Eddie_T
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I am keeping watch on Craigslist and Marketplace for a vintage Craftsman RAS. I had maybe a 1967 9" Craftsman Homeshop RAS and used it to build my 2400 ft² house including all cabinetry and mill work. Craftsman had a single bladed molding head cutter accessory with a variety of blade shapes that I used for mill work. The only thing the saw wouldn't do well was miters with the arm to the left (not enough table). About the time I was finishing the house I had the opportunity to purchase a Rockwell turret 10" RAS and while the turret made miters somewhat easier I found that set up of the saw just wasn't as smooth as with the 9" Craftsman. Now that I use jigs for miters I mostly keep my saw in the 90° position.
Maybe it's just nostalgia but I would love to discover a Craftsman Homeshop 9" RAS in pristine condition at a bargain price. IIRC the height adjustment with the crank atop the column was smooth as silk whereas my Rockwell crank under the table is harder to turn and can be a knuckle buster. Also the 9" RAS was quite mobile. I added the caster accessory to the cabinet. The large casters touched the floor by tipping the cabinet to the rear and the saw could be wheeled around as easily as a hand truck. I put the casters on the Rockwell but it's too heavy for much mobility. Also in that era a RAS wasn't encumbered with the lower blade guard that always gets in the way.
I haven't tried a Craftsman 10" RAS but if one pops up nearby I'll check it out for smoothness of height adjustment. The crank is under the table but appears to have more hand clearance than the Rockwell. Some 10" models had the crank on top of the column if that makes any difference.
Maybe it's just nostalgia but I would love to discover a Craftsman Homeshop 9" RAS in pristine condition at a bargain price. IIRC the height adjustment with the crank atop the column was smooth as silk whereas my Rockwell crank under the table is harder to turn and can be a knuckle buster. Also the 9" RAS was quite mobile. I added the caster accessory to the cabinet. The large casters touched the floor by tipping the cabinet to the rear and the saw could be wheeled around as easily as a hand truck. I put the casters on the Rockwell but it's too heavy for much mobility. Also in that era a RAS wasn't encumbered with the lower blade guard that always gets in the way.
I haven't tried a Craftsman 10" RAS but if one pops up nearby I'll check it out for smoothness of height adjustment. The crank is under the table but appears to have more hand clearance than the Rockwell. Some 10" models had the crank on top of the column if that makes any difference.
