Final Adjustments to the Radial Arm Saw

Getting this radial arm saw cleaned, adjusted and back in good working order wasn't an overnight project. It took the better part of a couple of days, but it was well worth it. Once the new table was installed and leveled, most of the work left involves truing up the blade in relationship to the table and fence.

You've heard me gush about the Wixey cube and the digital protractor, and once again, these two devices make set-up very simple. Set the Wixey on the table, and zero it out.


Then flip it onto the blade, and check your angle.


If I was using a regular framing square, I wouldn't have gotten nearly the accuracy that I'm getting with this. I'm telling you, it's the best $25 you'll spend for your woodshop ever.

Then I used the protractor to adjust the blade square to the fence.

Last, I checked to see if the blade was had any heel in it. That's when the yoke of the saw is slightly twisted on it's carriage. Yes, you can still get a square cut from a heeled blade, but it will give you a wider kerf, as the blade is cutting through your wood at a slight angle. Mine needed a slight adjustment, which was simple.


All that is left is to add a thin, sacrificial table on top of this new one. If I'm lucky, I'll never have to replace this table again. I fully intend on keeping it free of any kerfs.


Just a little too porn for you...




There is some excellent information available, should you decide to tear your saw apart and fine tune it. If you Google "Radial Arm Saw Tool Tune-up" you should come across some helpful documents.

Good luck!