tablesaws

[Scott Brownell]

Just wondering, what are you using now and why do you feel a need for a change?

BTW, finished fireplace unit looked nice, concept drawings were kinda the other way.

Scott

[dan]

LOL. I really didn't try to start an argument. I just stopped by to ask a ?. I've used both right and left tilt saws, unisaw and powermatic and liked them both. I bought a delta contractors saw and it works great, a little low on hp but other than that it's been a great saw (right tilt). Money was the deciding factor. I was just offering up some personal insite. It sounds like this subject has probably been hammered to death a few times in this group before. Sorry to start it up again. ;-)

Dan

[Mike in Mystic]

That's it exactly, Leon.

To me there are only two factors: 1) are you going to do a lot of beveling relative to dadoing = get a left-tilt; 2) are you going to do a lot of dadoing relative to beveling = get a right-tilt.

Either situation, IMO, isn't really difficult to work around. The whole idea of choosing something so the tilt wheel is on the side of your dominant hand is silly. Can you really tell me that you aren't coordinated enough to use the other hand if you need to? I'm right-handed, but believe it or not, I actually can successfully use the tilt wheel on my right-tilt with my left hand. Shocking.

And, Leon, I've seen these lists comparing right vs. left tilts and most of the "benefits" to left vs. right are not substantive at all. If I need to do a bevel more than ~16 inches from the fence, then it becomes an issue. But, which way you have to tighten the arbor nut, which side the tilt wheel is on, etc. really are so insignificant as to be not worth mentioning. The loss of shelf space is another real issue, but it isn't going to make or break the deal.

So, I have a question. Do you honestly do more beveling than dadoing? And, what's the use of having a nice accurate fence with a good distance indicator if you need to use a tape measure to set the fence? More importantly, I've used left-tilts to do dadoing and more than once I forgot and used the tape and screwed up some panels. Wasting wood is too expensive, so that's what made my decision.

I guess I've said my piece more than I should have. I just get sick of people saying how SAFE the left-tilt is relative to the right. A load of hogwash.

Mike

[Leon]

Well I have a hard time chewing bubble gum and walking....sometimes... LOL I know that cranking both at once would end up with me cranking one in the wrong dirrection.

Well, I have a left tilt, and a mobile base and storage under the right extension table. You may still be able to utilize some of that space too IF you are interested. I have a pic if you would be interested seeing my under table storage solution. I have a 6 drawer unit, for small items, a seperate shelf for both my left and right Dubby sleds, rip fence, and 2 bevel gauges. These all ride around comfortably on top of the mobile base.

Always a valid reason.

Correct in most cases... IIRC JET offers a sliding table with left tilt but that would pretty much limit your choice to Jet.

So there you go, personal preference... For some reason I was under the impression that this was your first. Old habits are hard to break.

Thank you. Leon

[Leon]

But considering a wash, your points were all clearly valid even if the wife only gets fine furniture vs. roses and dinner. ;~)

[Leon]

:~) Considering that I could use my right hand to tilt the blade and my left hand to raise the blade, I always use my right hand to do both. I did however try to raise the blade with my left hand one time and it indeed felt aquard. I am sure it is sometheing I could have gotten used to if I had chosen a right tilt for the first buy 20 years ago.

You have probably seen my list. It is the one that points out those small differences. My list is for those that have considered all the pro's and con's of both versions and still need the push to go either way.

Absolutely. I do this for a supplimental income and build a lot of cabinets with cabinet quality plywood. I 45 a lot of corners. Oddly in my 25 years of serious woodworking I have never used a stacked dado set for dadoing with the exception of cutting centered grooves on rails and styles for floating paneled cabinet doors when I use stubb tennons joints. When I do need dado's I use either my dado jig that I designed for my hand held router or I use my router table.

[Igor]

[snip]

[snip]

Are you saying that cutting from the right of the blade w/ a right-tilt TS is a manageable safety situation -- i.e., it can be done w/ relative safety?

[Jeff Gorman]

"russ" wrote

: hey everybody i am going to be in the market for a new tablesaw in a : couple of months. it is either going to be a delta unisaw or woodtek. : i have heard plenty of things about delta but nothing of : woodtek.anybody out there with a woodtek.

On my web site - 'Circular Sawbench Safety' is a list of criteria that might be useful when purchasing a circular sawbench.

Jeff G

-- Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK Email address is username@ISP username is amgron ISP is clara.co.uk Website

[Upscale]

And how exactly does one know that considering they don't have enough working experience working with either type to make a decision? If someone doesn't have the experience, then it's highly unlikely they know what type of cut they're going to be making under most circumstances. It's more likely this person is a new woodworker when it comes to a tablesaw. Do you actually think they know what they're going to be building for the next twenty years? Don't be ridiculous. Only one factor is left to work with and that's left or right handedness.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

No, the Unisaw tilts to EITHER side, depending on the model purchased.

Barry

[Upscale]

So you rip a board and tilt or adjust the saw blade height at the same time? I know that's not what you meant, but it's what you're saying. Sure left or right handed people can be trained to do any action, but without additional information, it makes sense for someone to go the route that is most comfortable to start with. Maybe you don't agree, but I suspect you can't give much of an argument to the contrary. As far as bevel cutting or groove cutting goes, I also suspect the most important thing on the mind of someone new to a tablesaw is the cutting of straight square boards. Bevel cuts or dados come later with practical experience, at least to my mind anyway.

[Silvan]

Ain't you ever used an Etch-a-Sketch boy? :)

[Leon]

Yeah... I was reeeeal good at straight horizontal and vertical lines...period.