How To Build A Radial Arm Saw Table
The majority of radial armsaws have a very weak and inadequate table that doesn’t support the workpiece well. This article will help you build a better table to support your workpiece, allowing you to make precise cuts.
Use a ruler and a pencil to draw where your brackets should be on the boards. Each bracket should be placed between 4-15 cm. This should leave some space for clamping down workpieces securely.
Drill pilot holes into the boards where youve drawn out the brackets, and attach them by screwing in some bolts through the L-brackets. To ensure that everything comes together neatly at the end, make sure you keep the distances between them equal horizontally as well vertically.
Using a pencil and ruler, draw out where you want your brackets to go on both boards (Ive done everything in inches). I suggest putting at least 4-15 cm between each one. This should leave some space for clamping down workpieces securely.Drill pilot holes into the boards where youve drawn out the brackets, and attach them by screwing in some bolts through the L-brackets. To ensure that everything comes together neatly at the end, make sure you keep the distances between them equal horizontally as well vertically.
You will need to drill pilot holes near the baseboard’s top edge. These pilot holes should be large enough to accommodate your longer screws. Attach the other side of your table with these screws and some washers and nuts on the inside, just like you would for a normal doorknob.
Your new sawing machine is now complete! It is a good idea to sand the edges of the wood before you use it. They can get in the way when making more complicated cuts. How to build a crosscut sled for the table saw.
Tools:
- A circular saw or tabletop saw (I used a circular saw for this project)
- Power drill (with different bits, I used my cordless power drill with 1/10 cm and 2/20 cm bits).
- Stud finder (optional)
- Pencil
- Measurement tape or ruler
- Measuring spoons (optional but helpful to get the correct amount of screws you need for your brackets).
- Use a came hammer to fix your hinges with hooks or nails if needed
- Wood glue (optional).
- Sandpaper
- Clamps
- Drill brush
- Big flat-head screwdriver Wrench
- Saw
- Drill bits
- Drill
- Carpet tape (optional)
Materials: 1 board 46 cmx91 cm (45cm x 91cm) 1 board 46 cmx3/10 cm (45cm x 20mm) 2 hinges 6 L-brackets (the kind which comes with bolts and wingnuts) Power drill (to drill pilot holes for the screws and bolts, since I dont have a cordless one, or rather havent seen that happen) 2 screws, to fix the hinges to the tabletop
Step 1:
Decide on what you want your table to look like. For the most part, it will be a square but for this project, I decided to make mine rectangular. You can get more creative if you want or go with my design, either way, its up to you! To measure out how big my wood needed to be I used two sheets of paper that were 23 cmx23 cm. This left me with a little extra space on each side so that when I hammered in the nails they wouldnt stick out and hurt me.
Step 2
With a pencil, mark where you need to cut your board using the papers as a guide. I measured one piece of paper and made a mark at 8 cm and another at 15 cm. That way I knew where to cut both ends. If you want your board to be perfectly square, measure the length of one sheet of paper and then make marks every 10 cm.
Step 3
Step 4
After cutting down the board with the pencil markings make sure that everything is actually straight by using your ruler or measuring tape. If it’s not possible to use a jigsaw or hand saw (if necessary), and ensure that everything is cut smooth and correctly.
Step 5:
Once your board has been cut to size, measure the location where you will drill the holes for brackets. Since my bolts measure 1/10cm in diameter, I used a 1/10cm bit. You can use a different size bit if your bolts are larger or smaller.
Step 6
Make sure you drill all pilot holes using your power drill. This is much more efficient than drilling it manually with a drill bit. Don’t make them too big if you don’t want the wood pieces to fall apart. This could lead to dangerous sawing accidents. It will not only affect the structural integrity of your project, but also impact what you are trying to achieve with it.
Step 7:
Now its time to assemble your brackets. If you have some spare screws from another project or maybe some leftovers from a previous IKEA furniture build these can come in handy for this part if you dont want to buy new ones (although they are pretty cheap and you might find them at a hardware store). Make sure the size of the screw you use matches your pilot holes. For my brackets I used 1/10cm wide, 3/10cm long bolts and washers with regular black drywall screws. It is possible to skip the washer and just insert the bolts directly into your pilot holes, but that’s up to you.
Step 8:
Step 9:
Once your brackets have been assembled, all that is left to do now is to attach them to the wooden boards. Start by lining up the boards as if they were one with two brackets on each side and then drill in a few pilot holes into where they meet just as before. You should only use screws on one side of your piece to keep it straight.
Once those are secure, line up another bracket on both sides with a little space between them and screw it in so that everything fits together tightly with no gaps or wiggle room. Although I screwed mine from both sides, others might prefer to use a clamp system instead of going back and forth using inset screws. It’s up to you.
Step 10
Attach the brackets to your table saw once they are secured. If youre working with a cheaper saw like me, these brackets will be simple to screw onto your rail. On more expensive models I would assume that there is a different type of assembly system so if mine can do it theirs probably can as well.
Just line up your bracket and drill in a few screws from whatever side you can reach best. Since my saw is small and not very heavy-duty, I was able to use a power screwdriver for this part but if yours is too heavy or simply doesnt have electric attachments, make sure to manually tighten everything down tightly with an Allen wrench instead (or some other hex key).
After you have secured them, make sure to secure the other side!
Once everything is arranged and the saw can rest on the rail, it’s time to attach the table.
Step 11
This is a simple task if your brackets are correctly built. Simply line up the center of wood with the place where the blade will be placed and then put enough screws to ensure it stays in place, but not too many so you can slide it onto the rail.
I had to use an Allen wrench for this part since my power screwdriver couldnt reach between my brackets but either way works fine; just be careful not to strip them or tighten them down too much!
After they are in place, slide the wooden piece off your saw. Make sure to leave your brackets attached. This is important because you need to know the rough height of your saw (or table if there isnt one) before actually putting it back on!
How To Build A Radial Arm Saw Table
If you want to learn or know how to build a radial arm saw table you have come to the right place. This video will give you a solid idea about how to build a radial-arm saw table.
Learn How To Build a Radial Arm Saw Table
Conclusion
Once everything is marked, you can remove the brackets and line them up like they were attached to your board. Then, transfer the measurements onto it so that everything fits properly when you put it back on. After that, screw them on to your boards using either black drywall screws or wood screws (but they can’t be both).
