attribute it to my doing something stupid, like using the table as an anvil or trying to rip with a dull blade.


----------

