Router / Accessory Table mounting issues

[lymantuttle]

Hey everyone. New year but really liking the forum. Convinced me to pick up a used bt3000 with a 1 3/4 hp Ryobi router (Model 165 I think). Paid $200 in case you want to know. Think I got a pretty good price on the whole thing. Came with the miter slat and router mounting kit.

Here's where I need some help. I put the table together last night and I'll need to true it this weekend. But I think the table has a major issue, either that or I didn't mount the router/accessory table correctly. The router table does not lie perfectly flat with the saw table. it probably sits about 1/8-1/4 below the main table. In addition when I slide the rip fence it hits the main table because it can't clear the main table. This is mostly on the front side as the back seems to be ok. The router table is clamping down on the rails.

Are my rails not straight? How can I "true" them? Or have I not mounted the rails correctly? When I mount the rails the rail levers are not that tight. but if I turn them another 1/4 turn I can't mount the rails. Should I tighten them the 1/4 turn and then tap them in with a rubber mallet? I didn't want to do that out of fear of tweaking them.

Do I not have my router table mounted properly? Does someone have a picture of how the front assembly mounts to the rail? Sorry I bought this used so I am lacking in literature and the online owners manual doesn't really give me a clear idea of how it is supposed to look.

Thanks a million. I'm sure I'll have a million questions when I start truing the table and doing some actual woodworking.

[LCHIEN]

My first thought is that you have perhaps got one of the rails on upside down.

Irregardless of the accessory table, the rip fence should ride on the rails and clear the main table. If the rear rail is uside down then another issue is that the accessory table does not sit correctly - the lip does not fit correctly and it causes the accessory table to be unlevel with the main table.

But i'm puzzled because you say the problem is in the front - wrong side if the rear rail is inverted.

So I'm not quite sure.

Usually when all is correct the accessory table is quite even with the main table.

Look at post #6 in this thread -
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...+BT3000+BT3100
It shows the generational changes in the rails but most important for you shows them in their correct orientation.

[dbhost]

Can you post photos of the setup? Particularly closeups of the accessory table as it relates to the rails both front and back?

[lymantuttle]

rails

yeah I put the back rail on upside down first, then I had it on wrong in another direction and finally I got it right, or at least I think so. It seemed pretty clear to me when mounting the SMT and the rip fence that it wouldn't work any other way. The SMT and rip fence are on there and well seated (not trued yet though).

I'll post pics later tonight.

Thanks,
Jim

[lymantuttle]

Whew, ok, I took lots of pictures but then I started fiddling around trying to see what I could do. Turns out I really had to fidgit with those mounting brackets for the rails and get them just right. Now when I tighten up on the levers the rails get real tight and almost hard to flip up all the way. That appearently lifted up that front rail and now my accessory table is flush with the main table. I had to be real patient sliding the rails because the proper fit had little tolerance. Sorry to take up bandwith with my boneheadness. Hopefully I'll be back with better questions next time.