New user, couple questions

[wreckwriter]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum, new to the BT3100, and new to table saws in general. I live in South Florida and was introduced to woodworking by the destruction of my back porch in hurricane Wilma. When I found out how much it was going to cost to have someone fix it I decided to tool up and teach myself. Its been an interesting journey but I'm getting better and I still have all my fingers

The effort of getting long straight cuts with a circular saw made me decide to get a table saw and my research lead me to the BT3100. Got a good deal at the HD so I picked one up along with the accessory kit (mostly wanted the castors).

I got everything together with little trouble in a couple hours. The one little thing that's not working as it should is that the rail end-caps keep falling off whenever I touch anything. I put them on as specified but they just don't want to stay. Is there any reason I shouldn't fix this issue with a couple drops of super glue?

In the accessory kit was a thing called a miter slot table. It went on fine but I can't seem to figure out what its for.... Do I need some other part to put in the slots, a push bar or something, or am I just missing something obvious?

Also, for my outfeed support I plan on picking up a couple of roller stands for the moment but I think a table would be better. What are most folks using for this?

Finally, I see posts that talk about a "wide table kit", which I gather is a set of extended rails. I can't find mention of it on Ryobi or HD sites. Where can this be had?

Thanks for your time!

Tom

[monte]

First of all welcome to the group. You'll find the members here both friendly and eager to help you.

Are the end caps you are talking about on the rails? If so, you can add a dab of sealant to the caps and they should stay on and you will be able to take them off again if needed.

The miter slot table is used for a standard miter guage like conventional table saws use and you can also use it for jigs of all sorts. You may want to build a cross cut sled for use with the miter slots. Just make sure the miter slots are parallel to the saw blade.

A dedicated outfeed table would be nice and is what a lot of others use. I built mine about 1/8" shorter in height than my BT is. You can also use the table for assembly of projects if you build it big enough.

The wide table kit consists of another set of rails that can be added to your existing rails to give you a wider ripping capacity. What the user classifieds section on this forum and you may catch a set of rails for sale. A lot of people are just adding a 1/2 set of rails to their saws and making their own connecting hardware.

Be safe and enjoy your new saw.

[wreckwriter]

First of all welcome to the group. You'll find the members here both friendly and eager to help you.

Are the end caps you are talking about on the rails? If so, you can add a dab of sealant to the caps and they should stay on and you will be able to take them off again if needed.

The miter slot table is used for a standard miter guage like conventional table saws use and you can also use it for jigs of all sorts. You may want to build a cross cut sled for use with the miter slots. Just make sure the miter slots are parallel to the saw blade.

A dedicated outfeed table would be nice and is what a lot of others use. I built mine about 1/8" shorter in height than my BT is. You can also use the table for assembly of projects if you build it big enough.

The wide table kit consists of another set of rails that can be added to your existing rails to give you a wider ripping capacity. What the user classifieds section on this forum and you may catch a set of rails for sale. A lot of people are just adding a 1/2 set of rails to their saws and making their own connecting hardware.

Be safe and enjoy your new saw.

Thanks for the fast reply and for answering every one of my questions!

Right, the little plastic end caps on the rails, all 4 of them. Will try silicon sealant tonight.

Gotcha on the miter gauge; that's what I meant when I said "push bar"! Thanks for the right name. Can you recommend a moderately priced one that's decent?

As for the table, I will build one, just need to figure out how to make a folding version as my garage is filling fast with tools. Surely someone makes a bracket for folding table legs. Off to google.........

Thanks again!

Tom

[just4funsies]

You can also build a folding outfeed table (or Ryobi makes an add-on table, but it's pricey). Many accessories can be found through Sears (they sell a derivative of this saw) but the best resource (besides the classifieds here) is eBay. Just do a search for "BT3000" and you'll see all the current auctions, plus listings for eBay "stores" run by people who specialize in this stuff.

Another common use for miter slots is for mounting featherboards to your saw. Just make sure you mount your feathers IN FRONT of the blade, rather than beside or behind it.

[wreckwriter]

You can also build a folding outfeed table (or Ryobi makes an add-on table, but it's pricey). Many accessories can be found through Sears (they sell a derivative of this saw) but the best resource (besides the classifieds here) is eBay. Just do a search for "BT3000" and you'll see all the current auctions, plus listings for eBay "stores" run by people who specialize in this stuff.

Another common use for miter slots is for mounting featherboards to your saw. Just make sure you mount your feathers IN FRONT of the blade, rather than beside or behind it.

Cool, I'll check it out. Thanks!

[wreckwriter]

Another common use for miter slots is for mounting featherboards to your saw. Just make sure you mount your feathers IN FRONT of the blade, rather than beside or behind it.

With regards to featherboards, this looks like a nice set at a good price:

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares...oduct&ID=80898

Is this the sort of thing I might want? Never saw one until just now so please forgive if this is a dumb question

[LCHIEN]

Wreck writer there's about 100 questions all similar to yours (except I've never had the one about the rail caps...) that are posed and answered in the Frequently asked questions FAQ document.

there's a link to this in the first thread under "getting started".
http://www.bt3central.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13

[wreckwriter]

Good FAQ. Thanks for pointing it out.

[just4funsies]

With regard to featherboards, do a search on amazon.com, and you'll see many types. I prefer the poly or UHMW boards, because they have a more consistant tension (I'm in high humidity, and wood featherboards sometimes get soggy) and seem to wear better. Other folks prefer the wooden ones, and many make their own (you can vary the slot width and spacing to get different "strengths". It's just a matter of personal preference.

The link you referenced does show a proper placement and typical usage, however, so remember it. A feather board has two functions. One is to keep the workpiece stabilized through the cut, so that the cut is neat and clean. The other is to help keep a kickback from throwing the piece back at you. Even so, it's important to stand to one side, offline from the blade, and use push sticks or pushblocks. And don't forget your safety glasses. Count your fingers before you start, and make sure you finish with the same quantity.

[wreckwriter]

OK, off to amazon

I don't think I'm up to making my own saw parts yet, particularly safety items. Thanks for the tip on materials though as I'm in South Florida so humidity is a factor for me too.

Hopefully I can find a full set like the one in the link but of another material.

Thanks again!

Tom

[Ken Weaver]

I finally gave up on my right front rail end-cap. I had the same problem and the last time it popped off it must have gone to the same place that socks do in the dryer. Actually its turned out to be handy as now I can get an extra 3/8" on a wide rip. I couldn't tell that it did anything other than looks.

[lcm1947]

Yes welcome to the forum and sounds like your new hobby - woodworking. Forced or not. Sorry to hear about the hurricane hitting your porch but sounds like just maybe it'll be a good thing in the long run - you found woodworking. Anyway take care and hopefully be seeing you around. Watch those fingers and hands.

[gmack5]

Welcome Tom,

Congratulations on the acquisition of your BT3100 and welcome to the "family".

One of the first things you need to do, after you get your BT3100 Saw assembled is, following your Owner's Manual, go thru the entire set-up proceedure, step by step, in the sequence laid out in the Manual. Each set up proceedure builds on the one before it, so you MUST keep them in sequence.

Usually the Saw is set up properly, right out of the box, but you should still check it as this gets you familiar with all the adjustments on the saw and assures you that everything is as it should be.

Here's some free plans that'll keep you busy for a while. http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/r...ex.php?cat=102

And here's some additional information about your Saw that you may find useful.

Regardless of what you've read or others have told you, NEVER NEVER use any wax or lubricant on your saw that contains Silicone, this includes all automobile waxes and polishes and most spray-on furniture polishes.
The reason is simple, most of them contain Silicones and they will make your projects difficult to finish.
Silicones repell liquid, making "fish eyes" in your finishes, this will force you to remove the Silicones from your project and start over. That stuff (Silicone) migrates all over every where, don't ask me how, it just does.

If you put it in one place, eventually it will be all over the entire saw.

Your best bet is to use a "dry" lubricant, such as Teflon (PTFE), Powdered Graphite, or Candle Wax for the Raising/Lowering and Tilt mechanisms below the table top.

Then use either Johnson's Paste Wax, Minwax's "Finishing Wax" or Butcher's Wax on the working surfaces, table tops (All three of them) and the Rip Fence.

Do NOT Wax the Front and Rear rails or the Miter Fence. As a mater of fact, you may want to glue 220 grit sand-paper to the front face of the Miter Fence, cause you don't WANT things to slide on there.

You might also want to check out the "Articles" section on the www.BT3central.com site. Lots of good maintenance information on your saw and some of the Jigs and Fixtures that BT3Central members and others have designed for it. Located here: http://www.bt3central.com/index.php?page=articles
The only thing you'll need to access the information is a recent copy of the Adobe Reader (It can be downloaded from the BTcentral site).

One of the Articles mentioned is a "Check List", written by Jim Frye. You can find it here: http://www.bt3central.com/articles/l...sp?ArticleId=7
This list contains all the different areas on your saw that need to be periodically inspected or given some sort of special attention. In other words, a "Preventative Maintanence Check List" or PM. Performing this PM on a monthly basis would be a good idea.

One of the other things you'll find there is an on-line copy of the User's Manual in downloadable pdf format (a handy thing to have).

Something you might think about is the use of a set of Draftsman's Triangles instead of the Carpenter's Square that they show in the Owner's Manual for setting up your saw.

An accurate Carpenter's Square is almost a myth!

A good one will cost you quite a bit of money, $40 - $75, or more.
I would recommend that you consider using a pair of Draftsman's 30 -60 and 45 degree triangles instead. You'll find they're not near as expensive and are far more accurate than a run-of-the-mill Carpenter's Square. The 30-60 triangle should have one 12" leg and the other leg would be 9" long. The 45 degree triangle should have at least 8" legs on either side of the 90 degree corner.
That way either one can be put up against the side of the Saw Blade without touching the saw teeth.

Just remember, regardless of which measuring instrument you choose to use, check it(them) to be sure they're accurate. When checking the Miter Fence for Square to the Blade with a triangle, use the 12" 30-60, if possible.

One of the other "tricks" that I've discovered is to take a piece of "Wax" paper, fold it several times and rub it in the grooves that the "T" nuts that lock your Rails in place ride in. Makes the Rails move smooth as Butter.

You might also want to check out the "FAQ" in a "sticky" in the Getting Started Forum:
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=1699
It'll answer a lot of your questions.

Last, but not least, don't forget to paint the RED line!
It's a line that extends the line-of-sight from the saw blade to the front edge of the table to remind you NOT to let your Miter Fence or your FINGERS get in the way of the saw blade. Just put red paint, nail polish, or what ever, in the grove that extends towards the operator from the front edge of the saw blade.

[wreckwriter]

Thanks guys!

Yea, I've avoided woodworking for 48 years, not really sure why, maybe something to do with watching a kid cut his hand in half on a bandsaw in 8th grade.. I've been mechanical and technical, been an aircraft mechanic (military and civilian), a dive boat captain, now I do web stuff, but no wood. When the porch went away I started thinking about it. First I bought a recip saw to clean up and it went from there. Now I have a compound miter saw, multiple drills, circular saw, jigsaw, angle grinder, several sanders, compressor, 4 nailers, air chisel, dremel tool, 2 recip saws, table saw, and, well, you get the idea.. I don't have a router yet but I think that's about it.

I don't have any training with any of this stuff but was lucky in that we had a large deck and walkway built a couple years ago and I've been able to look at some various methods of putting wood together that were used on that and adapt them to my current needs.

One thing I really like about this forum is the focus on safety. On some forums where pros assist DIYers the focus seems to be on building permits, codes, etc. I like the safety focus better. I worry about safety, particularly with this new BT3100. I think of all my tools, this one is the most likely to bite me if I screw up. Maybe that's why I bought it last?

I did get my saw set up per the manual but I'm not completely happy with it, some things just don't move as smoothly as I think they should so I plan on redoing much of it before I make any serious cuts. The SMT seems to bind as it goes over the rail, rail clamps don't end up on a good angle when tight. I'll watch the DVD again and get it done soon. I've got a couple push sticks/blocks already, end caps put on last night with sealant, red line going on tonight, shark guard order going in within a day or 2. Need to get a wall and support posts primed and painted on the porch first....