Right tilt Vs. Left Tilt

[gard4559]

Hello All, I'm a hobbist woodworker that likes to bulid furniture and cabinetry. My skills have been learned from reading a few books, many woodworking magazines and lots of trial an error. I somehow end up making more sawdust than anything else. Enough about me. My question concerns tablesaws and whether or not right tilt saws have an advantage over left tilt saws. I'm planning on upgrading to a cabinet saw and before I buy I would like to have the groups opinions on this. Currently and for the last 10 years I have been using a left tilt Craftsman contractor style table saw.

Thanks for your help. DG

[Doug Miller]

Then do a Google Groups search -- we *just* talked about this here at great length, just a week or so ago.

Then stick with the left tilt.

[Leon]

;~) The single most asked question in this group that I paste this rubber stamp answer to. 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. Commonly the 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 commonly 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.

[RonB]

This one comes up often here. I agonized (well, thought) about this at length before trading my old left-tilter for a right-tilt cabinet saw. There are lots of reasons to have either.

I can honestly say that after two or three days with the right-tilt machine I forgot about it.

RonB

[B A R R Y]

I've owned both, and have days when I want the one I don't have.

If I had the space, I'd have both. Otherwise, read Leon's post.

[lwasserm]

I suppose one of these days a manufacturer will marked a tablesaw that tilts in both directions. Maybe this would be a good feature for the ssaw stop people to add.

[B A R R Y]

I would choose a dependable 90 degree stop over "ambi-tilt", but if I could have it all...

[Ron S]

I just bought a left tilt Jet cabinet saw. I prefer the left tilt, but it does have some draw backs, mainly with the miter gage. I use the left hand miter slot so when I bevel a piece of wood I need to move the miter fence away from the blade. Not a big deal but it'd be better if I could set the tape measure and not have to reset it after a bevel cut. The other thing I don't like about left tilt is if I make a bevel cut using the miter gage (again in the left slot) the cut off sits on top of the spinning blade. OK, maybe I should be using the right slot(?) but my miter is set up for the left slot and that is where it is most comfortable. Maybe I'll make an auxilery fence and keep the aluminum one further away for all cuts.

Anyone have a suggestion for having the cutoff sitting on top of the spinning blade (by the way, it doesn't stay there long)