Adding some mass to the BT3100

[milanuk]

Hello all,

Finally getting (back?) into the swing of things w/ my ww'ing tools... my poor abused BT3100 has been doing itself proud w/ a good Freud dedicated rip blade in place (the SD206 dado stack is another story). One of the ongoing concerns/worries/gripes I have w/ the saw is the lack of mass. Being mostly sheet metal, extrusions and plastic, it's a bit on the light side. No suprise there. I don't push it too hard, so no *major* problems... but I would like something that has a little more 'lead in it's britches', to quote my dear old dad.

I'm considering building a mobile base, as that would take care of some other issues (storage space, and the worthless casters that came w/ the accessory kit). I just worry that with it sitting on casters that then it would again move more than I'd like - not like clear across the floor w/ the casters locked, but just the back and forth swivel/wiggle in most casters I've seen.

Any good ideas for adding some mass to the saw? I know there are a lot of mobile cabinet bases out there; any issues w/ movement even when locked down?

TIA,

Monte

[JSUPreston]

Old standby I've always heard of is bags of sand or rocks on the leg braces. I could see possibly building a shelf that sits on the leg braces and putting bricks or blocks on it.

[SARGE..g-47]

Morning Monte...

Opps... will add!

[SARGE..g-47]

Old folks forget...

Put all the mass you want down below... I originally started with one of those small portable refrigerators. :>)

[pecker]

You could acquire one of the square shaped stands that came with the older BT3000. They should be real cheap, as many folks have sold their saws for parts. It would allow you to build in storage cabinets under the saw to add mass, or just put a piece of plywood across the bottom and add ballast.

[Garasaki]

My mobile base dosen't typically have any wiggle when the casters are locked, unless it's on an uneven piece on concrete in my garage.

One of the main aims in building the mobile base was the give the saw a more secure feeling, as I agree, it feels unsettlingly light in stock form. I believe I accomplished my mission with the mobile base, and it happens to solve a lot of other problems too.

[Black wallnut]

You could acquire one of the square shaped stands that came with the older BT3000. They should be real cheap, as many folks have sold their saws for parts. It would allow you to build in storage cabinets under the saw to add mass, or just put a piece of plywood across the bottom and add ballast.

Monte, I have one of these old style bases that you can have for free you would just have to cross the mountian to come pick it up. I do not forsee a trip to Wenatchee anytime soon or I'd bring it to you.

[LCHIEN]

Monte, there are "double locking" casters which lock both the wheel "roll" and wheel "swivel" actions. They are quite common. However, they do tend to have a bit of wiggle. Most of your mobile bases tend to have a lift which picks the unit up a fraction of an inch over the swivelling wheels and holds it there.

[milanuk]

Mark,

If I'm heading down that way I'll give you a holler. Thanks!

Loring,

Thought there might be something like that, just not something we see around here locally - anything more exotic than Ace hardware/ Home Depot/ Lowes is special order - sight unseen, which has its own set of perils when it comes to hardware

The large amount of 'lift' needed to get up onto the wheels of the stock casters is kind of a PITA... I've got some of the Delta mobile bases (the ones w/ metal corner pieces, and you supply the oak 2x2 stretchers) that I'm less than pleased with due to some headeaches in maneuvering the tools into corners, etc.

Thanks,

Monte