Sears Radial Arm Saw--Homemade Table Clamp

On a radial arm saw part of the table is bolted to the mounting rails under the table.  But, the fence and the back portion of the table are loose until clamped against the edge of the main portion of the table.  Since posting my guide to the radial arm saw, several have mentioned they recently acquired a Sears Craftsman radial arm saw vintage 1970s.  The table clamp for holding the fence and the back table in place was pathetic on some of these saw.  This Instructable will show how to make a very good table clamp very simply and very inexpensively.  The photo gives you a good clue as to what I have in mind.  This Instructable will be useful to anyone who needs a good replacement for missing, or poorly designed table clamps.

Step 1 The way it should be

Shown are two table clamps traditionally used on radial arm saws of all makes.  I ordered these through a Sears parts depot less than a year after buying my saw.  Parts for Sears Craftsman radial arm saws are often available on eBay.  You may be able to find some there.  You could always try to get them through a Sears parts depot. 

Comments

[Greasetattoo]

Thanks, Phil...

Luckily, mine has the table clamps.
Holding so far...

[rimar2000]

Very good idea, Phil.

I need something like that to not deal with rubber bands every time I glue two or more tables by its edges. I could do something like this, directly on the workbench. I could make two rows of holes all along the table, to insert into them turned wooden 12mm bars, or maybe metal threaded rods 1/4 inch that serve as a stop on both ends of the board, lifting them when be needed, leveled when not.

[Phil B]

You are correct, Osvaldo. I have seen wooden wedges used before when clamping for the assembly of panels or table tops. It would help you to use two identical wedges pointing in opposite directions so their outer edges remain parallel. Peg holes in your workbench would make this versatile for gluing many different sizes of panels. I manage in this application with one wedge because the square wooden block can pivot.