# Right tilt table saw



## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

The very first big boy tool I bought when I was a young 'un was a Delta 10" contractor saw. I was too green to realize it was a right tilt saw and I barely use the thing except for straight rips. Angles I don't even bother since it angles into the fence.

WTF do I do with this thing? There isn't some bizarre chance that there's a kit to change this to left tilt is there? I figure I am stuck trying to get rid of it. Maybe I just don't see how I could possibly use this table saw to my advantage. Any suggestions? Or takers?


----------



## S Winklepleck (Jul 31, 2009)

put the fence on the other side of the blade?


----------



## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Like winkle said, put the fence on the other side. You can always get an extension on the fence rails and move it over so you can take full advantage of the full left wing. The advantage of the right tile is that the scale reads true when you are doing the angles. If you set the saw to 12" the board will be 12" from the fence referenced side to the point. With a left tilt say you actually have to take the measurement, and board thickness comes into play.

There is no conversion kit. I have both, I have a right tilt Jet and a left tilt Delta. Both have there uses.


----------



## lavrans (Jul 6, 2008)

A good thing to do with Right Tilts is to either cut the angle, then cut to width or cut to width and then cut the angle. If the miter needs to be accurate it's a bit easier to get a good cut this way. You don't have problems with the extra wood cupping or warping into the fence & forcing the wood away, etc. The one thing you need to do is have a sacrificial fence set up so you can bury the blade into it so the blade is just at or below the top of the board so you're creating a good knife edge, but not cutting away the horizontal face of the board. Also, the fence needs to be lifted off the table high enough that the off-cut won't be captured and turned into a little missile.

Once you get the technique it really works nicely. You can also set up a featherboard to help hold the piece to the table right at the cut area, something you can't do otherwise.


----------



## Gus Dering (Oct 14, 2008)

There is always this trick.

http://www.contractortalk.com/f13/beveled-edge-tutorial-56493/


----------



## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

I like that Gus, thanks for that. I haven't seemed to get the hang of the blade tilting right. It seems odd to me. Maybe I just need to go use it some more and give it a chance. I've barely used it in 20+ years, it's almost in new condition.


----------



## lavrans (Jul 6, 2008)

Gus Dering said:


> There is always this trick.


Nice photo essay! That's exactly what I was talking about. Guy who taught that to me learned it from some cabinetmakers who specialized in veneer work who needed very precise joinery.


----------

