Height of workbench for Mitre Saw

[TheUnicorn]

OK - I write left handed, Play golf right handed, snooker left handed and years ago tennis right handed, table tennis left handed. I would choose to operate a hand drill right handed but OK LH.
Mitre saw - preferably stop to the right, hold keeper with LH and operate with RH.
Embarrassing moment 2 days ago. Went to cut my first ever 45 using bevel on mitre..... didn't remove left hand fence. ouch!

I'm very similar, write left handed, sports and tools right handed, paint a picture with my left hand, paint a wall with mostly the right, but will switch as needed, and probably cut in details with my left

 

[Robbo60]

I decided power with right but detail with left. Haven't had a fight for about 35 years but definitely would go for the big right! - or possibly just bulls*** my out of it

 

[Doug71]

I'm very similar, write left handed, sports and tools right handed, paint a picture with my left hand, paint a wall with mostly the right, but will switch as needed, and probably cut in details with my left

My eleven year old son is exactly the same. He started writing left handed so when he started tennis coaching we put the racket in his left hand but he kept swapping it to his right. Give him a ball and he will throw it right handed but will paint a picture with his left. I thought he was ambidextrous but it's called cross dominance. Basically instead of one side being totally dominant one hand is used for things which require fine motor skills like writing but the other side for things that require strength like throwing a ball.

Sorry for thread drift.

 

[XH558]

Interesting thread.
I'm a left hander BUT I have yet to see any machinery manufactured for us lefties. So what is the best way to operate 'right handed' machinery?
A) Develop your personal cack handed system that may leave you exposed to risk of injury or worse or,
B) Learn to use stuff right handed as it was designed to be used safely?

I am happy to admit I was in group A but as my boys are getting into a bit of DIY now I'm working really hard to operate equipment as it was intended. Yes it slows some things down but I have, as a leftie, been using a right handed mouse from day one and it's never been an issue.

Thoughts oh fellow tree manglers.........

 

[Doug71]

Interesting thread.
I'm a left hander BUT I have yet to see any machinery manufactured for us lefties. So what is the best way to operate 'right handed' machinery?
A) Develop your personal cack handed system that may leave you exposed to risk of injury or worse or,
B) Learn to use stuff right handed as it was designed to be used safely?

I am happy to admit I was in group A but as my boys are getting into a bit of DIY now I'm working really hard to operate equipment as it was intended. Yes it slows some things down but I have, as a leftie, been using a right handed mouse from day one and it's never been an issue.

Thoughts oh fellow tree manglers.........

You Southpaws will be happy to know that on the new cordless drill Festool are releasing you can use an app on your phone to change the forward/reverse switch so it works in the opposite direction. Has any right hander ever realised that when a drill is in forward apparently the direction selector is sticking in to the lefties hand making it uncomfortable? Festool seem to think it's a problem, is it really a problem for lefties or is it just one of those solutions to a problem that doesn't exist?

 

[TheUnicorn]

You Southpaws will be happy to know that on the new cordless drill Festool are releasing you can use an app on your phone to change the forward/reverse switch so it works in the opposite direction. Has any right hander ever realised that when a drill is in forward apparently the direction selector is sticking in to the lefties hand making it uncomfortable? Festool seem to think it's a problem, is it really a problem for lefties or is it just one of those solutions to a problem that doesn't exist?

by that logic it would be sticking into your right hand when set to unscrew, I've never felt that to be the case. I think this is yet another case where an app is perceived to add value

Interesting thread.
I'm a left hander BUT I have yet to see any machinery manufactured for us lefties. So what is the best way to operate 'right handed' machinery?
A) Develop your personal cack handed system that may leave you exposed to risk of injury or worse or,
B) Learn to use stuff right handed as it was designed to be used safely?

Being cross dominant (new words today, exciting!) I always assumed that it started using my right hand because everything is designed that way. Being absolutely left handed, with no ability to do things with your right must be incredably awkward

 

[dontheturner]

Hello everyone I have a question - What is the best height for a table bench to use a mitre saw for repeated cuts?Obviously we don't want a sore back so should I be straight or just slightly arched to control the wood better?

I have mine mounted into (on) a portable workmate folding bench (on a block of two by two)- which sits normally in between my continuing benches, so if needs be- I can drag it out. Work a treat - Have just moved from the UK to Thailand, where we are completing the mostly completed workshop in Brick - and so it will just need pushing in between the benches again - The said walls are now waiting for a guy to return, and do the cement rendering to the inside and outside walls (incl attached little room) - to save sawdust in house.

 

[TheUnicorn]

was just looking at adam savage on youtube who was commenting that juggling hade made him somewhat ambidextrous, if anyone feels like giving that a go

 

[JDW]

Personally my mitre saws height was governed by the surrounding benches & machines, I don’t know the exact height but I wanted it high enough that I could cut long lengths of timber & not have gear in the way.

P

 

[JDW]

I start my first workshop build in a couple of weeks (for the last couple of years my 'workshop' has been my 2 sheds and my decking area). Anyway, once built I'll have an empty room; I'm going to start working on small projects using temporary structures/surfaces and find out what's best that way.
I think mobile workstations are a good possibility. As a slight aside from working height, my plan is to drop my mitre saw into the work surface so that the table is flush with the worktop.

 

[TheUnicorn]

I think mobile workstations are a good possibility. As a slight aside from working height, my plan is to drop my mitre saw into the work surface so that the table is flush with the worktop.

I'd say having the table flush to the mitre saw surface is essential, as Is having an extended fence equally flush to the mitre saws fence. Take your time here and get everything perfect, I managed to get mine a fraction off and then had to undo it all and reattach. very annoying

 

[Doug71]

You definitely want the mitre saw surface flush with the bench top.

Regarding the extended fence it's okay to set it back slightly from your mitre saw fence, if the wood you are cutting is bent a flush fence can cause problems. You need to reference the cut off the mitre saw fence and a bent piece of timber might be pushed away from the mitre saw fence because it's pushing against the extended fence further along. You can just have flag stops set in a T track in the bench top and no fence but I like a fence to carry the track as it has less chance of filling with sawdust.

 

[TheUnicorn]

came here to give this youtube link which shows an interesting design without a fence, but I see Doug has pretty much explained the jist of it above.

 

[TheUnicorn]

also re filling with sawdust, I remember on I think woodworkweb (youtube), the suggestion that a fence should have a rounded or rebated bottom so that sawdust doesn't build up and skew the angle of the cut