How it cuts
The motor and blade ride on a carriage along an arm that reaches out from a column behind the table. For a crosscut, Original Saw Company's manual says to hold the work against the guide strip, pull the blade slowly and firmly across it from the rear of the arm, and return the blade behind the strip afterwards — never push the blade into the material. The blade cuts about 1/16 in into the table. The arm swings for miters and the motor tilts in its yoke for bevels; both together make a compound cut, pulled through the same way.
| Feature | Original Saw 3512 | DEWALT DWS779 sliding miter saw |
|---|---|---|
| Cut direction | Blade pulled toward you across the work | Head pulled out, lowered, then pushed back; never cut pulling |
| Where the blade starts | Behind the guide strip | Above the work |
| Guarding | Fixed hood and floating lower guard | Lower guard that uncovers the blade as the arm comes down and covers it as it rises |
| Cuts its maker lists | Crosscut, miter, bevel, compound; rip with a rip kit; dado | Crosscut, miter, bevel and compound cuts |
Each maker's own description of its own machine. The opposite cut directions are why instructions for one must never be used on the other.
What the federal rule requires
OSHA's standard for radial saws in workplaces, 29 CFR 1910.213(h), sets out what guarding one needs, and it is a useful checklist for any machine:
- Guards: a fixed hood enclosing the upper half of the blade, and a self-adjusting floating guard below that rises and falls with the stock.
- Return device: the cutting head returns to the start when released and does not roll forward by gravity or vibration.
- Stops: an adjustable stop limits forward travel for repeat cuts, and limit chains or another means keep the saw from running past the table's edge.
- Ripping: non-kickback fingers on both sides of the blade, a spreader to keep the kerf open, the stock fed in the correct direction, and a label on the hood showing which way the blade turns.
Safety— What the lower guard does not do
Original Saw Company says its lower guard protects against the side of the blade, not its front or rear, and rises to expose the blade when it meets the fence or the work. Keep hands out of the line of cut. If the guard catches in old kerfs, replace the guide fence; stop the saw before freeing a stuck guard or an off-cut.
The table, fence and stop
The table on Original Saw Company's machines is an oversized MDF top with a wooden guide strip that can be moved: behind the spacer board for the most crosscut capacity, toward the rear for the most ripping capacity. Because the blade cuts into the table, the top wears, and the manual says to replace the guide fence often so the lower guard does not catch in old kerfs. The arm stop should be set for repeat cuts, at the point where the blade has passed 1/4 in beyond the work, which also stops it throwing small off-cuts on the return stroke. For accurate work the table must stay parallel to the arm at every point; the manual's alignment section shows how to check it with the power locked out.
Older saws and the Craftsman recall
In 2000 the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Emerson Tool Company recalled about 3.7 million Craftsman saws, model numbers beginning 113, sold by Sears from 1958, because they had no guard covering the entire blade; about 300 injuries were reported, including amputations. The CPSC notes that the remedy changed on July 23, 2019. Anyone with an older Craftsman saw should check its model number with Emerson's recall line before using it.
Care and dust
- Disconnect and lock out the power before any adjustment, blade change or maintenance.
- Never oil or grease the arm tracks; Original Saw Company says dust sticks to them and wears the arm. Clean them with a dry rag or solvent instead.
- Use only blades rated for the saw's speed — 3600 rpm on the 3512 — and keep them sharp.
- Dust collection is an option: a 5 in extraction adapter on Original Saw Company's 12 in saw.
Before each crosscut
- Hood and lower guard in place and moving freely
- Head returns behind the fence on its own
- Arm stop set for the cut
- Work held against the fence, hands out of the line of cut
- Crosscut pulled toward you, never pushed into the work
- For an older Craftsman saw, the recall checked first
Miter saws are explained in the miter saw guide; Original Saw Company's two lines are compared in choosing a radial arm saw.
Sources
Operation follows Original Saw Company's manual for its own saw; an older or different machine's manual governs that machine. The federal rule is quoted as OSHA's eTool states it, for workplaces; it is cited here because it says what guarding a radial saw needs. The manual reviewed gives no procedure for dado cutting or ripping, so neither is described. The primary keyword is editorial.
- 1.
12 in Radial Arm Saw Manual, Type 9 — Models 3512-01, 3512-03. Original Saw Company.
Used for: The 3512 radial arm saw: all guards in place; crosscuts made by pulling the blade slowly across the work from behind the guide strip, never pushing it into the material, cutting about 1/16 in into the table, and returning it behind the strip; an adjustable arm stop for repeat cuts that also stops the blade throwing off-cuts on the return stroke; the anti-kickback device adjusted to clear the work, not removed; the lower guard protecting against the side of the blade but not its front or rear, rising when it meets the fence or work; replacing the guide fence often so the guard does not catch in old kerfs; bevel and compound cuts; disconnecting and locking out before adjustments; not oiling the arm tracks; the table kept parallel to the arm; a 5 in dust extraction adapter as optional equipment; blades rated at 3600 rpm; a 20-second brake run-down test.
- 2.
12″ Contractor Duty Radial Arm Saw. Original Saw Company.
Used for: Cuts listed for the 12 in Contractor Duty saw — bevel, compound miter, crosscut, dado, miter, and rip with the rip kit add-on — an MDF table top, an HDPE lower blade guard, an automatic blade brake and an E-stop.
- 3.
Machine Guarding eTool: Saws — Radial Saws (29 CFR 1910.213(h)). U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Used for: The federal requirements for radial saws, 29 CFR 1910.213(h): a fixed hood over the upper half of the blade and a self-adjusting floating guard below; a return device that brings the cutting head back and keeps it from drifting; an adjustable stop limiting forward travel; limit chains or another means to keep the saw from passing the table edge (1910.213(g)(3)); non-kickback fingers on both sides of the blade and a spreader for ripping; stock fed in the correct direction and a label on the hood showing rotation.
- 4.
CPSC, Emerson Tool Co. Announce Recall of Craftsman Radial Arm Saws Sold by Sears, Roebuck (Recall 01-031). U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2000.
Used for: Recall 01-031 (November 14, 2000): about 3.7 million Craftsman radial arm saws with model numbers beginning 113, sold by Sears from 1958, without a guard covering the entire blade; about 300 injury reports including amputations; a remedy that changed on July 23, 2019, with Emerson's recall line and site for current terms.
- 5.
Used for: A sliding miter saw pushed through the work, never pulled, because a pull stroke can make the blade climb the work and throw the head toward the operator; a lower guard that uncovers the blade as the arm comes down and covers it as the arm rises.
About this guide
Written by BenchRoot Editorial. How BenchRoot sources, checks and corrects its pages is set out in the Editorial Policy. If something here is wrong or unclear, the contact page explains how to tell us.