left tilt vs. right tilt...

[Paul Simmel]

>>> After cutting the first miter and rotating around to do the other end I realized the dangerous issue of pushing the piece along the fence with the mitre edge riding under the fence.

>>> Not sure if I follow the danger of the second miter if the 1st miter cut is up on the fence vs. on the table where it could get wedged under the fence? Yes, the edge is reduced to a very thin material vs. .75",etc..

Chris,

If you have a right tilt and cutting your 45 degree bevel with the fence on the right, your bevel is under the blade so obviously when you ‘flip’ it over, the sharp edge <will> slid under the fence. What they’re saying above it to put the fence to the <left> of the blade, and run your piece through that way. The sharp edge from the bevel will then be on top of the blade, and the fence.

Am I missing something?

[Jim Becker]

Paul, the considerations about moving the fence for the bevel cut to the other side of the blade on a right-tilt saw are:

• The fence will need to be re-adjusted as it's likely set for a slight toe-out behind the blade under normal operating conditions
• The operator will be working from an unfamiliar position and with a need to exert pressure toward the fence in the opposite direction from normal
• There is limited capacity to the left of the blade on most saws, so beveling panels will not be accommodated over the capacity of a specific saw

These are not "problems" but they are important to consider if the type of work one does requires a substantial amount of bevel ripping/cutting.

[Paul Simmel]

Jim, I agree, and thanks for pointing this out.

What I think concerns me most, was missed from the OP, however. Chris is ripping bevels from the right and flipping them over to run the opposite end. The bevel will not only extend below the blade during the first rip, (potential danger in itself and an argument for a LT saw) after he flips it over to do the other side, the bevel will again be under the blade only this time the newly sharpened edge (now riding against the fence) will undoubtedly get caught under the fence (as he mentioned concern over) …. A worst case which makes me cringe just thinking about it.

[Jim Becker]

Excellent points, Paul. The "point" of the bevel cut that runs along the fence should never be at table height since all fences have some form of gap between them and the table...a real recipe for a nasty kick-back when the material binds part-way and twists. This is a real issue for running panels on a right-tilt saw. One can equip the fence with a special support that rides under the material if what you're cutting is very thin and flexible, but for general sheet stock that doesn't bend back flat, it would throw off the angle. I was always very comfortable cutting beveled panels with the LT cabinet saw I had before I bought my slider...the width was always there and the good side of the panel was always "up".

[Eddie Darby]

I cut my miters this way:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3178

No tilt required.

[Jim Becker]

I cut my miters this way:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3178

No tilt required.

Most of the concern is with beveled edges on panels and long rips. The sled doesn't help with that situation, but I do agree, it's the best way to do precision miter cuts!

[Don Bullock]

There is an article on left tilt vs. right tilt in the latest Fine Woodworking magazine (May/June 2007, page 30). It may have some useful information for you.

[thomas prevost]

Having both right and left tilt saws, I believe all right handers should have right tilt saws with the fence rails extending on the left and ALL cutting done from the left side of the blade. As most use their right hand to feed stock whether rip or cross cut. One would stand to the left of the blade rather than directly in front of it, Thus any flybacks from cutoffs will be on the opposite side of the blade going by the user vs a 'direct hit'. It allows for the less dextress left hand to assist with it being on the out side. It prevents reaching accross the blade with the left hand, Often done when not thinking. It puts the stock for a bevel rip on the proper side.

Just the opposite for left handers.

Changing to this mode is initially uncomforatable as we have been trained via convention and have used the right side for years.

Comments???

[Tim Martin]

The "point" of the bevel cut that runs along the fence should never be at table height since all fences have some form of gap between them and the table...a real recipe for a nasty kick-back when the material binds part-way and twists. This is a real issue for running panels on a right-tilt saw. One can equip the fence with a special support that rides under the material if what you're cutting is very thin and flexible, but for general sheet stock that doesn't bend back flat, it would throw off the angle. I was always very comfortable cutting beveled panels with the LT cabinet saw I had before I bought my slider...the width was always there and the good side of the panel was always "up".

If you just slip a piece of MDF ply onto the table first so it brings the table surface up to a flat section of the fence, then there is no gap left for the point of the mitre to slip under and it will ride it just like the left tilt would.

All you do is set your fence, push the sheet into the cut and stop when the ply covers the ripping surface of the table. Switch the saw off and tape the ply to the table. Obviously you can adjust the fence away from the blade, but if you need to move the fence in you will have to remove the ply and repeat the cut.

[Dave MacArthur]

I concur with Thomas up above A right-tilt blade set up with extension rails on the left side of the saw (instead of the usual right side), and fence set on the left side, is the exact same functionally as a "normal set up left-tilt saw". However... there is an enormous paradigm that drives most saw equipment to be built with the assumption the extension table will be on the right side, starting with measuring tapes counting from 0 and up to the right, and rails having the same measuring applied... if you hook them up reversed, the dang numbers are upside down.

I recently saw a tablesaw with a 30" extension or so with a router-table built in, attached to the left side of the saw, and I thought, "That's brilliant! Why didn't I ever think of that?" Just not "normal think" I guess.

[David DeCristoforo]

Well there's a lot of good points here but for me, the "issue" is not so much which way the blade tilts but which way it tilts in relation to the fence. As a "general rule", (whichever way the blade is tilted) it's safer to have the blade tilted away from the fence so as not to "trap" either piece between the blade and the fence. In situations where a piece is "trapped" between the tilted blade and the fence, a dangerous kickback potential is created. Beyond that, it would seem to be more a matter of personal preference.

[Jim Becker]

David, I agree with you with the caveat that situations where the fence is moved to the opposite side of normal to avoid pinching issues presents the operator with a degree of unfamiliarity...one must take care in that case. This is more often an aspect of the right-tilt saw rather than the left-tilt machine. (It also requires that the fence be aligned dead-on to the blade...and many folks do toe it out slightly in the "normal" cutting position) In other words, the human aspects of this setup need to be carefully considered.

Honestly, with a "standard" saw, more and more folks are going to be better served by a left-tilt machine if they process panels. For a slider...it's just the opposite. These setups provide the least instances where the blade will be tilting to the "uncomfortable" side.

[Chris Barton]

I have a right tilt (Robland x31) and a left tilt (old Craftsman). If I am remembering correctly, euro machines like the Robland have to be right tilt by law (to tilt away from the operator position in sliding table saws)... I made a push "thingy" (I know, technical terms) that works like the commercial "Gripper" and it keeps my finger far away from the blade so, the right tilt factor really doesn't come into play. For big panels I just use my Festool At55e...

[Greg Funk]

I have a right-tilt saw and have never had to cut a panel larger than my fence could handle on the left side of the blade.

A bigger concern for me with a left-tilt saw would be the inability to use the scale on the fence with dado blades. The thickness of blade would also affect the accuracy of the scale when using regular blades.

Personally, I cut a lot more dados than 45 degree angles so I prefer a right tilt saw. YMMV.

Greg

[Al Killian]

Wouldnt only one side of the tape be off by changing blades? This would be true for right tilt ones as well, correct?