Saw Blades for Furniture Modifications

[projectnut]

As many of you know i purchased a Delta 33-400 radial arm saw a while ago. To this point it has been used to cut decking for the pier, and treads for the deck stairs. The next project is to shorten the legs on one of the sofas.

I've done similar projects in the past. The first steps require building a fixture to be sure the legs are all cut squarely and at the proper height. In the past the project was done using the 10" Dewalt radial arm saw with a hollow ground planer blade. I don't know if this style blade is available for the "new" saw, or if they're even required.

I currently have the following 14" blades:

• Gmaxx 2400.140N10 14" x 100T 3,2/2.5 1" TCG neg hook
• Oldham 14" Pro Series 70 tooth Planer Combination
• Tenryu 14" IW355402D 40 tooth TCG Ripping Blade
• Freud 14" 70 tooth TCG combination Blade

Are any of these blades appropriate for the job at hand, or should I be looking for something different?

 

[pacifica]

I assume you will be making a cross grain cut on the legs. The Gmaxx is by far the proper blade for that type of cut. An ATB triple chip grind blade with a positive hook ( maybe not allowed on a radial arm saw)would be even better, but if your Gmaxx is nice and sharp it will do well.
Wrap the legs with blue tape and burnish it in at the point where you are going to make the cut- that will help prevent tear out. If legs are still uneven you can use a belt sander to even them out. If you are concerned about the belt sander tipping then clamp a 2" wide board on either side of the leg for more control.

 

[Alexander McGilton]

The only thing radial arm saws are good for is a 10% to 20% discount on fingers. I infinitely prefer a table saw and a miter saw. But that is just my opinion.

As said above. A finner blade will do better on the cross cut.

Are you cutting square bottom slots? Then a dato blade may be better. If not a router bit in a router table? I'm having trouble visualizing this project.

 

[tq60]

Get some paraffin wax and some quart size paper based milk cartons.

Make sure the finish is good first.

Make a fixture to hold the legs in the same orientation in the carton with leg standing up.

Place a leg then pour enough wax to get above the cut.

After it cools, place in freezer.

Use a 4x4 as a stop and saw through the carton, wax and leg.

The wax will help prevent chipping and hold the legs square.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[MikeInOr]

As many of you know i purchased a Delta 33-400 radial arm saw a while ago. To this point it has been used to cut decking for the pier, and treads for the deck stairs. The next project is to shorten the legs on one of the sofas.

I've done similar projects in the past. The first steps require building a fixture to be sure the legs are all cut squarely and at the proper height. In the past the project was done using the 10" Dewalt radial arm saw with a hollow ground planer blade. I don't know if this style blade is available for the "new" saw, or if they're even required.

I currently have the following 14" blades:

• Gmaxx 2400.140N10 14" x 100T 3,2/2.5 1" TCG neg hook
• Oldham 14" Pro Series 70 tooth Planer Combination
• Tenryu 14" IW355402D 40 tooth TCG Ripping Blade
• Freud 14" 70 tooth TCG combination Blade

Are any of these blades appropriate for the job at hand, or should I be looking for something different?

Honestly I had never heard of a "Planer" combination blade before your post. Google says it leaves a very smooth finish in ripping operations due to minimal rake on the teeth?

The only blade you list that would not be appropriate for the job is the Tenryu ripping blade. The other 3 should work fine and I would expect the higher tooth count blade to leave a smoother finish.

How are you liking the 14" Delta radial arm saw?

 

[projectnut]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I guess I'm a bit old school in that I enjoy using this style saw. I've had the 10" one since 1975 and it's gotten plenty of use over the years. Among other things it's built a couple houses, several decks, a number of pieces of furniture, timbers for several outdoor staircases, and a couple new piers.

I came across the 14" Delta last year at a used equipment dealer. It's in like new condition, and much more powerful, and heavier duty than the older 10" one. It still has the original 48" x 72" table which is a little large for someone my height (5' 8"). It's a long reach across the table. This saw is a joy to use. It's smooth, accurate, and easy to reconfigure for ripping or mitering. Yes, I have already used it to rip a few boards. It's messy but does an excellent job. Since it didn't come with the anti-kickback fingers, I had to add one like this.

Leichtung Work Shop Anti Kickback Device for Table Saw Safety New | eBay

Leichtung Work Shop Anti Kickback Device for Table Saw Safety New

www.ebay.com

It's still at the family cottage having just finished the pier decking and stair treads. In a few weeks I'll be disassembling it, loading it onto the trailer with the new crane, and taking it back to the shop at home. I'll cut the table down to make it easier to use and fit better in the allotted space in the shop.

Here are a few pictures of the saw and the completed trailer I'll haul it home in. The aerator was the first test lift for the crane. It only weighs a few hundred pounds, so it was an exceptionally easy lift. I was intending to put an electric winch on it to replace the hand winch, but when I realized how easy it was to use the hand version, I decided to leave it in place for the short term. We'll see how easy it is to use when I try to lift the 1,000 lb. generator, I purchased a few weeks ago. The crane can be moved to the opposite corner should the need arise.

 

[MikeInOr]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I guess I'm a bit old school in that I enjoy using this style saw. I've had the 10" one since 1975 and it's gotten plenty of use over the years. Among other things it's built a couple houses, several decks, a number of pieces of furniture, timbers for several outdoor staircases, and a couple new piers.

I came across the 14" Delta last year at a used equipment dealer. It's in like new condition, and much more powerful, and heavier duty than the older 10" one. It still has the original 48" x 72" table which is a little large for someone my height (5' 8"). It's a long reach across the table. This saw is a joy to use. It's smooth, accurate, and easy to reconfigure for ripping or mitering. Yes, I have already used it to rip a few boards. It's messy but does an excellent job. Since it didn't come with the anti-kickback fingers, I had to add one like this.

Leichtung Work Shop Anti Kickback Device for Table Saw Safety New | eBay

Leichtung Work Shop Anti Kickback Device for Table Saw Safety New

www.ebay.com

It's still at the family cottage having just finished the pier decking and stair treads. In a few weeks I'll be disassembling it, loading it onto the trailer with the new crane, and taking it back to the shop at home. I'll cut the table down to make it easier to use and fit better in the allotted space in the shop.

Here are a few pictures of the saw and the completed trailer I'll haul it home in. The aerator was the first test lift for the crane. It only weighs a few hundred pounds, so it was an exceptionally easy lift. I was intending to put an electric winch on it to replace the hand winch, but when I realized how easy it was to use the hand version, I decided to leave it in place for the short term. We'll see how easy it is to use when I try to lift the 1,000 lb. generator, I purchased a few weeks ago. The crane can be moved to the opposite corner should the need arise.

Please put a block of wood under the motor and lower the arm so the weight of the motor is resting on the block when you haul the saw home. This will keep the irreplaceable arm track bearings in good shape!

 

[projectnut]

Thanks for the suggestion. As for loading and transportation the current plan is to pretty much disassemble the saw down to parts small enough to be carried by hand or dolly. Once home it has to down the stairs piece by piece to the shop. It will be more or less like going through the assembly instructions in reverse.

Before this saw can go into the shop the 10" Dewalt has to be removed. Over the years I've disassembled it several times and hauled it up the stairs for remote or large at home projects. That process usually takes a couple days

Once the Dewalt saw is removed all the pieces of the Delta can be taken down to the shop, I'll do a thorough cleanup, (shouldn't take much) lube as necessary, and reassemble it. According to the manual it should take 4 to 6 hours. I'm sure that's uninterrupted time, so I can figure it will be closer to 4 to 6 days with all the interruptions that normally happen.

I downloaded a copy of the Delta Long Arm Saw instruction manual a while ago. It should come in handy for the disassembly and reassembly.

 

[projectnut]

Late in the week we took the trailer with the new crane up to the cottage with the intention of bringing home the Delta saw. As with most things we have the greatest of intentions but lack a bit on the execution. I started disassembling the saw yesterday and was quickly reminded that I'm not as tough or as agile as I was 25 years ago.

Reading through the instructions it appears nearly every heavy part was already assembled before the machine was shipped to the customer. One of the first instructions is to lift the "assembly" with a fork truck or crane. About the only things the customer needed to do was install the legs, put the motor in the tracks, and attach the wires.

The machine is going to have to be disassembled into far smaller pieces to get it down the stairs and into the shop. That being said I disconnected the motor wires, set the motor aside and lifted the overarm and turret off the elevator column. According to the manual the entire machine is supposed to weigh 750 lbs. I would guess the motor and yoke assembly to be in the 125 lb. to 150 lb. range. The over arm and turret are heavier. I'm guessing 150 lbs. to 200 lbs. I'm betting the elevator column is also in the 200 Lb. Range. About the only things left are the sheet metal table frame, the sheet metal legs, and the wood table.

We left in a hurry Thursday and as luck would have it, I forgot to bring along the lifting straps, the loading ramps, and the dollies to move the pieces around. I was prepared to "make do" with the lifting and moving supplies at hand until it started to rain this afternoon. Now all bets are off until next week when I can bring the needed equipment along. I don't want to put the motor assembly and electrical boxes in the trailer unprotected from the elements. Next time up I'll bring along some plastic bags and tarps to keep the rain off.

Here are some pictures as the saw sets today. I was a bit surprised that the overarm was not only bolted, but also pinned to the elevator column. Note the jack on the table. Once the arm was high enough to clear the pins, I turned it to the side and began lowering removing one board at a time until only one was left.