Left handed plunge saws

[Nick Gibbs]

Does anyone know why plunge saws are all left-handed?

Thanks

Nick

 

[tool-me-up]

you pull the trigger with right hand so i would have called them right handed :?

 

[Nick Gibbs]

Yes, but you have to twist awkwardly. I just don't get it. If you were standing that way for golf or cricket you'd certainly be described as left-handed, even though some people change the position of their hands.

 

[owen]

I don't understand what you mean... you stand to the left of the rail and use your right hand to use the saw. Theres no awkwardness about it.

 

[CHJ]

It probably stems from the basic concept of the universal motors used in woodworking tools that rotate in an anti-clockwise direction viewed from the front.

Nothing stopping a motor from being designed to rotate the other way but I wonder if in the first instance the 'normal' motor configuration prevailed.

Worm drive saws, which I believe are the majority of 'left handed' as far as blades are concerned usually still have the gearing made to accommodate an anti-clockwise motor.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Worm_Gear.gif

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I suspected it must be to do with the motor. Thanks

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I don't understand what you mean... you stand to the left of the rail and use your right hand to use the saw. Theres no awkwardness about it.

On the basis that most of the time the waste is the smallest part of a cut, the natural instinct is to stand on the waste side of a cut. With an ordinary circular saw that means you can have your right leg against the workpiece, and work from right to left. With most plunge saws in that situation you have to work from left to right, with your left leg against the workpiece. It just feels a bit odd. I couldn't believe it when I first tried it.

That said, one of the saws we are testing has a double-sided track. I will check to see if that makes a difference.

Nick

 

[petermillard]

I don't understand what you mean... you stand to the left of the rail and use your right hand to use the saw. Theres no awkwardness about it.

On the basis that most of the time the waste is the smallest part of a cut, the natural instinct is to stand on the waste side of a cut.

Totally with Owen on this - I've never stood on the waste side of a cut, it isn't remotely natural for me to do so.

With an ordinary circular saw that means you can have your right leg against the workpiece, and work from right to left. With most plunge saws in that situation you have to work from left to right, with your left leg against the workpiece. It just feels a bit odd. I couldn't believe it when I first tried it.

OK this has me baffled. Right to left and left to right?? I use a circ saw (on a track or otherwise) by standing behind the workpiece and pushing the saw away from me, not across my body. So Nick, is it you or me that's weird??

Pete

 

[Nick Gibbs]

So Nick, is it you or me that's weird?? Pete

Probably me, and proud of it!!!!! I'll have another think about this, and you can see what you think from the article, out at the end of the month.

 

[tool-me-up]

OK this has me baffled. Right to left and left to right?? I use a circ saw (on a track or otherwise) by standing behind the workpiece and pushing the saw away from me, not across my body. So Nick, is it you or me that's weird??

Pete

I also use a saw like that, i try and keep my head in line with the cut marker on the front of the guide and push away from me....
never used a saw from the side before.... v\

 

[Grahamshed]

Fraid I don't follow this either. I use a plunge saw on rails quite a bit and have never considered it to be left handed or cause any problem. The only bit I have a problem with is keeping the vac hose out of my way

 

[No skills]

For a normal skill saw I will cut what everway suits me or the cut, long rip with my ts55 = left to right, and yes it does feel a bit odd but I haven't that much time using it yet.

Nearly every skill saw cut I make has the waste next to me. Will check tomorrow, got a ply lined box to do.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

yes it does feel a bit odd but I haven't that much time using it yet. Nearly every skill saw cut I make has the waste next to me. Will check tomorrow, got a ply lined box to do.

Phew. I thought it was only me. I think it's because with a 'skil' saw I tend to clamp a batten as close to the cut line as possible, so I have the smaller part of the saw sole on the workpiece and the larger part on the waste. That means you are cutting from right to left, with your right hand nearest the saw. If you prefer to cut with the larger portion of the saw sole on the workpiece, then you'll have been cutting the same way as a plunge saw and will be used to that configuration.

 

[chippy1970]

Feels perfectly natural to me using a rail saw. As others have said already I never stand on the waste side. That would feel awkward .

 

[MMUK]

If you look at the Makita 18v Li-Ion range you'll notice that the normal circular saw is what you'd call right handed in that the blade is on the left side of the motor as seen when held. However, the metal cutting circular saw has the blade on the opposite side of the motor.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

Feels perfectly natural to me using a rail saw. As others have said already I never stand on the waste side. That would feel awkward .

Good point, but doesn't that mean you are having to reach over the workpiece, which might be quite wide sometimes?

 

[No skills]

What you make might determine what side of the cut you are on, 95% of my 8x4 sheet cutting is for panelling walls so I'm cutting relatively small bits off most of the time, the majority of the sheet is the good bit. Making bookcases might involve a lot of rips at 12" wide (for shelves - just guessing) so the 'waste' is the rest of the sheet. If you see what I mean

 

[chippy1970]

Feels perfectly natural to me using a rail saw. As others have said already I never stand on the waste side. That would feel awkward .

Good point, but doesn't that mean you are having to reach over the workpiece, which might be quite wide sometimes?

In which case I would be on top of the material, supported on a sturdy bench I may add lol

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I have photos of our resident craftsman, Steve Prescott, crawling over a huge tabletop using a Mafell plunge saw as you suggest, Chippy. It just seems a bit undignified!

 

[Silas Gull]

I use my track saw left handed and 90% of the time I saw left to right across the body with my right hand supporting/ steadying the track.I work this way because it is quicker to set up the cut. If I were to use the clamps at either end of the track, I could use it right handed, standing on the blind side of the kerf, but this is time consuming and the tracks come with very good non-stop tape on the underside. Incidentally, I always have the workpiece and off-cut fully supported on a sacrificial surface as allowing the offcut to shear down behind the cut can distort the blade and cause it to rip into the rubber splinter strip,.