I don’t have the room for it, but there is a 10″ Delta unisaw on our Craigslist. It has a right tilt blade.
Under what circumstances would that be an advantage?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Listeners weigh in on Brian’s haunted showerhead and ask questions about covering overhangs with trim coil, sealing air leaks, and how to partially finish a basement.
Featured Video
Related Stories
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I have an old Rockwell 9" Contractor's Saw, right tilt.
The first thing I did when I bought, it back in the 70s, was to switch the fence to the left side of the blade.
It was still a right tilt saw, but at least I could do mitered rips face up. That was the important thing for me.
I have used many right tilt saws, but never liked them as much. They were OK, though.
My current Unisaw is a left tilt saw, and I like it a lot.
AitchKay
A saw that saw as well. Didn't realize it was right tilt. Maybe it would be an advantage if you had large material on the right of the blade and you wanted the blade to tilt into the work. Just put the fence on the left of the blade. Sheet goods?
Putting bevels on sheet goods? No idea really.
The only difference I see is that you can have the fence long on the right and have a long table to the right to support material.
The best guys to ask aren't here. Go to the Knots forum (link at upper part of page) and search for "right tilt saw."
Ask the Q over on the Woodweb cabinetmaking forum.
The great majority of folks here use some kind of a contractor or portable saw, and they all tilt left.
View Image
"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
"...and they all tilt left."Except for those of us with the old, right-tilt, cast-iron Rockwells.I'll bet there's more than a few of those saws out there still.Too bad they don't tilt left, though.AitchKay
Ya, I've got a big ol' right tilt Unisaw. I don't rip many bevels, and I've got a left-tilt portable, so I don't think about it much.Anyone know why they made it that way? I've always wondered.....Scott.
I've got a right tilt Unisaw, too... it excels at shooting narrow rips backwards...never leave the shop door open and park in front of it...http://www.tvwsolar.com
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
LOL. So why the heck did they do it that way? Seems like with all the thought that went into the machine that they'd get that part right.....Scott.
Republicans.http://www.tvwsolar.com
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
...they're always right ! <G>
(don't believe 'em?....just ask 'em)...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
I did the same thing. Put a nice dent in my truck.
With right-tilt saws, the arbor is on the right-hand side (i.e., towards the fence). This means that no matter what the width of your blade (the kerf), a permanently attached measure tape/strip should always be accurate.
Then you can just use the indicator on the fence, which is very good for production situations.
I hope that's clear. . . 'Cause if the motor were on the left, a thicker blade would cut closer to the fence than a thinner one.
Ripping with the blade tilted towards the fence is not an operation that I like at all. If you have a Biesemeyer fence, I'd recommend using the right-hand side of the fence, with the fence to the left of the blade. I have not found that operating a saw "left-handed" is any more difficult or scary than normal.
Your rip capacity would be limited, but honestly, if you need to rip wide beveled pieces: use a track-saw or get a left-tilt TS.
Edited 1/12/2009 6:47 pm ET by Biff_Loman
If the price is right, buy it.http://www.tvwsolar.com
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
On my left tilt saw the arbor is on the left side.The indicator on the fence through which the measurement on the tape is read is adjustable to compensate for blade thickness variation. Adjustment is only neccessary if you alternate between the standard .125" and thin kerf blades.
True what you said. However, the fence measurement on a right tilting saw is also good for the dado set, at any width of cut you select. When I sold my right-tilt Unisaw to be replaced with a left-tilt SawStop, these differences did not bother me at all.Just the other day I had to rip a beveled rabbet (two sawcuts) and old habit took over. When I saw the blade tilted left I just said, "Duh!" and shifted the fence to the left of the blade.Bill
If blade thickness were an issue, all one needs to do is push the fence up against the blade and check the gap reading. If it's zero, you're good to go until the next blade change.
My first Unisaw was a right tilt and my second a left tilt. While I like the left tilt better, I'd still take a right tilt over a cheaper saw. I went from antique with a tilting table to a Delta Contractor's saw, then to my first Unisaw, which opened doors I only imagined. Of course, the power and solid feel of a cabinet shop spoils you, but without a good fence, it would be little better than a cheaper unit. Both mine run the Unifence (it's a Ford vs Chevy thing and dependent on what you got used to, that's going to be your preference - I like my Unifence for its versatility and no one with a competitor's can show me anymore accurate cuts than are had on my saw).
The left tilt seems far less prone to creating projectiles, but I still manage to do so on a regular basis. I would recommend a Merlin Splitter, or the equivalent, until you can buy a toy with a built in riving knife.
Though I've been running them for over thirty years, saws scare the hell out of me. My stance on the matter is, "to hell with respect, I prefer fear, it keeps my body parts intact."
Where there is no solution there can be no problem.
Edited 1/13/2009 12:52 am ET by dejure
Edited 3/3/2009 9:01 pm ET by dejure
a right tilt is never an advantage. its a regret!
it all depends what you want to do with it. I have been building cabinets for many years on my right tilt unisaw.
I will however, be replacing it very shortly