Need opinion on Buying a BT3100

[tjmac44]

Found a floor model BT3100 at a HD. THe manager is willing to mark it down to a even $200.00. What kind of things should I look for, ie. owners manual, missing parts etc. I am kinda weary about the on/off switch. How do they work? Seems like it does not stick in the up position, is this normal?

TIA,

Todd

[LCHIEN]

I would be very careful buying a BT3100 floor model. Every one I have ever seen at a HD was in woeful shape, missing most of the (many) loose or detachable parts and generally mistreated and really banged up.

Could be missing or broken: SMT, SMT parts, miter fence, rip fence, rip fence handle, dropped SMTs are frequent (broken latches in one or more of the four corners), blade wrenches (2), blade guard, broken zero stop , broken or missing end caps on rails and miter fence. If a late model, there is a small removable yellow locking safety cap that must be in the power switch for the switch to function, those often go walking.

I'm sure $40 off (since many have sold for $239 since they went discontinued) would not be enough to convince me to buy a floor model.

Where are you, maybe a BT3 central member would look at it for you if its a rare one that is not mistreated.

You might also cruise the aisles, looking at the tops of the racks; many HD stores have BT3100s in boxes that they lost track of.

[JimD]

I would not worry about the manual, I think there are still ones you can download on this website. Loring pretty well covered what to look for. Most of the pieces in the box are associated with the stand, not the saw. If the rip fence and SMT are there and working and if the stand is together then you probably are getting the whole thing. Sometimes the blade guard/splitter is not on displays I have seen, you need to check that too, I guess and there should be a 36 tooth blade - it's a pretty good blade so it's worth looking. The blade should be moved to the left if you're facing the saw by a couple spacers on the arbor (one about 1/4 wide and one about 1/2 wide). These are removed for dado cuts. There should be oversided washers on both sides of the blade.

The switch sticks up when it is "On" so you can slap it or bump it to turn the saw off. May look a bit funny but works pretty well IMHO.

It would really help to have somebody that has a BT3100 look at it for you. Any of us could tell in 5 minutes if anything is missing.

Jim

[tjmac44]

Thanks for the tips. I spent over 1 hour going over the saw with my dad. The key for the switch was taped to the power cord. I made the purchase. Very excited. Just need to start with some small word working projects. Also need many other tools, ie. router, clamps........

Thanks again, I am sure I will have a lot of questions for the members on this board.

TJ

[broschultz]

the local HD has its floor model marked down to $119. It's in terrible shape.

[donbak]

Buy it for the parts

Buy it for the parts at $119.

[gmack5]

Thanks for the tips. I spent over 1 hour going over the saw with my dad. The key for the switch was taped to the power cord. I made the purchase. Very excited. Just need to start with some small word working projects. Also need many other tools, ie. router, clamps........
Thanks again, I am sure I will have a lot of questions for the members on this board. TJ

Welcome to the Family, tjmac44.

One of the first things you need to do, especially in view of the fact that your BT3100 was a Floor Demo, 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.

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.

When checking the Miter Fence for Square to the Blade with a triangle, use the 12" 30-60, if possible.

Just remember, regardless of which measuring instrument you choose to use, check it(them) to be sure they're accurate.

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, if not impossible, 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/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).

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.

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.