New guy question

[mattyj1907]

I'm new to the site so please forgive me a head of time. I've owned a Bt3k for many years now and it hasn't seen much use. After checking out this, site Im gettting excited about bringing her out of the moth balls. Ive been looking at all of the different mods and notice a lot of people have installed the miter slots, but all seem to still use the slide table. Why is this? Ive found the slide table seems to move left to right, did I set it up wrong?

[cabinetman]

I don't have that saw, but I'm thinking that it's supposed to slide front to back.

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[JimD]

If you are talking about play in the sliding miter table there is an adjustment. I was never satisfied with it's accuracy, however, so mine hangs on the wall. Normally I use a CMS for crosscuts or a radial arm. When I do them on the BT3100, I use an Osborne gauge in a home-made miter slot.

Jim

[Pappy]

There is an adjustment/alignment procedure in the manual. It is important to follow the steps in order to get the best results.

[JSUPreston]

The best thing to do is PM LCHIEN and ask him for the FAQs. It's been a while since I had the BT, but from what I understand, if it ain't in LCHIEN's FAQs, it ain't been asked.

[cwsmith]

In an effort to answer your question let me tell you that my first and only table saw is the BT3100, which I purchased in 2005. The Sliding Miter Table (SMT) was one of the main reasons for buying this particular saw.

Properly aligned (which it was right out the box), the SMT provides a significant advantage over the typical miter slot gauge. It has a much wider support area and the sliding feature offers a real advantage for cross-cutting two to four foot pieces of stock.

The SMT moves front to back, supporting stock to be cross-cut. I also use it with a home-made jig for cutting Shaker-style raised panels.

There should be no side-to-side play (wobble?). As the other members have said, there is some adjustment to eliminate that.

I hope this helps,

CWS

[Black wallnut]

Longtime user here. The SMT was one of the most desired features when I made the decision to purchase mine in 99 or y2k. Set up properly it is inherently more accurate and precise than a slot type gauge, and btw if you have slop side to side yours is out of adjustment. As mentioned seek out the FAQ, read it, also read the manual, then also read the article I wrote about SMT glide service. Once you have done all the background reading something should have clicked. Once understood the simplicity of adjustment takes little time and lasts through cut after cut and project to project. All that said the SMT is not for everyone and that is okay too. Welcome to BT3Central!

[JimD]

I'll have to disagree with Mark on the SMT accuracy being inherently better. If it was a big industrial device like some saws have (and that costs a lot more than the BT3100) that would be a clearly true statement. The problem with the BT3100 is the whole saw is pretty light-weight construction. The rip fence locks down well and the blade is well supported so I don't see any accuracy decrease for ripping. But cross cutting on the SMT the accuracy is limited by the locking of the SMT to the fences - which is pretty good - and flexing of the SMT itself in addition to the clearances of the SMT. For small light-weight pieces, the SMT flexing is not apparent and accuracy is very good. If you try to cross cut a little bigger piece, I have seen issues I can only attribute to flexing. I probably do not attempt as big a pieces with my Osborne gauge but it is as long as the SMT fence so I do not have the normal miter gauge issue of too short a fence. The bar of the Osborne also adjusts to the slot eliminating a source of slop like you can adjust out of the SMT. The Osborne is thus only limited by the attachment of the accessory table for the slot (and it's adjustment) on the rails. I pinch the rail slot with a bolt and t-nut so that is pretty rigid, solider than the SMT clamping.

I think both methods can give acceptable accuracy but I would be careful with larger pieces on the SMT. I never got what I consider acceptable accuracy out of it. For big pieces the real answer is to move the blade and not the wood - use a CMS.

Jim

[Black wallnut]

To make it clearer where I am coming from the size of the scale matters greatly IMHO. With the SMT I can eyeball to the quarter degree. Add to that the length of the SMT fence and for normal sized work pieces it provides more support than the majority of slot type gauges. Side to side slop and be eliminated to the point of too much friction. I've not had problems with flexing that I know of but I admit that is possible, however there are ways to mitigate that as well. I grant that there are gauges such as you use that feature a longer fence and I did not include those in my statement. I was speaking generally.

[JR]

For big pieces the real answer is to move the blade and not the wood - use a CMS.

And here are the results from another precinct...

I have two miter slot tables in my setup, which I use with a crosscut sled. I get really accurate cuts that way, which I could never seem to do with my SMT. In fairness, my SMT had started to get less usage as my shop filled with tools and the protrusion to front of the BT3K was too intrusive - I was constantly removing and replacing it, which screws up a really accurate setup.

As for the CMS, I can not get accurate cuts from mine. I've really tried to love that thing, but it's only good enough to provide construction-level accuracy. It's for sure not my technique that's at fault. Well, probably. Oh, screw it, it just doesn't work for me, and the cross-cut sleds do, so that's the way it is in my shop. Get over it.

JR