TS router table... left or right side

[Jamie Hargrave]

I'm planning on building a router table wing for my table saw. I have noticed that people use both left and right side wings for their router tables. What is the advantage to either of these? I should say that my table saw is up against the wall on its right hand side, so that eliminates standing at the right side of the saw. Thanks.

[Paul Greathouse]

In your situation, I would use the left side mount. In many routing applications you will be using a fence. I prefer to stand facing the router bit and fence when routing as you would at a stand alone router table. The way your saw is positioned as opposed the the wall, the left mount would probably be your best option.

[scott spencer]

It boils down to the situation at hand, and yours is fairly straightforward. In my case there's more room to the right.

[Paul Joynes]

You really only have a choice if you have a contractor saw. If you have a cabinet saw, the router table cannot go over the side that has the saw motor enclosure on it.

Paul Joynes

[Chris Parks]

The other choice, given the room, is build it as an outfeed table for the saw. I am half way through building a cabinet to go into the saw extension space and was going to put the router into that. I also need an outfeed table and saw one (here?) with the router built in. I like that better as it is moveable and independant from the saw.

[Jamie Hargrave]

Thanks for all of your responses, it's a contractor saw, I could move the saw to get access to the right hand side. If there was any advantage to having a table on that side. I've just seen alot of people's saws with the router table on the right hand side and was wondering if there was any advantage to it.

[Bart Leetch]

The one thing I will never do is put the router where I have to stand in the same position as a person does to run the table saw. It is in my opinion much safer with better control to stand along side as you would running a shaper or jointer.

[glenn bradley]

I mounted to the left even when I had the choice. This allowed me to stand facing the fence and kept my feed direction for saw and router the same allowing double duty on the outfeed table.

Some folks have it on the right and put the fence to the right of the bit thereby operating the RT from the same basic position as the TS. I don't care for that position but some prefer it. My current saw has the motor housing sticking out the right side so I'm still on the left which is preferred by me.

Mine is still attached to the TS as a wing but is enclosed and supported by a cabinet.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=54205&d=1167872143

[Jerry Booher]

I have an Incra fence on my SawStop table saw and an Incra Wonder Fence for the router that bolts to the table saw fence. Therefore, my router table must be on the left side. Also, the table saw motor access is on the right, so for two reasons, router goes on left.

[Bob Feeser]

Left side, right side, middle side, I couldn't make up my mind. So...

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/3896/2457906590100733997S600x600Q85.jpg