Honest Reviews —
Straight from your fellow woodworkers.
“The undisputed professor Emeritus of the radial arm saw, especially DeWalts, is Wallace M. Kunkel, better known as Mr. Sawdust. His book is considered the Bible among DeWalt users, and his straightforward wisdom is essential to understanding the most efficient use of the tool.”
“This is undoubtedly the best radial arm saw reference work ever written. I have sent many to this website. Please keep publishing this invaluable work." — M.T. Riggs
“Written in a very conversational format which makes it easy to follow along. It’s almost like Wally Kunkel is standing beside your saw and talking directly to you.”
"A true hero of woodworking."
“…perhaps the closest thing there is to a ‘radial arm saw Bible’”
Even though I'm over 60, now, I've learned to use the RAS safely and can make both crosscuts and rips with accuracy and pleasing results. We thank Mr. Sawdust for his willingness and efforts to write down so much of his knowledge. We are spreading the word down here in GA about the Mr. Sawdust book, and use it as a text for my husband's classes - but absolutely nothing takes the place of hands-on and active demonstrations. My husband is even becoming the "official" RAS demonstrator for one of the local tool stores! All because of this book! Thanks a lot! It's wonderful!" — Elizabeth "Windy" Riggs
"My wife bought me a DeWalt for Christmas. I found your site on the web and ordered your book. It was the best $35 I ever spent. I can do things now that were unimaginable to me 6 months ago. I have the fanciest picnic table in the township. Thanks a heap."
“As said before, many times, here is what you want: The Mr. Sawdust Table. Did you buy the book yet, or are you going to stumble through your restoration?” (from an OWWM forum discussion)
“I ended up buying [his book] new. I don’t regret it one bit. It is an excellent resource and I’ve already read it a few times, even though I don’t have my saw up and running yet.”
“I HIGHLY recommend that anyone using an RAS check out Wally Kunkel’s book, Mastering the Radial Arm Saw. […] In this book, he shows how to uncork the tool’s full capabilities and how to make an excellent replacement top. Key to achieving the superior performance of this tool is the proper tuning of the saw, which Kunkel covers quite well. […] I would recommend redoing your top again as per Mr. Sawdust’s plans in order to have a perfectly flat top and one that has a full-width front edge for use as a shooting rail when performing jointing operations.”
“Get this book. It is THE resource for Radial Arm Saws. The book is focused on DeWalt, but everything can be used on any RAS. Depending on what’s slopping around it’s arm to base or carriage to arm. You can fix/tighten either. If it is flex in the arm it can’t be corrected but that usually isn’t too much.”
“Mr. Sawdust’s book is the way to go.”
“Here’s a great book. Mr. Sawdust specialized in DeWalts. His table design is great and well worth building.”
“I think what first turned me on to Forrest was reading Mr. Sawdust’s book. Way back in the 1960’s he was expounding the virtues of the Forrest Saw Blade… and his book is THE BOOK on Radial Arm Saws. I now want a Forrest blade on all my saws.”
“It is THE authority on the history, setup, use, and restoration of DeWalt Radial Arm Saws. It is also one heck of a primer on woodworking using a RAS. At $30.00 it's basically like stealing. The tips and tricks sprinkled throughout are worth $100 all by themselves. Seriously, get this book.”
“I would not only highly recommend, but think it is absolutely essential to buy the book that Mr. Sawdust wrote many years ago. It is far more valuable than its price. Not only does it have ALL the essential info you need to do any adjustments, but he has some funny humor also.” — Arlin Eastman
“Wow, Mr. Sawdust was delivered Today! I couldn’t wait to do a quick review and must say the Manual has Exceeded my Expectations. First it was unedited and second the large print is a blessing for my 80 year old eyes. The Mr. Sawdust Table is exactly what I need to build for my new treasure and the Adjustments section is just in time for me to get the RAS purring. I LOVE the binding as this will allow me to use the manual Consistently and not store on the shelf. Mary this made my Day today and “You Dun Gud” by getting this to me in PRONTO fashion as I need it Now!!!”
— Ches Spencer (Nichols, NY)
Have the book already? Well, let us know what you think…
We’d love to add your review or thoughts alongside the others on this page.
Kind words about the book within this fantastic Mr. Sawdust Table build video by our new friend Tommy Tompkins.
“Oh, the places you’ll go…”
We’re so often surprised and delighted to see the unexpected destinations that pop up in our order queue.
Not too bad for “just a woodworker, trying to make a point or two…”
“The Mr. Sawdust table is absolutely the best table for a Radial Arm Saw.
There is some great DeWalt history, and some great info on building a corner cabinet.”
“ This book was, and still is, groundbreaking.”
A little nostalgia break — back when Wallace was still around, excited to see his book reaching woodworkers all over, this next note came in…
"Well, I finally finished resurrecting my saw according to your book. As you can see from the photo, it came out pretty good. The best part is how well it works. A new table was made up, following your instructions. This MBF DeWalt (with the Forrest blade) is incredible! Now I'm looking for an old GWI!"
— Jon Snadden
Mr. Sawdust had this to say…
"Jon's MBF is in better condition that when it left the factory 45 years ago! And it's worth a LOT more than it originally cost!"
Even though we don’t sell the book on Amazon, a few folks still managed to write reviews over there…
“Excellent book on older DeWalt radial arm saws”
I just finished refurbishing a DeWalt GWI and two DeWalt MBF radial arm saws and used this book as a guide. The late Wally Kunkle (aka "Mr. Sawdust) was one of the original dealers who sold these saws in the 50's and gives an excellent history of the saw and how to maintain it. He also came up with the idea for the "Mr. Sawdust Table" that describes how to add steel reinforcement to keep the table from sagging. His instructions on how to tune the saw are good but not great. For example, he describes how to use a sized board to correct the horizontal heel of the blade but doesn't say how to correct the vertical heel. (You perform a slightly different adjustment to two of the same three set screws on the motor). His method gets you close but not perfect. I found that Jon Eakes book, "Fine Tuning Your Radial Arm Saw" does a much better job in this regard and includes a design for a very useful jig that allows you to hear whats going on with your saw and literally tune it by ear. That said, Kunkle's book also contains volumes of information on how to use the saw which is something that is not found in Eakes book. The book is well worth the money. Buy it from the authors website mrsawdust.com to save money. Eakes' book is out of print but is available at joneakes.com.
“A famous book for the DeWalt Radial user”
This book is without peer when it comes to buying, refurbishing and using the legendary DeWalt radial arm saws. […] The book is a bit expensive for its size but there is nothing else like it. I own two radial saws - only one a DeWalt - and I never appreciated how much one can do with them before discovering this book.
Here’s more, in case you’re still not convinced…
"I got my copy of the book OK. Thank you for continuing to do this. It seems your father was a great and interesting man with lots of passion. You can feel it in reading the book. They do not make many like that!"
— Brad Piatt
"Friend loved the book so much, he kept it! So I am ordering my second..."
— Thomas Vinson
“You can't search for Radial Arm Saw without hearing about this book.”
— Alexander Burkhart
“Multiple videos on YouTube reference this book for the table top and fence design. You have lots of fans on YouTube!”
— Larry Cannon
"I really enjoyed your book. I commend you for the self-publishing effort. I probably learned more about woodworking by reading that book than any 10 of the others I've gotten from the library..."
— J. Cliff Elam
"Thanks for answering my letter today. Sounds like I've just got to have this book. I am looking forward to getting it. Thanks for your comments about my search for a RAS."
— Rick A. Harris
"It's about time you came out with this book!"
— Wallace L. Kunkel
"I really enjoyed your book. I commend you for the self-publishing effort. I probably learned more about woodworking by reading that book than any 10 of the others I've gotten from the library..."
— J. Cliff Elam
"As a young pup (67 years old now) with a new Shopsmith under my belt, the wife and I were lucky enough to see one of your " Demos for Forrest Blades " at a Chicago area wood show. Had never seen anything like it before, man you were great, you made that saw sing, and, you were the fastest man I 'd ever seen behind a saw. To this day haven't seen any that could compare to your demo. Said to the wife, " lets stop back here before going home just to see if Mr. Sawdust still has all of his fingers. " I hope and pray you do! Well you convinced me, bought two Forrest blades that night, one for the smith and one for my radial arm saw. (Sorry it’s not a DeWalt) Both blades are still used ever day I'm in the shop, and are still top notch. This visit to your site has brought back a lot of good old memories for me, it’s after midnight now, but I'll be stopping back to get your book. Every time I pick it up I'll think back to your demo. You don't know how many times I've related your story to my friends, telling them you've never seen a wood worker until you've seen Mr. Sawdust."
— Jim Fedel
"The book is just great! My husband got it, we each read it, and immediately dumped our craftsman RAS in favor of a 1947 DeWalt Industrial RAS. What a difference! No wiggle, no slop. Just consistent cuts. We use a Forrest Woodworker blade. My husband now teaches RAS classes for our woodworking club - with the result that several members have started using their RASs with much more consistent and pleasing results. Good tuning makes an incredible difference! Even though I'm over 60, now, I've learned to use the RAS safely and can make both crosscuts and rips with accuracy and pleasing results. We thank Mr. Sawdust for his willingness and efforts to write down so much of his knowledge. We are spreading the word down here in GA about the Mr. Sawdust book, and use it as a text for my husband's classes - but absolutely *nothing* takes the place of hands-on and active demonstrations. My husband is even becoming the "official" RAS demonstrator for one of the local tool stores! all because of this book! Thanks a lot! It's wonderful!"
— Elizabeth "Windy" Riggs
"I got your book a few weeks ago and appreciated the writing, viewpoint and content. Thanks for the effort."
John Orvis
"I received your book today, put it down only to write this note. I'm quite impressed with the quality, story of history is great..."
— R.J. Spomer
"I bought a copy of this fantastic book a couple of years ago. It is by far the finest book on the Radial arm saw that I have found. I have used radial saws for about 40 years but have never owned a DeWalt until now. In April of this year I found a Model R-1350 that I have put back in good working order and just a few days ago I purchased a model 7790 that has a bit more power than the 1350. I'm looking forward to getting this one into shape. I'm indebted to Mr. Kunkel for the info on constructing a good radial saw table, which I have done on the 1350 and look forward to doing on the 7790. I've gotten so much information and inspiration from Wally's book. Thanks so much!"
— Martin Kelly
"Just a short note to let you know the book arrived approximately ten days ago and I have been too busy reading it to let you know sooner. Having now read it from cover to cover I can only say that it even exceeded my expectations. What a real bargain. It was certainly worth the wait and amazing value even given the lousy exchange rate between the Australian dollar and the US greenback. I certainly enjoyed the style in which it was written and the marvelous information it contained. Well done and what a talented family."
— Richard
"The book is great. I have an old DeWalt that was my grandfathers, and now I've tuned it up and it's great. Thanks for the very interesting book."
— Rich Vance
"Although I haven't the opportunity to buy my Radial Arm Saw yet...I was fortunate enough to know Mr. Kunkel on a personal level and still get to see the exceptional furniture he made that’s still in his home. You're sorely missed Mr. Sawdust....but you're still an inspiration to many woodworkers out there! Thank you for all the love and knowledge you passed our way and Godspeed to you!"
— Mark Beckert
"Your book is fantastic! I've been a woodworker for 20 years and learned more from your book than I can admit. I went through it page by page. My DeWalt saw has never worked so well. Every page is pure gold. So many lessons still to learn. Thank you."
— Bill Muler
Even more mentions…
It’s hard to go anywhere in the world of woodworking or vintage tools without coming across Mr. Sawdust. Here’s a collection of mentions found in discussions on Old Woodworking Machines (OWWM) always-excellent forum…
Wally Kunkel was DeWalt's traveling Radial Arm Saw guy for years and wrote an excellent book about how to take a great machine and turn it into a superb machine. The Mr. Sawdust Table is the best answer.
Buy a Mr. Sawdust book and marvel at the furniture Wally Kunkel built with his MBF. Its a good RAS reference anyway.
You will do yourself a HUGE favor if you do a search for a Book called "How to Master The Radial Arm Saw" by Wally Kunkel. Wally is known a Mr. Sawdust. That book is the BIBLE for techniques, adjustment, and Use of DeWalt Radial saws specifically. […]
If you serious about a DeWalt radial saw,, and want to fully understand its capabilities far beyond a cut off tool,,and also be able to quickly… and IN THE RIGHT ORDER… make the adjustments to perfectly tune one… then the book I mentioned is a MUST Have.. :)
All your work you are probably doing right now is a waste of time if you FIRST don't build a Mr. Sawdust Flat Table. Directions in his book.
Purchase the book! Forget the Internet. :)
Do a web search of a man named Wally Kunkel.
He is the vintage DeWalt salesman. He had appearances back in the day on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Quite a character.
He wrote a book titled "How to Master the Radial Arm Saw." He goes by Mr. Sawdust. The book is worth gold. If you take the time to build his Table Top, and get the saw in proper tune, you will never again look at a radial saw as a rough cut-off machine as used in the home centers.
Wally Kunkel's book is worth the price.
It recently arrived and I have just started to make my way through it. I couldn't recommend it enough—from general history to how to build a precise table to all the functions of the saw...this little self-published book (from the guy who originally helped develop and market them) is an incredible resource.
Wally Kunkel's book is also an excellent resource on how to adjust and use a radial arm saw. It was written primarily for the DeWalt MB/GW series saws but with a few pieces of information from your saw's manual, the information is applicable to pretty much any radial arm saw. I have a DeWalt GE, which is about the same size as your Delta and has quite a few differences with the MB/GW series saws, but the information in his book was still very helpful for me and allowed me to dial in my saw to essentially dead nuts square.
Invaluable!
I thought it was a great book. He told some excellent stories, gave very clear instructions, and helped me to see things in my RAS that I would not have imagined on my own. He also explained the dangers very clearly. I was happy that my GWI did not have the overhang issue that the steel ribs were supposed to solve, because I was sure that if I had made a table like that I would have cut into the steel eventually. I wish I could have met the author. He seemed like a great guy.
If you haven't already gotten a copy of Wally Kunkel's exhaustive tome “How to Master the Radial Arm Saw”, you should! Whole chapter in there on tables.
I would read the words of Wally Kunkel himself and draw your own conclusions. Everyone has an opinion, and mine is that he promoted all the early Dewalt's as very worthy and versatile woodworking machines after as he has said they fell from favor in the sixties and seventies. His affiliation with AMC Dewalt ended in 1958 when he resigned, and yet he moved on to promote woodworking techniques with the DeWalt RAS until his death in the late nineties. Based on his book, circa 1996, I'm not sure he ever favored any particular model, but seemed to favor hobby shop sized machines (1/2 to 2 HP models). I think you’re going to enjoy the wealth of knowledge in his book.
Another vote for the book. I have the same saw. I ordered Kunkel's book and followed his plans. My table turned out perfect. It's well worth the cash.
As said before, many times, here is what you want: The Mr. Sawdust Table. Did you buy the book yet, or are you going to stumble through your restoration?
I would consult the Mr. Sawdust book. I made one of his tables 6 years ago and it is still on spec.
REALLY, REALLY, consult the Mr. Sawdust book. A legitimate forever-table that makes a tremendous difference.
I'd never encountered a radial arm saw until a few years ago. Always used a table saw for everything.
Now that I've met the beast (starting at or near the top with the DeWalt GE in the photos) I am hooked. Wally Kunkel's book was also most useful in introducing me to the range of cuts one can make with these saws. I can only assume that the inventors of the radial arm saws –with the (large) number of possible settings – knew woodworking; knew the kinds of cuts that it would be nice to make with precision. Locking the head in the various basic positions covers a lot of the territory, but Kunkel also gets fancy with fences and what I think we'd call jigs to make cuts that are truly impressive. There's probably no limit. You're going to have fun.
Reuben Deumling
You should buy 'How to Master the Radial Arm Saw' by Wally Kunkel aka Mr. Sawdust. It's got great information on how to tune and adjust old DeWalt radial arm saws. I think that Delta Rockwells have similar designs. Also it's got everything you need to know about making all possible cuts with a RAS.
I found the Kunkel book very informative and almost a "must" buy for someone new to radial arm saws like I was when I bought it.
Get Wally Kunkel's book if you don't have it already. It gives a lot of good information on setting up and using DeWalt radial arm saws. It's a fun read too.
I suggest you get the Mr. Sawdust book. Mr. Kunkel has a great story to tell in it. I learned a lot from that book.
It will explain how to check and adjust the carriage bearings. I had a deathly fear of radial saws until I got the book and restored mine. Very accurate tool for sure.
I know what you mean about the video versus the book thing, but from my reading of the Mr. Sawdust book, you will have no issue. It is written in a very conversational format which makes it easy to follow along. It is almost like [Wally] Kunkel is standing beside your saw and talking directly to you. The only thing is that the book is directly written for DeWalt saws and is certainly biased toward them, but don't take it as a slam for other saws. You have a good one and much of the advice would apply to your saw.
What is especially good is the logical, systematic way Kunkel describes setting up a radial arm saw. That type of approach works for all of them. Start at the foundation, in this case the table, and align/adjust everything to that relationship.
Good luck on your saw and setting it up.
While you are pondering building a RAS cutting station, I highly recommend reading and considering what Wally Kunkel conveys in his book into your design. It could affect how usable the station will be.
This book has been recommended by several in this forum and I agree. I received my copy early last week and I have read it all and reread (several times) the parts that I know I will be doing. It is a "not-to-be-missed" read for those that own or plan to own a DeWalt RAS. It’s hard to put it down.
Steve Ward