Left or right side of the blade?

[stephenD]

I have found that if I keep the part of the wood that I want to keep on my right side of the blade I can control things better.
That may be because that is just the way I have been cutting or because that is the more aggressive side of the blade. Not sure which, or, it could be lots of other reasons that I never considered.
How about you?
In your cutting have you found this to be true for you? Is one side or the other working better for you?

[Mick Walker]

StevenD, I cut the same way you do. I believe most scrollers keep the wood that will fall out on the right side, if they go off the line the blade cuts into the waste. I cut both ways but I would say 90% of the time I cut like you. I am just more comfortable cutting that way.

[w.2014.h]

I always cut counterclockwise. In fretwork the piece I keep is on the rights but in Intarsia it is on the left. Just my own 2 cents. I am also capable of cutting the other way but it's not preferred.

[Silver_Sliver]

Since I tend to wander off the line to the right, I cut with the waste side on the right side. This is not universal, however.

[w.2014.h]

Correction to what I said! I cut clockwise. The rest is correct. Sorry for the lapse in thought!

[stephenD]

Crum, I'm cutting counter clock or is that winder shins?
Mick, I have the good stuff on the right not the fall off stuff.
Humm.... well... it's working for me so far. Perhaps I need to try the other way. Or not.

[Jim Finn]

I change from one side to the other so that I am not limited in my learning/practice. When doing double bevel Inlay on the scroll saw it is important whch side of the blade the "Waste" is on. It is done on different sides of the blade depending on the pattern. I do a lot of inlay and it is unforgiving, It must be cut all in one pass and there is no going back over part of a cut. Learning to cut on both sides of the blade has helped me a lot to do the inlay cuts.

[walnut]

Most of my cutting is done with the waste to right of the blade. Just works for me that way best.

[Mick Walker]

I wonder if it makes any difference as to which eye is dominent or if you are left or right handed?

[blondewood]

I cut with the save piece on the right of the blade, but will cut with the save piece on the left if the situation calls for it or if it's an intricate area where I want to go a bit slower and have more control. I think the most important thing is to understand is about the set of the blade and how the teeth are sharper on the right. Then use the direction that works best for that part of the project. I agonized over which side to cut on and have learned that most other folks keeps the "save" to the right, yet will switch and keep it on the left now & then.

[stephenD]

Yup to what Blondwood said. I do use the saved wood to the left if necessary but mostly keep that to the right.

[Kiwi]

I try to vary cutting clockwise or counterclockwise so that so that I do not become too dominant one way. Either way is just as easy

[sawdustus]

Mostly with the waste to the right but often the other way. Depends on the way the pattern works out.

george