Right / Left tilt TS? Does fence index off of arbor?

[Alex Shanku]

Hello all,

I am a fairly new poster on the creek and really enjoy my time here.

I am looking at purchasing a table saw, and I am curious as to what the rip fence on a saw indexes off of. More specifically, is it the motor's arbor?

The reason I ask this is because when one is choosing a saw blade, wouldn't the size of the blades kerf affect the distance from the blade to the fence, thus creating an error when reading the measurement at the fence?

Perhaps I am way off base. I appreciate your comments and look forward to learning more as I read all of your posts.

Thanks,

Al

[Chris Dodge]

The rip fence is generally set to the right of the blade and the blade is inserted onto the arbor from the left. So the right side of the blade is always the same distance from the fence no matter how thick your blade is.

Also, when you set up your tablesaw for the first time you will determine where the fence rails go and will probably even apply the measuring tape to the fence rails. Make sure they are accurate if you plan on using the measuring tape. Some people always just use a ruler and measure from the fence to the blade every time. I have my fence set up very accurately so that I can use the tape measure that is installed on the fence rails.

I use a thin kerf Woodworker II on a Delta Unisaw. I recommend that combination.

[Doug Shepard]

It may be off the arbor or possibly off the arbor with allowance for a standard kerf blade. Either way the cursor is usually on a pc of plexiglass (or similar) that has provisions for adjusting it to correctly compensate for the blade thickness you're using. FWIW, just changing blades from a standard to thin-kerf blade also throws it off. That's what the adjustment is there for.

[Jim Becker]

The rip fence is generally set to the right of the blade and the blade is inserted onto the arbor from the left. So the right side of the blade is always the same distance from the fence no matter how thick your blade is.

True for a right-tilt saw; not true for a left tilt saw, both for the direction the blade inserts on the arbor as well as the effect of a change in the thickness of the blade kerf. A right-tilt saw's rip fence scale will always index off the exact same point relative to the right edge of the blade kerf, regardless of the width of that kerf. Changing blade kerf width on a left-tilt saw requires you to readjust the rip fence indexing to "zero" it back in. That sounds like a pain, but in reality, it's not an issue for most folks...I own and love a left-tilt saw. All of my blades, outside of my dado set, have the exact same kerf width. When I use the dado...I measure it manually anyway and would still do so with a right-tilt saw since I want to be sure where both sides of the cut will be in that case.

I frankly see no reason to purposefully buy blades with different kerf widths...most saws will perform just peachy with a "standard" nominal 1/8" kerf blade. (Please note that there ARE variations between some brands and models of blades...don't assume they are 1/8" kerf if you are mixing brands)

[Mark Pruitt]

Alex,
The other guys pretty well answered your questions; I'll just add that in your quest for information be sure to use the search option near the top of the screen, and type things like left tilt, right tilt, etc. There have been several discussions in past months. I found the information helpful prior to purchasing my Unisaw earlier this year.

[scott spencer]

Hi Al - As mentioned, the kerf affects the distance from the blade to the fence on a left tilt saw but not a right tilt to any significant degree. Many users of left tilt saws choose the same kerf for all their blades, or use some other method like a dado shim to compensate.

I've owned both left tilt and right tilt, and prefer left tilt, but I really think it boils down to a preference...there are pros and cons to each design, and I don't think it's a big enough deal to spoil an opportunity to buy a super deal on a great saw.

[Norman Hitt]

Alex, I've used both many times, but I readily admit to being a DEVOUT member of the "Left Tilt" Clan, and with my Biese Fence, I can Check and calibrate my fence to the blade in less than 30 seconds, so that is not a problem. I even have a shortcut method to use when using a dado that eliminates having to calibrate the indicator and then resetting it if I'm going to put the original blade back on after finishing with the dado, (this is also Simple AND Accurate).

Buy whichever one you want, and if you should get a left tilt, just sing out, and I'll be happy to take you step by step through the calibration process. It's gotta be simple, 'cause even "I" can do it.:D