Thread: Can a RAS be fitted with a Dado blade safely?

Originally Posted by Lyle

I have a Canadian Sears RAS and have had the motor rewound to 240V, works very nicely. Recently had a safety recall which replaced the table and guard.
My question now is can I fit and use a Dado blade on it. Or are RAS not suitable for Dado-ing?
Fitting the Dado blade is not the issue more on the safety of use, speed ratings, how to safely operate it with Dado blade fitted (ie keeping fingers intact etc!).

A radial arm saw is very suitable for trenching and dados if you know what you are doing, have the proper gaurds in place and feed into the rotation of the blade. If you feed with the rotation you will get a nasty surprise as the timber hits the far wall of the shed.
If you PM me your address I can photo copy or scan some pages from the book "How to get the most out of a Radial Arm saw" By Howard Silken.

In a small workshop with limited space a radial arm saw is far more useful than a table saw. Though I repeat again, "if you know what you are doing"

Col

Hi Lyle,

As Col said. I have just bought a large RAS(16" blade, 900mm ) and it came with a Dado blade.

My saw is 3 phase and I would like to convert it to 240v. Where did you get your motor rewound. I have been told it can be but wasn't sure where or how much it would cost.

Cheers

Michael.

Yep sure can. I do it regularly for dados and tenons. All the usual safety rules apply, including don't try an take too much off in one pass, in which case plan the job and use stops to ensure even trenches.

The more accurate the RAS table is the more accurate the cutting depth will be, particularly with longer cuts.

cheers
conwood

Thanks for the replies.

Michael I got my electric motor rewound here : djselectricmotors.com.au‎
They did a good job reasonable, price (from memory about $150), cheap considering the motor fits into the RAS body and is not seperate to the chassis.
But most electrical repair places should be able to rewind a three pahse into a single pase fairly easily.
Col, I'll take you up on your offer of a few pages from your book. That way I'll know what to look for re guards, stops and safety. Standby for e-mail.

Thanks all.