Large Power Saws for Dummies

table saw miter gauge

Our staffers regularly patrol the content farms of the internet in search of freelancers who write copious verbiage about topics that it's pretty obvious they'd never considered before. Take, for instance, a wedding planner trying to explain flash drives or an MBA pretending to know something about prosepcting for gold. It tends to be pretty obvious that they're not all that comfortable with the subject... obvious like the time we found Renee Miller trying to address the "Difference Between a Radial Arm Saw & a Table Saw" for SFGate.com.

Truth be told, Renee sort of got the basic difference between the two:

"A table saw features a blade that is built into the table and can be raised from and lowered into it as you work. A radial arm saw blade is mounted on a moveable [sic] arm, so that it is suspended above the table."

We think it would have been more accurate to say that a radial arm saw's motor and blade assembly are mounted on the arm, but what do we know (hint: unlike Renee, some of our staffers have owned both saws; but, then, none of them has a degree in social services).

The main problem with Miller's content is that she spends a lot of time babbling...

"The primary difference between the two is their cutting action, which makes each ideal for distinct types of wood cutting. Typically, the ideal saw to use depends on your personal preference and experience, as well as the type of cut you want to make."

...and not much time describing. For instance, she never says a word about miter cuts, fences, or bevels. Although she chirps about ripping with the RAS, she doesn't actually say how that's accomplished. The closest she comes is to say that,

"When using a radial arm saw, the blade is moved to cut the wood, although you can manipulate the wood as needed..."

...which, frankly, is stupidly wrong (not to mention dangerous): you don't "manipulate the wood", you change the angle of the arm (for miters), of the motor mount (for bevels), or both (for compound miters). It's bushwa like that published by money-hungry freelancers – Demand Media paid this clueless wannabe writer a fifteen-dollar stipend for her "work" – that prompted us to start exposing their bullshit on this blog. We've already handed out more than 1,300 Dumbass of the Day awards to people like Miller. From the looks of the 'net, we'll be at this task for a while...

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