Table Saw right or Left Tilt?

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mahking51

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Hi all,
Newbie question:
What are the pros and cons of right or left tilt table saws?
It can't be something so simple as being right or left handed can it?
regards
Martin
 
Hi Martin,

Glad you finally made it.....Here's the generally accepted reasons that left tilt is safer than right tilt, although as the article mentions, no big deal in moving the fence across the table.
DAGed and got this (obviously from US) and alot easier than me spending an hour trying to write something that nobody will understand.....

"Both saws will make all the same cuts. Some easier on the left tilt, some
easier on the right tilt. Strictly personal preference. But if you need to
be steered one way or the other,

Advantages:

Are you right handed?

Get the left tilt.

1. Left tilt has the bevel wheel on the right side and is easily turned with
your Right hand.

2. Left tilt can rip a narrow bevel with out having to move the fence to the
left side of the blade.

3. Left tilt allows the blade arbor nut to be removed with your right hand.

4. Left tilt allows your to remove the arbor nut and turn it in the
direction that you would expect.

5. With a Left tilt, when both edges of a board are beveled, the sharp point
of the
bevel is up on the fence when cutting the second bevel as opposed to the
bottom of the fence where it might slip under.

6. RIGHT tilt if you are left handed. The bevel wheel is on the left side of
the saw.

7. RIGHT tilt if you "must" use the fence distance indicator when using a
stacked dado blade set. The blades stack left, away from the fence. The
indicator remains accurate. On the left tilt, the blades stack towards the
fence and makes the indicator inaccurate. In this case use a tape measure to
set the fence distance.

8. RIGHT tilt allows you to remove the arbor nut with your left hand but the
nut must be turned clockwise to loosen. Bassackwards to normalcy.

If considering a cabinet saw, with wide 50" rip capacity.

The Left tilt will most often afford you the most storage room under the
right table extension. The RIGHT tilt has an access door in that location
that will demand room to open. The left tilt allows you to have access to
the motor and or the insides of the cabinet from the more open left side of
the saw with out having to crawl under the right extension table. Very nice
if you ever happen to drop the arbor nut inside the cabinet. If you are
considering getting a replacement saw and considering going to the opposite
tilt this time consider that the miter slots may not be the same distance
from the blade when comparing a left to right tilt saw. This may or may not
be of concern but something to consider."

In most cases most of the above makes sense.

Noel
 
Its to do with cutting with the fence close to the blade-if you tilt the blade and want to cut narrow stock the blade can hit the fence and /or the get kick-back from the offcut getting stuck between the fence and the blade.
On my right-tilt blade I just take the fence off and put it on the the left of the blade-sloves any problems!
Otherwise its a "whatever you fancy" kinda thing. (most saws are right tilt, altough I'm sure someone will prove me wrong :roll: )
hope this helps
Philly :D
 
Yes Philly,

Come to think about it I've never actually seen a left tilter overhere but then perhaps I've just not noticed one although I daresay it's available in industrial type machines.

Noel, right tilter...
 
The Jet supersaw is a "left tilter".

Great for ripping with your rip fence in it's normal position.

Not good for when you are using your sliding table (which a Jet Supersaw does have).

I reckon the inconvenience of switching your fence over on a RH tilt, versus the improvement in safety when using a RH tilt table with the sliding table is worthwhile

All in all though, I hardly use this feature - I'm just aware their are safety issues involved.

The fact that Jet are LT, whilst many other tables are RT means it probably is of marginal difference in risk terms. I'm sure all the companies will have carefully done risk assesments.

Adam
 
Sorry Noely,
Your super-posting arrived whilst typing out my gibberish.
Lots of stuff I hadn't thought of!
cheers
Philly :D
The Cast Iron Crew :twisted:
 
Hi Martin, just to add to the above - left tilt gives you a cleaner cut on the face edge of a 45 bevel joint. Eg make a 4 sided open ended cube with 45 bevel joints on each corner so there is no end grain showing - on a left tilt (sliding the material on the left too) the blade cuts into the face edge minimising chipping/breakout - the only way this can be done on a right tilt is to slide the material to the right hand side of the blade and most, if not all, sliding carriages are on the left of the table.

Maybe not too crucial depending on blade selected and material to be cut, but true anyway.
Hope this makes sense??

Regards from Harrogate

Cheers
Nick
Jet
 
Thanks for all that, great info.

BTW, huge thanks to Philly for letting me peek at the iron wonder, stunning bit of kit.

My visit to his shop did raise a question in my mind though:

see posting: How do you get away with it?
 

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