Hoek

Greatest misconception is that the radial arm saw is more dangerous than other woodworking tools. All woodworking tools are dangerous when used improperly. However, in some textbooks the tablesaw is refered to as the variety saw and I see a feiled suggestion in the article along the same lines. Not so, the radial arm saw is the variety saw. Properly set-up it can crosscut, rip cut, resaw, dado, rabbet, mitre, bevel, taper, rout and shape, sand, joint and plane. What other machine can claim this? Even the "wondertool Shopsmith" can not match that. I have 2 in my shop and all my students learn the most common uses as soon as possible. Cutting dados in gables is done much more accurate and safer on a properly set-up radial arm saw. Maybe the hobbyists don't use it as much, but any commercial shop worth it's salt has at least 1 18-20"(reach) machine setup somewhere. Trust me, the radial arm saw will never die.
Hoek.

As I have gotten older, I have realized how lucky I really was. I grew up with a Grandpa who was a Master Cabinetmaker in The Netherlands and used to moan when I had to go over to help him move a cabinet or a set of doors, etc. He had one electric applience in his shop, a double set of lightbulbs. All was done by hand and most of his precision tools were hand made. What I do with routers and shapers, he did with his handplanes. As I changed careers from the steelindustry to the woodworking trade (now near 40 years as a Cabinetmaker) , I have thought back on the missed opportunities to learn more. However some did rub off and I do have a number of handmade planes which were made when the need arose. Amongst them are a routerplane, setup to use a standard chisel (thus having a variety of sizes available) and a set of french door planes (try buying those anywhere today with the proper matching concave and convex radii moved past the radius centre!). One of the greatest rewards one can have is creating/ constructing some of your own tools. Much more fun than running to Lee Valley and buying what you need. You also don't need the fancy woods a/o metals, the purpose is function. And if it looks good, bonus. Most of mine are made from good old ash. One of the most usefull woods around, hard, stable and nearly indestructable.
Have fun;
Hoek.