Question about Rails

[scorrpio]

Here are pictures for my glorious 'addition' to my BT3. The pictures show the view of the front rail from the back, at the left rail attachment point.

You can see the slightly curved mark on the rail. On black rail, it is highly visible. This is a mark for right rips. For left rips, there is another mark elsewhere on the fence.


Here, the mark is aligned to the edge of mount point. The resulting alignment precision is under 1/64" - higher than the rail tape resolution.

[Wood_workur]

First, I'm a noob to this forum. Go easy on me. ...

This is bt3central. We do that no matter what. .

I forgot the tape on the rails when I first got my saw. Using it violates the "use only one measuring devise" rule.

[gmack5]

Welcome aboard!!!

Welcome glassk9s. (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.

[btv]

I was thinking of putting a pin through the rail into the table. Even thou I haven't looked where to do it. It always seemed a bad idea with using different cutters (kerfs) and not liking fraction scales. I couldn't see the point. I don't like using a tape on the rip fence for accuracy either. So I got a micro positioner. And use the cut twice method. One rough cut measure the wood. Use the positoiner accessories because when I moved the rip fence I couldn't remember what line I was on. I always dreamed of getting an Incra's TSLS table saw fence but that’s hard to justify to my self.

[scorrpio]

Mind you, I rarely use the scale on the rail. I prefer to set things up to be relative to each other (i.e. rip a piece as wide as another one is long, or cut off to fit between two other parts). However, now and then, there is a need to cut a piece that does not need to 'fit', but needs to be certain size. In such cases, if I had to move the rail for capacity, it takes only a couple seconds to zero the rail back on the mark.

[mcommushroom]

A slightly off topic question for all you pros. I believe someone told me on this site that when I move the rails, I need to realign the rip fence and smt ever time. Do you all do that ever time you slide the rails?

[Black wallnut]

A slightly off topic question for all you pros. I believe someone told me on this site that when I move the rails, I need to realign the rip fence and smt ever time. Do you all do that ever time you slide the rails?

No, re-alignment is not needed just from moving the rails.