# Miter Gage on the left side or the right side of blade?



## Blackie_

I've not really used a miter gauge that much and when I have it's always been on the left side of the blade much less the new INCRA 1000se Miter gauge I just bought, I have a question for the more experienced tablesaw users, is there any difference or advantages, disadvantages to using the miter gauge any miter gauge for that matter on the right side of the blade rather then the left side?

Reason I ask, I will mostly be using it for 45 degree miters for box making thus it makes since to using it on the right side of the blade being the blade is angled to a 45.

Thanks


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## CharlieM1958

I rarely use my saw with the blade tilted because I use my miter saw for 45's, but I can see your point about using the gauge on the right if you have a left-tilt saw. I'll be watching the responses.


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## HorizontalMike

It would depend on the length of the piece being crosscut. I have limited shop space left of my TS, and I have an extended cast iron wing on the right side. Using the miter on the right makes sense under these circumstances.

Truth be told, I have hung up my Incra 1000HD on the wall and use my TS SuperSled for all but plywood sheeting.


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## TheDane

With the blade tilted (I have a left-tilt saw), I move my Incra miter gauge to the right side, and attach a sacrificial fence that extends to the left through the cut. That supports the workpiece and reduces tear-out.

I make sacrificial fences out of MDF … 24" wide and 3" to 4" high. I route a 1/4" groove in the MDF, then run a T-slot cutter through it. That way, I can attach the fence to the miter gauge with T-bolts and plastic knobs.


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## Blackie_

Charlie I too have a very nice miter saw, Dewalt 717, but I just feel as though I can get more accurate with the table saw.


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## Blackie_

Mike I agree, though I would like to have a sled, not sure it can be used for 45s, how is your super sled different then the Incra Express? As I've considered that as well.

Thanks Gerry, yea that is what I was thinking about doing as well, I too have only a left tilt and would rather not be cutting with blade angled to many things to worry about.


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## longgone

Randy…I have an Incra HD1000 and I *always* use it on the right side of the blade when I cut miters for my boxes. With the built in stop it is extremely accurate and repeatable. The HD1000 gets used exclusively for miters on the right side of the blade and never gets used on the left side. I check it weekly to make sure it hass not gone out of adjustment…and it always seems to stay dead on accurate. It is also important to make sure your stock is perfectly square before cutting the miters…
I demand tight fits for my miters and this setup has easily and consistently produced the results I want. When I combine the setup with using the Wixey angle gague for the blade it becomes easy to setup quickly, easily and most important accurately.

I also take my blade off the saw frequently and clean off any resin that has accumulated. Every small step makes a difference and i always go the extra effort to do it right.


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## HorizontalMike

Backie, I found the Incra miter to flex on longer and thicker 8/4 pieces being crosscut (>2ft or so). It was only about 1 degree or so, but that put the accuracy back to where my 12in mitersaw is.

As far as the sled, it might be best to build a special purpose sled for 45-degree work. On the other hand, what about building a sled for 90-degrees and then use a jig/wedge to hold the piece at 45-degree compound angles?

Check this thread out on another site for ideas:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f5/45-degree-miter-joints-table-saw-sled-struggling-28594/

Notice the miter slot that keeps this square.


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## CharlieM1958

I like that jig, Mike. I'm going to have to copy that one.


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## needshave

I rarely use the miter gauge. The saw is left tilt but I rarely tilt the blade. For 45 degree cuts I either use my miter saw (which is very accurate) or the sled. I have made several sleds and I tend to make and keep them for special applications and remakes. Once set up and built, it's set up for the next time I need it.


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## Manitario

I use my Incra mitre gauge on the right side of the TS; I used to use it on the left but it just didn't feel right. As well, using it on the right gives me the advantage of using the long TS wing on the right for support.


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## Grandpa

I was taught to always use the miter gauge on the left side of the blade. This does two things. First, most people are right handed. You push the gauge with the right hand and hold the stock snuggly in it with the left hand. If you move the gauge to the right side of the table your left elbow would be over the blade. Secondly we were always told that a table saw can and will throw things at a high rate of speed toward the rear of the blade. This moves your heart out of the path of the projectile. Don't want any giant splinters in your heart. If you are not afraid of that then you probably should throw your safety tools away becauser you are not afraid of anything. protect your heart.


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## JesseTutt

I have a sacrificial fence on my miter gauge. If I put it in the left slot I already have a cut for the blade 90 degrees. If I put it in the right slot I already have a cut for the blade at 45 degrees. This way I can cut the two most common angles without having to change the fence. Additionally, the existing cut allows me to line up the mark with the edge of where the blade will cut.


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## Blackie_

Jesse, I like your way of doing it.


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## gfadvm

Randy, When doing miter cuts for box sides, I always put my gauge on the right side of my left tilt saw primarily for safety. The small offcut should fall below the blade where there is less chance of it getting flung back at your face. "Let's be careful out there"


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## Cosmicsniper

Always on the left side, regardless of the tilt, for exactly the reason Grandpa described so well. I am right handed.


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## RogerInColorado

I've done it on both sides of the blade at different times. Determining questions are: What is safer? What is the most secure for getting the best and most accurate cut? What is the most comfortable at the moment?


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## mcase

I employ the Incra on a table saw with a 53" fence and right side extension table. I set my Incra up for right side cuts. I did this for several reasons. The first reason has to do with one of the Incra's limitations. The telescoping fence has a tendency to drop down when its on the further end of its extension. This is not an issue when cutting on the right and its supported by an extension table. If you are going to cut on the left as most people do it count on having to leave at least two and possible three inches unextended. This puts a real limit on its usefulness. Secondly, by cutting on the right I can use my table saw fence and its fixed measurement with stop block for repeat cuts all the way out to 53". If you make your block exactly 1" then all you need do is add an 1" when setting the fence. Thirdly, as others have mentioned, if you have a left tilt blade you certainly will be more comfortable and safer with that blade tilting away from your hand.


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## gfadvm

Randy, I should have added that my miter gauge is on the left side for straight cuts and the right side for 45 degree cuts (like Jesse said and for the same reasons)


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## Grandpa

We also need to remember there are exceptions in most cases…...


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## jayseedub

I've always used my miter gauge on the right side of the blade-but when I train my son in table saw usage, I think I'm going to train him to use it on the left side (except for the rare-ish 45 degree cuts, of course).

Why?

Because the constant face of the arbor flange is on the LEFT side of the blade. The amount of variability of measurement between sawblades (thin-kerf, full-kerf, dado) will be more constant on the left side of the blade since the face of the blade will always be registering on the face of that arbor flange. The variable thickness of the different blades requires small re-adjustments to any pre-set measurements on a right-sided miter gauge.

The wonderful critics here will probably note that it's really quite rare that we actually use the miter gauge fence's measurement function. Like you, I have a sacrificial fence that I use with my miter gauge, and I just move my piece's cut-mark to the sacrificial fence's kerf, and cut.

But I don't have a sacrificial fence for each blade that I use-and when I change blades, the left side of the kerf is essentially (almost) exactly where it always is, no matter which blade I use, while the right side of the kerf gets bigger and bigger with each successive thicker blade.

If I used my miter gauge on the left side of my blade, I wouldn't really have to worry about that ever-widening kerf, since it's just the left side of the kerf that I care about.

Since the left side of the kerf is constant, I should be able to set up the measuring function of my Incra 1000 HD to be accurate, and can use that more reliably than on the right side, where the cutting edge of the blade changes, from blade-to-blade.

(Of course, whenever I do a 45-degree cut my left tilting blade will require that I move my gauge to the right-but that's rarer than the frequency with which I change blades.)

My two cents….


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## Bearcontrare

As one of those who came up with "old school" techniques, my miter gauge has a 1 X 4 auxilary fence attachment.
For 90 degree cuts, the miter is placed in the left hand ts slot. The fence has a kerf in it to align the cut with the blade. A stop block can be clamped to the fence if desired for repeated cuts
For 45 or 22 1/2 degree cuts, the miter is placed in the right hand ts slot, with corresponding kerfs in the fence for each respective angle.


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