BT3000 as Christmas Present

[adrenaline_junkie_ff]

Well, last week, my wife found a 3000 on Craigslist for $50 and asked me if I wanted it for Christmas. I have been wanting a table saw since we bought a house. Well duh. I went and picked it up then started researching the saw when I found this forum. Lots of great info. I have already completely dismantled the saw to clean it all up and added the shim guide modification as the shims had all the tops broke off and the saw was binding. While I had it apart, I also applied some teflon powder to the slides. The saw is all back to gether and the elevator mechanism works like a champ. I wuld expect that the elevator mechanism should be a bit easier but it is already 100% better. The draw back to this saw is that the splitter and blade guard is missing as is the miter machanism. The glide table is there but the miter bar is now a piece of angle alluminum. My next project will be to build a splitter and guard but I have not yet decided on a design.

Thanks to all the contributors for all the great info on what I have learned is a great saw.

I look forward to more posts.

[JR]

Welcome to BT3Central, junkie!

Congratulations on your new saw. It sounds like you've got your work cut out for you getting it together, though!

Too bad about the miter fence. If you follow Member Classifieds on this site you might find one at a reasonable price. I'm sure the angle aluminum will work for most operations. The nice thing about the OEM fence is that it has slots for t-nuts, similar to those on the rip fence. This can be very useful for stop blocks, hold downs, etc.

I would suggest you cease and desist with the teflon lube. I'm sure it helped with the guide mechanism, but it is said to be problematic if the teflon ever finds it's way onto the wood. Stains and top coats won't work properly.

A lot of people get a Shark Guard when faced with the need to upgrade or replace a stock setup. It's an excellent system, available from forum member Stytooner. It isn't cheap (twice the cost of your saw!), but shows fine crafstmanship and is well thought out.

Good luck with your new saw. I hope it brings as much satisfaction for you as it has for so many others.

JR

[shoottx]

First, welcome aboard. This is a great site with wonderful folks.

Second, if you are a user of a BT3k or some variant, this place is chock full of information and knowledgeable people.

There are several sources of information;

Send Loring Chien (LChien) a PM (with your e-mail address) for a copy of the BT3 FAQ

Look here for a bunch of helpful hints http://www.bt3central.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34

Look at these archives for a wealth of information http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=28720

Add use the search feature to research any topic, there is a wealth of information already recorded.

And last but not least ask a question. You will get answers, ranging from expert advice to silly comments but all in good form and spirit.
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[adrenaline_junkie_ff]

Thanks for the info. I think I have already run across these though but a great source of information. I will stop using the teflon although when I did apply, I put some on a finger and wiped it on to the aluminium glides then wiped clean any left over with my fingers. Should I open it up and wipe it all down with a rag to remove any residue? I found plans for a miter fence by Rod Kirby at http://www.bt3central.com/articles/files/smtextn.pdf

I have all the fasteners but now I have to pick up some 1/4 inch angle aluminium. Then I planb to build a fence with the Tee slots to use similar to how Rod explains at http://www.bt3central.com/articles/files/Smtextn1-1.pdf but I was planning on also cutting tee slots onto the face. Would this work? I am fairly new to table saws with the exception to what I used in high school 20 years ago. I have made due with a Skil Saw, which has more than it's challenges when ripping long boards and sheets.


By the way, does any one happen to know the minimum length of the motor brushes? I am an electrician with machine experience and so I had no problem dropping the brushes out to inspect them and the commutator then blow out the entire motor assembly after a complete disassemble. Maybe I will get the info from the FAQ?

[Ed62]

Welcome aboard. You're gonna like it here. Guaranteed!

Ed

[lrogers]

Welcome to the family. With just a little TLC your Bt3K will preform like a champ. I just put my third new blade on today; completely wore out the other two! Everything else is OEM (except the guard/splitter).

I've never had a problem with Teflon dry lub, but stay away with anything that has silicon in it.

I will second the endorsement for Lee's Shark guard. I bought one of the originals and then up graded it with the metal tail piece. Lee does quality work AND he listens to feed back and improves his products. Best part, he lives close enough to me that I got to meet him and got a personal tour through his shop.

[LCHIEN]

congratulations, you lucked out on getting a very interesting saw. Sounds like you're handy. Lots of questions answered in the FAQ, but not about the commutator brushes, I'm afraid.

Kirby's miter fence is OK, the bolt is a plain old 5/16-18 hex head bolt, you'll need a knob to lock it down and some way to pin one end in the holes on either side of the SMT (usually the one closes to the blade). If you want to use the anglescale, the indicator is offset from the back of the miter fence.

A lot of stuff can be made or replaced for this saw by a handy person. The other good news is that Ryobi made a ton of these saws under a couple of model names and makes but most all the parts are interchangeable. Saws being parted out happens all the time here on this forum in the classifieds. Keep an eye out for parts you may need. Good luck.

[JR]

I've never had a problem with Teflon dry lub, but stay away with anything that has silicon in it.

Ok, forget what I said about teflon. I was thinking silicon the whole time.

[chopnhack]

Welcome to the forum! This site is a wealth of knowledge and friendly to boot.