I have a left-tilt TS and I need to cut a 45 degree miter in the end of 3/8th thick mahogany. Is it best to use the left slot and let the cut-off ride on the right side of the blade or use the right slot and have the cut-off be under the blade? Or, does it make any difference which one is used?
Sometime I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits
Replies
You want the offcut to be under the tilted blade, your hands and miter gauge to be on the side away from the tilted teeth.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Guy,Assuming you're using your miter gage, and NOT riding along the rip fence,and leaving extra room for the cut off, it's six of one and a half dozen of the other. Steinmetz.
For a bevelled cut, blade tilted, I cannot imagine riding the miter gauge on the tilted side! Sorry, maybe it's my inexperience, but it seems to me pushing the main part of the stock should be done on the "uphill" side of the blade, away from the teeth, and let the offcut be left behind on the downhill, toothed side of the blade. That way, the offcut is laying there in the "pinch" area, and the main stock, my hand, and my miter gauge are happily traveling past the blade in considerably less danger than otherwise.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
<<Is it best to use the left slot and let the cut-off ride on the right side of the blade or use the right slot and have the cut-off be under the blade?>>
As far as the cut itself is concerned, I agree with Steinmetz, it really doesn't matter, as long as your saw is properly adjusted. I think it's more an issue of where you're most comfortable working with you saw. I'm right handed, and my my miter gauge stays in the left miter slot all the time. When cross cutting with it, my hand and the rest of me is well to the left of the blade and out of harm's way. All they guys I know operate in this manner as well.
Mike and Steinmetz
With all due respect, Forestgirl wins the prize. Her method is the right one. How can I use the term "right"? Her technique takes into account safety, and even though any spinning blade is a potential hazard, no matter what side of the angled blade you are on, she described a technique that minimizes the hazard. JL
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding. Are you recommending that when I cut a bevel on a left tilt saw, I should move the miter gauge to the right hand miter slot so as to let the off cut be to the left of the blade?Mike
Mike,
The short answer is "yes".
This is what forestgirl said. "You want the offcut to be under the tilted blade, your hands and miter gauge to be on the side away from the tilted teeth".
If you need to change mitre slots to respect this then so be it. I guess that is one of the reasons for the 2nd slot. JL
Besides generally being away from the "toothed" side of the tilted blade, the other reason I would do it this way is to have the (usually smaller) offcut be the wood that's lying between the blade and the table. If something's going to kick back for some reason, I'd rather not have my hand on it. I stay clear of that offcut at all times, so that if it flies, it hits my jointer or the lumber rack, not me. ;-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
forestgirl
I am with you there. A table saw can send that cut off flying off with the force of a mini missle. "ouch!" JL
Guy,
Safety first, and then think about production methods...while you are sitting and thinking. It will insure that you will still have all your digits at the end of the day. See what Forestgirl has to say. :-) JL
Edited 2/1/2007 6:15 pm ET by jeanlou
Aside from the safety factor, I have an extension on my miter gauge that is is close to the blade. If the blade were to tilt toward the miter gauge, it would cut into that extension.
--Whit
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