I'm back and I need help - Left/Right Slop on SMT - Tricks?

[spankynmagic]

Okay, I need to take a moment a re-intorduce myself. I am Tom from Richmond, VA. I was a member here about 4 years ago. At the time I bought a new BT3100 and was relatively active on this forum.

Then along came my first child, then my second, and now the third is on the way...needless to say, my shop got cobwebs in it. I moved to a new house and the entire shop was basically piled in the back corner of the garage for the past 20 months.

Well I was getting the itch to get backinto the hobby. I happened to stumble upon the Popular Woodworking section titled "I Can Do That" and that little Shaker Step Stool was enough to get my building again. My 4 yr old and I built it and now he uses it as a diving board into Mom/Dads bed...haha.

Out comes the dusty old BT3 and the thing cuts as straight as the mississippi. I fixed the fence and its aligned now. I ordered a new ripping blade and it just landed on my desk here at work. I have been working the last 2 nights on getting the SMT aligned...forgot how much a PITA it is.

Okay, heres the meat of the post. The SMT base is aligned best I can tell. My problem is the eccentric screws. I cant get enough left/right slop out of the table to run parallell to the blade. When i hold it tight to the left using the right 2 screws as the guides, its cutting a pretty darn close to 90 crosscut. I got all engineering on it, broke out the feeler gauges and cant get the left side eccentric screws to hold any closer than about a 32nd of play. That equates to almost a full 16th or more when combined with the rear. There just isnt anymore lateral movement to be had.

Whats the tricks and/or rig to get this slop out?

thanks and thanks for the ripping blade recommendation...I have been lurking for the past few weeks...haha.

SpanKY

[Uncle Cracker]

There are eccentric cams attached to the nuts countersunk into the SMT top. There is a step-by-step process to their adjustment, and it can be found (IIRC) in Loring's FAQ and in other areas of this site. If you can't get it done with these adjustments, then you probably have worn down or otherwise damaged one or more of the cams.

[Black wallnut]

The right front one is not eccentric and as such is the pivot point. First you wiill need to make sure the SMT base is parallel to the blade.

Then use the right rear screw to make the SMT into correct alignment. Only once this is done do you use the left side screws to take up any slack. The guides, underneath, which are what also happen to hold the SMT table onto the base are reverseable if they are worn. I've yet to have to reverse mine in 7+ years of using my saw.

I'm thinking that Uncle Cracker is thinking of these glides rather than the ecentrics themselves as the screws simply do not wear out. The screws are hardened stell which also makes them brittle and subject to breakage if you get too agressive in tightening them. On my saw I have loosened the lock nuts just enough that I can turn the nuts with a nut drive thus also turning the eccentric screws. The pitch of the eccentric is rather steep in that very small changes will move the table a bunch!

[spankynmagic]

Yes I know about the screws and I have followed the guide to align. My problem (although you did touch on it) is that I cant take enough slack out using them. I will try to reverse them as you mentioned, but not sure that will do it.

I thought i read here that someone "widened" the base with aluminum tape in order to take up the slack that was left after the screws were at their "max" adjustment.

THanks for the reverse idea. Ill try it tonight.

SpanKY

[Black wallnut]

BTW what was your username from 4 years ago?

[crokett]

Hi Tom,

One thing I do is keep my SMT adjusted just slightly on the tight side. It makes it harder to push but that way I know instantly when there is slop.

[Slik Geek]

I vaguely recall that when I purchased my BT3000 many years ago, that one of my eccentric screws didn't give me enough adjustment range on the SMT. Tech support sent me a new one and it resolved the issue. I don't know how that helps you, but at least you won't feel like you are the only one who has had this problem anymore.

[spankynmagic]

Hi Tom,

One thing I do is keep my SMT adjusted just slightly on the tight side. It makes it harder to push but that way I know instantly when there is slop.

Unfortunately, I can not even get it tight. The closest psssible is about a 32nd out...at least.

SpankY

[spankynmagic]

BTW what was your username from 4 years ago?

SpanKomatic...dont ask. I tried to log back on with it, but my email address was from an old job and i couldnt get it to work. Hence the Spankynmagic logon now.

I'll still just go by SpanKY.

[TheRic]

SpanKomatic...dont ask. ....

But it sounds like a great story.