Are you standing to the Left or Right of your machine

[Mcluma]

Been looking at a new table saw, or combination machine, and I noticed that a large number of machines have the sliding table on the right, that means you have to look over your left arm, being a righty myself I do not know if I can work with that

My current table saw has the slider on the left and so you cut on the right, as my right arm is the precision arm.

Why are they putting the slider on the right.

Also when I use my SCMS, I operate it with my right arm and cut on the left side of the blade.

Is having the slider on the right really a big issue or do I make more of it then it actually is?

 

[Digit]

I certainly wouldn't be comfortable with that arrangement.

Roy.

 

[Karl]

I use a sled jig in the right mitre slot

Not really found it an issue, and i'm right handed too. I stand directly behind the sled.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Steve Maskery]

This is an interesting q. I've never seen a RH sliding table, what make is it?
The handedness of machines is something I've always found confusing. The received wisdom when using a TS is to stand on the left, so you are not in the way if you get a kickback. So why is the switch so often on the right? I'm pleased to see that some new machines are being built with the innards back to front. The cradle swings to the right, so the blade tilts to the left. This allows the switch to be located on the left more easily.

Most TSs have the fence on the right, but most BSs have it on the left. Why? And why is the number pad on a cash machine different to the number pad on a phone? And why are bread rolls in packs of 8 or 12 and hot dog sausages are in packs of 10? And why.....

Sorry, getting carried away.

I, like Karl, have a x-cut sled, but I operate it on the left, like a conventional ST.

S

 

[RogerP]

I prefer the sled/jig/mitre on the left of the blade but I don't find it too much of a problem if it has to be on the right.

 

[Mcluma]

The kitty combination machine on ebay has it, actually there were some more combination machines like that

About the kick back,

I never stand behind the blade, i stand slightly to the left, so ican see what i do on the right

The thought was, if you are right handed, then your precision guiding is in your right hand, so if you have to stand on the right, you have to do the precision guiding with your left hand,

I also think that your right eye is sharper then your left.

Try this then if you check for bowes in your board, you check it with your right eye, not your left, so when you cut something you check things with your right eye :wink:

 

[Racers]

Hi,

My Kity bestcombi 2000 has a right side sliding table for the saw or left hand if you are using the same slider for the spindle.


Pete

 

[Harbo]

My Deft has the fence to the right with a slot on both sides - the blade tilts to the left.

I always work on the LHS.

Rod

 

[CHJ]

....And why is the number pad on a cash machine different to the number pad on a phone? .....

And getting even more off topic. Cash machine number pads are not the same in all areas of the world.

We were abroad (outside of the EU) and a member of the family who is more dyslexic than the rest of us could not withdraw money out of HSBC because they did not know the numbers, just the pattern used.

We had to go away and figure out the differences in layout so that we could work out the pin number for them, not as easy as you might think because the rest of us never considered the actual layout we used.

I even have problems when in Germany with computer passwords, the network I use there has UK, USA, and German keyboards.
Using the shift key to produce obscure passwords really makes things difficult.

 

[jimi43]

INCA stuff tends to be build the other way around...except the tablesaws again....bandsaws I was thinking about...

One thing that used to get me every day was the slot for the tube before OYSTER cards...

I'm left handed and it was a real pain in a crowd..but that's just me!

I would think tablesaws having sliding tables on the left encourages body stance away from the kickback zone as Steve says...but the switch issue is a problem then I agree...maybe it is not safety design after all!

I like drill presses as my control hand is on the table and pulling has not been too much an issue with my right hand.

Jim

 

[Mcluma]

I like drill presses as my control hand is on the table and pulling has not been too much an issue with my right hand.

Jim

I disagree with you there, controling the up and down is the the important part and has do to with guidance, holdign the piece is a static function,

Maybe you are not a lefty afterall, you have just been pretending all the time :lol: :lol:

 

[kirkpoore1]

Huh. I've never heard of a right side slider, and I've seen sliders that were built over a hundred years ago before things got standardized.

I stand to the left on my TS when using it. But I never crosscut on it, either--I use my RAS for that.

Kirk

 

[andersonec]

Try this then if you check for bowes in your board, you check it with your right eye, not your left, so when you cut something you check things with your right eye

:wink:[/quote]


And if you are right handed and shooting a gun/rifle, which eye do you sight with?

Andy

 

[jasonB]

My Kity is also a right hand table, never had an issue with it. Infact when using the table there is really no precision guiding needed, just push the work upto the fence and away you go.

When ripping with the fence on the left you are more likely to use your right arm to guide the work where it is the better way around for "precison guidance"

Jason

 

[monkeybiter]

And if you are right handed and shooting a gun/rifle, which eye do you sight with?
Andy

Right usually, but not always. Handedness can get really strange in combination with your stronger eye when it comes to shooting.

 

[jimi43]

I like drill presses as my control hand is on the table and pulling has not been too much an issue with my right hand.

Jim

I disagree with you there, controling the up and down is the the important part and has do to with guidance, holdign the piece is a static function,

Maybe you are not a lefty afterall, you have just been pretending all the time :lol: :lol:

AH! Perhaps you're right there McLuma!

But...I tend not to use my pillar drill for drilling holes...everything but actually...like planing and sanding...all the things that you ain't supposed to do with it...because of the bearings etc....but if that day comes (which I doubt)...I will change the bearings!

The latest whizzyround thingy is the Safe-T planer...which we won't go into because that is a can of worms that I intend to keep firmly shut! :wink:

Jim

 

[Erasmus]

Heartily dislike combination machines as they tend to be a compromise of too many functions. A bit 'jack of all trades' for me unless they've improved a lot since I was last unlucky enough to have to use one.

Never seen a RH sliding table myself either. I should find that most uncomfortable. The dim saw I use most has an emergency kick off footswitch as well as the usual on/off meaning you don't have to let go of the work or change stance significantly in a crisis.

 

[dchallender]

This may sound weird but the configuration is often to do with the way your brain works :shock:

When I kicked off my engineering career years ago I worked for Lucas and did a lot of work with Lucas Engineering and Systems who were our internal / external consulting division (and among the best engineers I have ever worked with).

Anyway...

One of the things I remember being taught is that your brain works in a specific fashion and this was because you left hemisphere is the logical part of your brain whilst the right is the more creative side, the left is the dominant part of your brain which generally has a preference to work right to left. In the industrial engineering section we had documentation to this effect which gave guidelines on how to set up manufacturing cells / machines based upon this and it was also the explanation of why a metal lathe was configured in a certain way....

Not sure if it is the same with table saws but I suspect that somewhere along the lines it may have a bearing.

I find I'm now at the age where i just retain useless information... I'll get my coat .... :lol:

rgds

Darren