Fence Mounting Conundrum

[Tony West]

I have an old Craftsman contractor tablesaw and recently bought a Delta T2 fence system for it. Because I will have to drill holes in the fence rails anyway (funny thing, delta and craftsman don't line up :)), I was thinking about installing it to run the full fence length to the right of the blade. In essence, I will get about a 45" rip capacity instead of a 30". In all the years of using a tablesaw, I have yet to find a need to have the fence to the left of the blade. I do not have to worry about supporting my extension wings, as they are part of a custom built 4'x6' top, which is tied very securely into the table saw. Is there any other reason anyone can come up with, not to increase my rip capacity?

[Jim Heffner]

Well, I don't know how large your shop is....but a saw top that large will take up a lot of floor space. You will need to build a support system to hold that top level with the saw and prevent flexing. It will most likely need some casters not only under the saw but under the extension in case you would need to move it around at some future time as well.

These are some things to think about while deciding where the fence and rails are to be installed. Having a large rip capacity on any saw sounds good when talking about your saw, but in reality it can be a real pain to
have to deal with if it is only used on an occassional basis instead of everyday use! How often do you really need to rip a large piece of plywood, mdf, particle board, or any other sheet goods down to a more workable size? Something to consider here...Jim Heffner

[Cary Falk]

I don't see an issue. When I used to have a delta T2 on my Delta contractor saw I often wanted more rip capacity. I put a 50" fence on my unisaw and shifted it left so I have 42" on the right and 24" on the left just in case I need to rip an angle. To me <30" is too small and 50" is to large. I think 42" is a great size. The extra table space makes a great staging area/ workbench.

[Travis Gauger]

So I think that there would be no reason to not mount your fence with full rip capability to the right of the fence. I can say that I have never used my fence to the left of the blade. I have a left tilt saw. That may make a difference though, left or right tilt blade. MY $.02