My new work bench

...Is starting to come together! This is actually just a sneak preview of my super deluxe radial arm saw station..

My neighbors were getting rid of all these kitchen cabinets over the summer, and I scooped them up. Now that the weather's been chitty, (see my other post ) I'm finally getting around to putting them together.

Made some countertops and leveling feet for them so I can bring the countertops flush with the saw table. I'm going to flush mount the t-track in the countertop for positioning length stops or other jigs.

I think it's going to come in real handy as a regular work bench too!

 

Cool, a ready made shop.
Nice router table too.

 

Looks great! I've been meaning to snag some cabinets like that, they're wonderful for workshop storage!

 

Nice setup..

 

Looks very nice, but it is too clean. Needs some clutter and dust!

 

Nice setup. What do you do for dust collection off your saw? It looks like it might have a tendency to accumulate behind the workbenches and saw itself? Mine just shoots all over but my saw is mobile so I just clean up after every episode. It'd probably be easier if I'd just hook the shop vac to the port on the saw but then there's another thing howling away making noise all the time. Having a built-in saw station like yours would be sweet for sure.

 

I'm working on dust collection as part of the project, but I need to pick up a few more parts to finish it. I run it all off of a shop vac, and this is one of my few remaining stationary tools that doesn't have any. It really needs it bad - it blasts sawdust all over that wall and the work bench. I have a large scoop that's going to sit behind the blade of the saw, and I'm also going to run some flexible pipe down from the large beam to the dust port on the blade shroud.

 

Good plan! I know mine can make a metric ton of sawdust in short order. Or maybe it's the operator?

 

Omg, that green dewalt saw looks like the one my father had. He bought his back in the fifties. It still runs well! He built three kitchens with his. He never owned a table saw. Brought back memories.

 

Thanks! It was originally my grandfathers saw - his Christmas present from my grandmother in 1958. They were really popular back then. They marketed them as an alternative to table saws - my grandfather didn't have one either. Radial arm saws have fallen out of popularity lately, but I think it's mostly a case of "they don't make em like they used to". These were made out of cast iron. Still runs great too - I put new bearings in it and built a new table for it last year.

He furnished most of his house with it. I have a couple of the end tables and a laundry room cupboard that he built with it.

 

Take good care of that saw. My brother has my Dad's saw. I have both a table and radial arm saw. I took an adult ed class and learned some table saw basics. The table saw is much better for cabinets building. I would love to do more, but no place to put things.
My radial arm saw is a Craftsman. I bought it back in the 80's. I have never had an issue with it. My table saw is a ryobi. it is very accurate and has plenty of power. I'm not a heavy user so my power equipment usually last as long as I need it. I have had some sanders and drills quit, but that's about all.

 

That is awesome. I have a radial arm saw that Dad gave me a while back.Toolkraft 10" model with aux router spindle shaft (they aren't easy to work with I found out years ago) he bought new in Feb 1980,the one I cut my teeth on so to speak.

Toolkraft went out of business in 1984,but parts are still available with some searching.They also made a pretty good floor model drill press & at least 1 table saw & a shaper if I remember.My RAS hasn't been used in a few years (late 90's Black & Decker Industrial (just before they bought the DeWalt name) 12" Compound Miter Saw pretty much took the place of it) but for accurate wider crosscuts its just the ticket.

Still like having it around,reminds me of my being a young & sometimes impatient apprentice all those years ago....Dad likes to see it too when they stop by,we get to BS'ing about the old days...lol

 

Nice saw, nice setup. I just picked up a 194? Dewalt radial arm saw for $25 . Wasn't sure it even worked but for $25 I couldn't pass it up, took it home plugged it in and it fired right up.

 

Very nice Shawn! That is going to be sweet. What are you going to build first?

 

I have supplies for 4-5 projects ready to go - got a couple firewood and shop projects in mind... The first thing is going to be a Backwoods Savage style dray for hauling logs. I might make another sawbuck too if I can sell off the one the one I made last month. I use the RAS a lot making those, and it would make a really great test run of the new system. I'm planning to make a couple shop cabinets as well - one for my compound miter box, so I can incorporate it into this saw station, and one for my dad's bench top drill press, which I'm planning to give back to him next Christmas.

 

Nice setup Shawn. I put in a dust collection system using round rigid metal duct and only a few places dropping down that use flex hoses to the power tools. A few blast gates and I can use 4 different stations off my dust collector. I read up on static shock and wood dust and decide metal instead of plastic with a grounding wire.

 

No shortage of room in that shop. Plenty of room to store all your Chit and make your projects.
Glad you have that radial arm saw in your shop and not mine, I no likey. Dangerous .
I prefer the chop saws, more control.

 

Looking at Shawn's set up gave me the inspiration to tidy things up a bit this afternoon & snap a few pics.After all,who don't like pics,right? Besides,you rarely see part of my cramped yet semi-efficient shop looking so clean I thought get these for posterity otherwise family/friends wouldn't believe me....

 

The old green DeWalt is a classic saw. I am considering buying one just for that fact. The tool junkie in me. But, I am more or a chop saw guy. But, recently I have viewed some youtubes that some guys have a dado blade in the radial arm setup all the time. Makes quick dadoes for shelves, or drawer making, etc. I can buy the green DeWalt for less than $100 and it works fine.
Some of the bad rap on a radial arm saw is that it is dangerous. Somewhat true. But, a sharp blade, a sturdy fence and a slower rate of feed of the saw into the work make a radial arm still a valuable tool. But, for simple crosscutting the power miter saws are for me.