Thread: Sawmaster RAS

Originally Posted by Stewie D

My biggest socket is 32mm but it looks a couple of mm bigger than that

Hi,

I don't have a Sawmaster RAS, so I can't directly confirm the size of the nut, but perhaps this might help if you have a set of callipers:

http://www.interlloy.com.au/wp-conte...Conversion.pdf

Maybe 1 5/16 or 1 3/8?

Cheers,

Camoz

Thanks for your suggestion Camoz. This morning I went up the road to see a retired fitter & turner who was only too happy to help. I borrowed his calipers and you were spot on as the nut is just over 33mm meaning it is 1 & 5/16th". I'll get a ring spanner this afternoon.
I'd still like to know from anyone else with a Sawmaster about the felt bumpers, whether you can still buy them or if I should just replace them with some 6-8mm rubber cut to fit. I'd hazard a guess and say they also help keep the slides clean from sawdust when in use as well.
Thanks for the metric to imperial chart too - very handy !

Cheers, Stewie

Hi Stewie,

I remember one of the old boys I worked with years ago had one of those saws mounted on a tiny little trailer with two fold out side benches, he had it set up with a Trenching/dado head for framing back in the day when we used rough sawn OB hardwood for framing material.
The rough sawn always varied in thickness so by trenching the top and bottom plates to a uniform thickness this made the wall all the same finished height, and the fact it was a housing joint was an extra bonus.
Rubber rings will suffice as the backstop for those, and I would not use oil on the arms, something like a dry film lubricant will be the best and not attract dust into the sliding mechanism.

Thanks for showing Stewie, that saw brings back some good memories....

Melbourne Matty.

My old boss had one that he bought secondhand when I did my apprenticeship in NZ in the mid seventies. We framed a lot of places with that old saw and we too used a dado blade to trench hardwood timber. For us it was mostly to stop the studs from twisting and I remember seeing it actually written in the specs for the job from the architect or engineer. We stopped doing that as we went like most other builders to pine framing.
So a bit of nostalgia for me too.
I like the fact that it is still the original 1HP motor that came with the saw over sixty years ago.
I've bathed all the slides and bolts in oil to free up any rusted parts and everything seems to work. Once I free up the main vertical column from the base , I'll give all the moving parts a sand down with some fine wet and dry then as use some dry lubricant as you say.
Thanks for the heads up on the rubber rings too.

Cheers, Stewie

Here's some related stuff ... https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/s...persaw-144985/

Cheers,
Paul

Thanks Paul. I've had a read of most of the posts on the older saws like the Supersaws, Excellers and Sawmasters etc including that one you linked too and gleaned a bit of info from them. Thanks.
One of the features I like about my Sawmaster is that it has a relatively short arm ( 500mm ) so doesn't get in the way as much as some of the others. I used a Bilda saw once and that had a really long arm , something like 1300mm and was a pain in the neck to use as you were always stepping back and around the arm to load, cut and remove the timber from the saw. You could use it to cut or rip 1200 sheets though so I guess it had more uses than mine.
The only thing I have to do to mine now is to free up the main column from the base. I'll just keep drip feeding oil down it.

Cheers, Stewie

Originally Posted by Stewie D

The only thing I have to do to mine now is to free up the main column from the base. I'll just keep drip feeding oil down it.
Cheers, Stewie

So yours won't swing left/right or move up/down at the moment?

You might try for something thinner than oil ... WD40 seems to work, but it isn't strictly a penetrant I believe.

I don't know if you want to go as far as removing the bulk of the saw from the pedestal, but that can give you some room for some 'encouragement' from the love-tap-on-a-handle department.

If the base is secured to a larger structure, you could try the leverage you have with the arm to get some left/right movement happening, even just a little. Once you get a little movement, the rest seems to follow semi-easily. I'd be giving it a clean-up and spray to the lower area (pressure spray cans are good) then trying to move it down onto that lubricated section, with plenty of spraying to the top of the clamping section. Obviously that locking bolt needs to undo to allow movement.

It'll get there

Cheers,
Paul

After wire brushing the top screw thread and oiling it I now have up and down movement but still no side to side swing. I'm using sewing machine oil which is pretty thin so that should eventually find its way down to the bottom of the main column and base . If you look closely at the pictures you will see that I have a masonry plugging chisel carefully wedged into the column base which gives me another 1mm of clearance for the oil drip feed. I'll get it free eventually. I'm in no rush and don't want to damage it by trying to force it. I've wiggled and jiggled the main arm to encourage some movement as you suggested but it is still stuck pretty firm. Years of sitting outside under a holey tarp by the previous owner hasn't helped. It would just be nice to have all the features of this old saw working.
Thanks for your suggestions.

Stewie

Hi there ,
i am trying to find out more about these saws my father in law has one that has sat in his shed for 30 years he was an old school carpenter in Tenterfield and his model has the horizontal drill attachment and an add on belt drive petrol motor for when he was working in the bush. As we are now clearing out the old family house. I would like to know more about it and any ideas as to value there is some interest locally but being bushies they only want it to take it off our hands to help us clear out the shed . Any collectors of old machines interested?
regards
MarkCoffHarbour

Post up some photos. Unfortunately they aren't worth a lot these days as most tradies now use sliding compound mitre saws.
They are lighter , easier to transport and set up, have safety guards, dead mans switches etc.
You only have to look on ebay and gumtree to see them for sale at $150 and still get passed in. I bought mine for $60 plus two spare blades and apart from the surface rust is in pretty good nick.
This one is for sale on ebay at $80 with no takers yet
Supersaw Radeial ARM SAW in NSW | eBay
Newer RAS like a '70's B & D you may get a bit more.
Even newer ones these days sport safety guards like this one...Radial ARM SAW in VIC | eBay

Stewie