Clockwise and Counterclockwise

Recently, I've seen a couple of posts from folks who are confused about table tilt and cutting direction.  This comes up with bowls, inlay, and other situations where you need to cut at an angle.  It's not that complicated, but easy to get confused.  Here are some basics:

1. Most saw tables will tilt fully in either direction, but not all.  If they tilt in only one direction, it is usually left side down.  If yours tilts right side down, or if you prefer that orientation, just reverse the direction of the cut from what's given in the instructions.  In other words, left side down clockwise is the same as right side down counterclockwise.

2. Cutting clockwise means that you move the wood in a counterclockwise direction.  The blade gives the illusion that it is cutting clockwise.  When the table is tilted left side down, the resulting cut will be larger on the upper face than on the lower face.

3. Cutting counterclockwise means that you move the wood in a clockwise direction.  When the table is tilted left side down, the resulting cut will be smaller on the upper face than the lower face.

I use counterclockwise cutting for my projects primarily when I know the smaller dimension, not the larger one, as when creating a neck or a base.  If you're ever unsure of which way to cut, use a piece of scrap to try it out.  No fun wasting your last piece of good wood!