Goofy RAS Ideas

[vanguard]

I've wanted a panel saw for sometime. I don't know why.

These things are danged expensive. So I was thinking about taking a the power unit from a radial arm saw and making converting it to work in such a fashion. I figured that the RAS power head already has a rotating mechanism and a sliding mechanism built in.

Plus I'm probably going to be given a 2nd RAS shortly, so I'd have the power head.

[dkhoward]

sounds like an interesting idea if you can find an extrusion or have one made that will fit the tracks on the motor mount. Ill be interested to see whatyou come up with

[L. D. Jeffries]

Now to the other end of the post. I have a Craftsman panel saw (cordless) that I haven't used in over 2 yrs. because the batteries just won't put out enough umph to cut 3/4 pine! My thought would be to convert it into a corded tool.
Guess would have to get 120v AC down to DC at proper voltage somehow. Anybody got any ideas; any electrical people out there with some ideas? One of my winter "fool around" projects.

[siliconbauhaus]

Rockler makes a kit of parts for 200 to build a panel saw and the plans are about 10 I think. Add a decent circular saw and off you go.

[chuckwagon]

Goofy RAS

I have a "Safety Cut" panel saw and it's not only expensive it's very large. Like you need at least an 18' wall (preferrably more) to rip a 4x8. It's all steel and very sturdy. The challenge for you would be to mount your power unit on a frame (steel tubing) that would be square and stable enough to cut consistantly square and true. It's almost impossible. I would be interested in hearing how you plan to build it.

[LCHIEN]

I've wanted a panel saw for sometime. I don't know why.

These things are danged expensive. So I was thinking about taking a the power unit from a radial arm saw and making converting it to work in such a fashion. I figured that the RAS power head already has a rotating mechanism and a sliding mechanism built in.

Plus I'm probably going to be given a 2nd RAS shortly, so I'd have the power head.

Given that the RAS power head mounts to a pole it will be more difficult to make a panel saw this way than making one with a circular saw which has a base to ride on the panel. There are any number of plans available for making a circular saw-based panel saw.

Also the sliding mechanism doesn't have the range (4' typical) to make a panel crosscut.

[LinuxRandal]

Really needed, or shop space waster?

How often are you going to use it?
If your not in a shop that uses it all the time, first look in the papers. Due to all the borg like places that there were a few years ago, and we had three chains that closed (Home Quarters, Payless Cashways, and Builder's Square), we used to always see them in the paper for no more then $500, done.
My other recommendation is a guided circular saw guide, I went with the Eurekazone system, and love it. For others a sawboard is enough.

[JimD]

I don't have the space so I use a sawboard and a lattice of 1x4s, the last time on the bed of my new little trailer the plywood came home in.

For 120V to 12V, you need a transformer and a bridge rectifier if you want DC. Radioshack has these parts but I don't know if they will have a rectifier big enough. You could try it with just a transformer. Adding a 120V power supply will not give you a more powerful motor, however. If your batteries are not worn out, you will only have the same power you have with a fresh battery.

Woodsmith also put out plans for a panel saw. I bought that issue but I don't know where it is. They sell their plans over the internet, however, so it would be easy to get a copy. I have found their plans to be well thought through so if I wanted to build a panel saw, I would invest in a set of their plans. It seems like you use t-track to guide the saw and they had to join 4 foot sections, I think you can get longer pieces which would improve their design, IMHO. I think a good circular saw is the correct power source. A radial arm would be enough power but making a long track for it seems like a major undertaking.

Jim

[dkhoward]

Given that the RAS power head mounts to a pole it will be more difficult to make a panel saw this way than making one with a circular saw which has a base to ride on the panel. There are any number of plans available for making a circular saw-based panel saw.

Also the sliding mechanism doesn't have the range (4' typical) to make a panel crosscut.

THis may be true for some RAS setups but myold craftsman runs on a pair of rails which would make it a candidate for an extrusion fitting. Given a properly designed extrusion to minimize twisting, I could see how it would be very easy to manage as large a cut either verticle or horizontal as you could want. Now, Im not saying it is economical or a good idea, Im just saying that on some saws the design would lend itself to such an application.

[LarryG]

Also the sliding mechanism doesn't have the range (4' typical) to make a panel crosscut.

I think the OP meant that he would fit the motor carriage to a longer overhead rail of his own design.

That detail aside, I'm with Loring on the rest. A support/guide system that accepts a circular saw base would be a lot easier and cheaper to design and build than a "flying" rail strong enough to carry an RAS head. OTOH, the RAS is the bird in hand and as Dennis notes, no one is saying the idea has to make practical or economic sense.

BTW, I've long thought that any thoughtfully conceived design for a panel saw ought to have provisions for mounting a router, too. (Another argument for using a circular saw, since the mounting provisions for a CS and a router would be virtually identical.)

[dkhoward]

Well . . . as long as we are dreaming. . . why not include some controls and motors and build a CNC Panel Saw/Router . . . .