I am finally going to use my BT3000 extension rails.
My objective is to have some easily attachable rail extensions rather than a full time wide BT3000 using two full rails taking up a lot of space and requiring table support under the right side as many do.
I just want some wider support but not to do full 4x8 sheets of ply... if I need that, I'll break the sheet down on some sawhorses with a circ saw and some guides.

I think I am going to cut my extension rails in half or more precisely 24 inches and 18 inches. so I can temporarily and quickly provide longer support by those dimensions to either side.

Looking at the profiles shown above pictures I made, the front rail has a bottom slot and a rear slot of 1" x 1/8" (actually 1/32" oversize). I got some aluminum bar 1" x 1/8" 14 inches long that I will insert into the 24" long rail piece and permanently fasten to the rail (a single screw and drilled hole will do it). It will then line up fairly precisely to the rail on the saw and just slide in. I will drill and tap a hole in the protruding vertical bar and use a small plate and bolt to pull the bar tight to the front rail to secure it temporarily. This is a bit tricky because the bar is only 1/8" thick and there's going to be just a few threads engagement before the bolt bottoms out.

The rear rail, the same thing. a 1" slot on the frontside and a 1.125" slot on the bottom (why did they made this different?) I am going to cut down a 1.5" wide piece for that one.

With the rails having both a vertical running bar and a horizontal bar with low play that will slide in and out it should be fairly stout. Giving it the equivalent stiffness of a 1" angle L-bar of 1/8" aluminum.

Installing them when needed would take just a minute to slide in and tighten the one retaining bolt each.
I would take the other 18" piece and make a set to extend the other side. if I wanted.


Any comments?

PS, this will work for a BT3100 as well; the BT3100 rail vs BT3000 rail difference is shown second photo. The BT3100 has a longer front stoop on which the scale is displayed, but the slots I use are the same place.

P.S. and a box to store them in.