Woodworker's Journal 2006-30-2, страница 60

power to spare for general cutting. When you hit the off button, the motor has an electro-mechanical brake that stops the blade in just under three seconds. No waiting for spindown before setting up the next cut. With a 1" arbor, you

won't be able to use a conventional dado set with a 5/8" arbor hole —■ a definite disadvantage — but a larger dado set would remedy this problem.

During testing, the 3512-01 performed admirably. The saw

made easy work of crosscutting and mitering. Ripping left a bit to be desired. The saw has no dust collection system. With the blade cutting upward and toward you during ripping, it spits sawdust against the guard and indirectly

One Saw — Many Cuts

By unlocking the arm from the vertical column, you can swing it left or right to make miter cuts. A second lever locks the arm at 45° and 90" detents. Swinging the arm to the right provides more table area than to the left.

Dadoing:

There's no easier way to cut dadoes on wide, heavy or long workpieces than with a radial arm saw. Blade height determines the depth of cut. The cutting procedure is the same as for making crosscuts, pulling the blade through the wood from back to front.

Ripping:

Twisting the motor yoke right or left turns the blade parallel to the fence for making rip cuts.The blade guard rotates down to help shield the blade in front and keep the wood from lifting off the table. An anti-kickback device behind the guard is essential for ripping safely.

Mitering:

The motor can be rotated on the yoke to tip the blade for bevel cuts. You can also make compound miter cuts by turning the arm radially with the blade set for a bevel cut.

Beveling:

I f there's a tool out there that can compete with the cutting versatility of a table saw, it's got to be the radial arm.The combination of overarm, swiveling motor yoke and a long throw give you five different cutting operations. Here's how each cut works:

Crosscutting:

With the arm locked perpendicular to the saw fence, pulling the motor from back to front makes the cut. Cutting capacity here depends on the blade diameter and arm length — but it's awfully impressive on a 12" saw.