Is this Lubricant Safe?

[TweakF16]

To anyone who is smarter than me:
(That means everyone...)

I have read with great fascination and admiration the extremely helpful advice posted here by so many people with a tremendous amount of experience. I need to ask for your assistance/judgment on the following.

I just bought a BT3100-1, and have assembled it, but have not yet used it much.

I enlisted the help of my neighbor (a professional cabinetmaker) to get it adjusted to /just about/ perfect.

Before I tackle any serious projects, I wanted to get the whole thing waxed and lubricated, so that I have a "pristine" starting point ... that way, I'll be able to judge better if/when I need to clean/maintain it more than once a month.

I'm not sure where (other than the table TOPs, Rip Fence, and front/rear Rails) I should wax. In particular, what is the best way to Lube the 'other' sliding parts of the saw table? I read that folded wax paper would help with the channels for the Rails, and I tried it in the channels for the Mitre Fence holder. I'm still unsatisfied with how smothly those pieces are sliding. Should I try to work some Paste wax into those thin channels?

> I even used the trick I read here about filing a chamfer on the non-pressure faces of the Rail Holder nuts.

I also have read the recommendation to use a DRY lube material, with PTFE being highly-recommended.
I just bought a can of spray lube, made by Liquid Wrench, that is a PTFE-based lubricant that gets applied via a petroleum-based evaporative transport agent, then it dries-up, leaving behind a layer of PTFE wherever you sprayed the gunk in the first place.

Is this stuff safe to use in the SMT base rails (the ones the mitre table slides set in)? How about in the front/real rail channels (or will it 'loosen' the grip of the locking levers)?
> I guess the first thing I should ask is "Is it safe to use on the tilt/elevation machinery under the table top?!?"

Any help or advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!!

BTW, I installed the Rigid Hercu-Lift system on my steel leg set ... VERY swanky! I would caution, though, that the directions offered in the (almost useless) assembly manual for the caster set, tell you to drill the holes for the mounting brackets 3-1/8 in. up from the base of THE LEG (if you have adjustable feet), not from the FLOOR <measured with the feet adjusted to their 'least elevation' point>. <<Otherwise, you just measure up 3-1/2 in. from the floor.>> Result: I get (what I perceive to be) /excessive/ floor clearance when I raise it up on the casters, and as a result, I have to jimmy with the saw and the Hercu-Lift foot pedal & casters to get the table to sit solidly under its own weight.
> It seems like the shorter leg height creates the need for more "caster support arm swing" in order to get the table's feet to rest on the floor.
I only worry because I don't want the table to "lose its footing" when I try to mill heavier/bulkier stock on it.

>> Does anyone have any advice on this problem?

Many, many thanks in advance. All of you are truly inspiring artisans!

Mike R. (in Phoenix)

[LCHIEN]

I'd limit the waxing to the table top.
Do not wax the rails.
I guess you can wax the SMT slides if you want.
Wax the shims/guides that the blade/motor housing ride up and down.

[Warren]

What Loring said.

And you're smarter than I am. I didn't have the sense to move in next door to a cabinet maker. Find out what he drinks and keep him happy.

[SplinterHead]

> I guess the first thing I should ask is "Is it safe to use on the tilt/elevation machinery under the table top?!?

It safe, but I had problems! I just went through this exercise myself. I was using a Dri-Lube (PTFE based) product and it worked initially, but with more-and-more use the mech. got harder-and-harder to work. I would clean/lube the mech. again and the same problem would occur.

Save yourself the headache and apply candle wax to the gear mechanism. It sounds stupid, but it works fantastic.

[gmack5]

Welcome to the Family

Welcome Mike R. (in Phoenix),

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: https://www.sawdustzone.org/articles...nce-check-list

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.

[retired wrench]

congrats on your new BT , and wishing you many hours of enjoyment working with it...........on the threaded gear raising mechanism, I tryed candle wax, and some other stuff, but winded up cleaning it all off, with brake cleaner and compressed air, and just dusted it often with dry powered graphite, like the kind you use in locks........
ANd, welcome to the forum,,,,,,,,,, you`ll luv it , and learn so much as I have.................larry