Jessem Mast-R-Slide

[Paul Maxwell]

I am in the process of trying to decide on which table saw to keep. I have acquired both a right tilt and a left tilt cabinet saw and will only be keeping one. The Jessem Mast-R-Slide is available to me for a nice price, but I have little experience using a sliding table on a table saw. It would seem that the right tilt would hold the advantage when using the slider, while the left tilt has become the more popular choice when using the saw in conjuction with the fence. I am looking for some feedback.

[Frederick Rowe]

Paul- I have a Mast-R-Slide on a left tilt Unisaw. I bought both at the same time and could have picked a right tilt but didn't. I prefer the left tilt for most of the typical reasons (blade tilts away from my hand guiding wood along the fence, risk of wood getting pinched between blade and fence, and all my previous saws were left tilt).

I'm burying my point here, but, the Mast-R-Slide's fence can be slide away (toward the left as you are facing the saw) when you tilt the blade on a left tilt saw. So you can still use the sliding table. 99% of my TS cuts made with a tilted blade use the rip fence, few if any do I need to use the Mast-R-Slide fence.

Your decision of right tilt v. left tilt should be made on other preferences, but the Mast-R-Slide doesn't have to one of them. If you require a tilted cut using the slider, it's easier to use on a right tilt, but can work on a left tilt, just move the Mast-R-Slide to the left to clear a left tilted blade. But I suspect, that would rare in most shops.

The Mast-R-Fence is a great piece of gear. Beautifully engineered and manufactured. What a joy to be able to square up pieces up to 36" in depth.

[Gary Herrmann]

I've got mine on a left tilt. Again, personal preference.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I have a right tilt saw and have been wanting to attach a sliding table. However, in doing so, I would no longer be able to move my rip fence to the left side of the blade when I need to make narrow beveled rips without the cut being trapped. In the end, it's more important to me to be able to move my fence to the left side of the blade.

Many say it's preference. Even the New Yankee Workshop in Tablesaw 101 episode said it was a matter of preference but then made a strong case to have a left tilt saw over a right tilt.

To me, it's matter of safety margin. I wished my tablesaw tilted the left way as my original contractor's style saw did 20 years ago. If so, I would have a sliding table attached which I believe will further improve safety as well as accuracy.

-Jeff :)

[Paul Maxwell]

From what i have read the Jessem fence is relatively easy to remove and replace. If this is true, why could you not move the table saw fence left of the blade for those types of cuts? My reasoning for looking into the Jessem Mast-R-Slide is for a safer way to make repeatable and accurate crosscuts/mitercuts. Is this sound thinking? What is the main reason people purchase the higher end European style saws with this feature?

[John Gornall]

When I install the Jessem on my Unisaw I will remove the left table extension and replace it with the Jessem Mast-R-Slide table extension. Then I will move my Unifence rail to the LEFT and cut off about 24 inches of the Unifence rail so it doesn't extend to the left of the main table. Now the Jessem can slide back through the former rail position.

I will have lost the ability to move the fence to the left of the blade of my right tilt saw and I will have lost some fence capacity to the right.

However I will have the 24 inch section I cut off the rail modified so that I can add it on to either end of the remaining rail as needed.

If I need to have 48 inches of fence to the right I will add this section to the right and move the fence as needed.

If I want the fence to the left I will position the Jessem table extension and lock it so it won't move. Remove the Jessem fence. Then add the 24 inch section of rail to the left end of the rail and position the fence as needed.

I don't expect to need this section very often on either end.

I visited 2 shops where the Unifence rail had been shortened for space reasons and in both cases there was the ability to add the rail section back on as needed. One had the section hinged to the remaining rail - the other had made a wooden plug that fit into both rail sections. In both cases this worked well.

[Paul Maxwell]

John, that sounds like a very interesting setup indeed! How will this section be added on the left side? Will you have to remove the table of the slider? I guess that I am having a difficult time picturing how this can be done.

Speaking of pictures.;) Does anybody have any of there Mast-R-slide setups?

[John Gornall]

The Jessem slider table replaces your left table extension. It can slide or it can be locked in place so it acts just like your original table extension with its front edge aligned with the front edge of the table. Your fence rails, if they were designed to could then slide to the left across the slider. The Unifence rail doesn't slide and gets cut off - but when you are not using the slider the cut off section can be put back.

Go down this page

http://www.woodcentral.com/articles/reviews/articles_730.shtml

to see a Unifence rail "joint"

Hmmm - I wonder if I could set up the rail of my Unifence to slide or maybe be easily moved to different positions.