Tune up & cleaning help needed

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  • nicer20
    Established Member
    • Sep 2007
    • 365
    • Dublin, CA
    • BT3100

    Tune up & cleaning help needed

    Hello Gurus,

    I had posted initially here (https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...2-wish-me-luck) but I realized later that it may be a wrong forum. My apologies - just learning here.

    Anyway, next part of the story - I opened the saw and turns out it's not in a terribly bad shape as I had thought. Please see photos. Also, another relief is both shims appear in place.

    So here are my questions -

    1. Given the state the saw is in I think complete disassembly may not be warranted. Am I right?

    2. I still think removing Shroud (Photo 1) may be good idea to clean and also lubricate the rails on which shims ride. How do I get the Shroud removed? The screws are quite tight - I am afraid of breaking them. Are they installed with Loctite or something like that? Shall I use penetrating spray and then try?

    3. These photos are taken after the left panel was removed. But I am not able to remove the right panel - the one that has power plug. I need to remove this panel so that I can access the motor from back, clean it and also be able to clean & lube the rising/ lowering mechanism. I have removed 6 screws holding the panel, removed 2 screws holding the power plug block and also loosened the green grounding screw. What am I missing?

    Thanks in advance for all your help. And sorry if I am asking too many questions. But I am excited to get the saw up & running and then produce some sawdust.

    - NG
  • mpc
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2005
    • 979
    • Cypress, CA, USA.
    • BT3000 orig 13amp model

    #2
    No Loctite was used on the shroud screws - at least none was used on my original / early model BT3000. Those screws thread into aluminum so there is some chance of dissimilar metal corrosion occurring. Once you get the side panel off - and get the blade off - look at the aluminum part that supports the shims. You'll see some itty-bitty holes with allen screws in them. Back those out a turn or two; that may be all your saw needs to get moving again. Those screws are intended to adjust the freeplay along the vertical guide; they push on the backsides of the shims. If they're in just a little too far they jam the shims. d

    As for the right side panel: it slips into a cutout/dado-like slot in the power switch assembly on 3 of the 4 sides of the switch. That tends to make it seem stuck. Generally I have to wiggle out the rear-most edge of the panel, then it'll let go of the switch box. Loosening the bolts that hold the actual back panel to the leg stand assembly helps too; the front and back panels may be mounted such that they're jamming/squeezing the side panel. Have the rip fence removed and remove the accessory panel (the one with the round hole in the center of it for routers or jig saws) to get more working room and to make sure they aren't squeezing the front and back panels together via the rails. The angled part of the side panel tends to jam too. It's normal for the panel to put up a bit of a fight... don't feel like you're missing something when doesn't simply "fall free" after the screws are removed.

    Since the shroud screws, and most screws on the BT3 saws go into aluminum, if any do get stripped it's very easy to tap them for the next size larger screw. I'll bet many BT3 saws have loose or nearly-stripped screws on the side panels. Not all of mine tighten fully these days...

    mpc

    Comment

    • GrumpyDad
      Established Member
      • Jul 2020
      • 163
      • Midwest
      • Ryobi BT3100, BT3000, Sawstop PCS

      #3
      I like the Rod Kirby access panel detailed here...


      Opposite side but still a great idea.

      Harumpf!
      Grumpydad
      Harumpf!
      GrumpyDad

      Comment

      • nicer20
        Established Member
        • Sep 2007
        • 365
        • Dublin, CA
        • BT3100

        #4
        Wow GrumpyDad : That's awesome assortment of jigs and fixtures. This will keep me busy for a while !!!!

        mpc : Your tips helped - got the right side panel as well as the shroud out without breaking anything. Things are going well until now.

        The bevel angle lever under the wheel seems stuck badly in locked position though. I will try loosening the hex set screw on top to see if that helps.

        Thanks - you guys are so nice.

        - NG

        Comment

        • mpc
          Senior Member
          • Feb 2005
          • 979
          • Cypress, CA, USA.
          • BT3000 orig 13amp model

          #5
          The bevel locking lever never moves "fingertip-easily" from the locked position. I usually have to tap mine with the bottom of my fist to break it free. Once free it moves fingertip-easy. When it comes time to re-lock, you'll need to give it a little shove to get it tight enough to do its job. Firm thumb pressure is enough to lock my saw's bevel lock lever. The rip fence lock lever should not need a "big shove" to lock as well - just a few pounds of force is enough. If it needs a good shove, odds are the cam finger is bent - that's documented on this site and likely in Loring's FAQ. Easy fix. Properly working rip fence lock levers point at about a 30-45 degree angle upwards (measured from horizontal) when unlocked and will be horizontal when locked; if it needs to point 30 to 45 degrees downwards to lock that means it needs attention.

          Look inside for the spring and lock pin that move with the bevel lever. Anything obviously binding in there? If I remember correctly, there is a split dog-clutch type of mechanism (a round metal tube/collar split in two with big interlocking trapezoid shaped teeth) that separates when bevel mode is engaged. Verify the dog clutch itself isn't jammed/rusted together. Prying with a small screwdriver to verify they'll separate might be a good idea. Some spray lubricant all along the spring, clutch, etc. shaft probably wouldn't hurt. Use "dry lubricant" - don't use anything with silicone. Graphite lock lube probably would work but it's messy. I use the Boeshield T-9 dry lubricant available at Woodcraft and Rockler.

          For lubrication or for waxing the table top (makes cutting large panels easier - reduces friction) you'll see recommendations to use paste wax. Works very well. I use paste wax on the tabletops of all my woodworking tools to prevent rust and reduce friction. Just don't use the waxes sold for automobiles - that almost always contains silicone. Silicone will transfer to your project wood and contaminate it... many stains and finishes are blocked by silicone. You'll get "fish eyes" in the finish. Pure paste wax won't have silicone. For years, folks on this site swore by Johnson's Paste Wax (aka JPW) in the yellow can; I found mine in the furniture area of Lowes many years ago. I hope they still carry it! The T-9 will also lubricate woodworking tabletops but I prefer the paste wax. T-9 or JPW work well to lubricate the shims too. I find the paste wax seems to last longer on the shims. It's easy to apply without having to totally disassemble the saw: run the blade carriage all the way down and wax the top half of the machined aluminum areas the shims ride on; then raise the blade and do the bottom. Run the carriage all the way down again, then put small blobs of wax on the tops of the shims and raise the carriage again, dragging the blobs into the mechanism. That's enough to take care of whatever you can't directly reach. You don't have to actually re-wax the shim faces themselves - which would require a major disassembly job. If you've got the saw that far apart though it makes sense to lubricate the shims during installation.

          Another area critical to lubricate is the screw that raises/lowers the blade and motor assembly. This is a steel screw that threads into soft aluminum... guess which part looses badly when something jams? Stripping the aluminum is common on ill-maintained saws. That threaded aluminum piece is part of the motor carrier - it's not a separate nut - so it's a major disassembly to repair and it isn't exactly cheap. The part might not even be available these days. There were different parts depending on the type of saw (early 13 amp BT3000, later 15 amp BT3000, BT3100 at a minimum) and they're not interchangeable. The "Helicoil" thread repair system used to fix stripped parts on cars works as a replacement - there are several posts on this site about that too. Once you get the saw working properly, you'll feel how easily the blade raises and lowers. As you use the saw, you'll feel it slowly tightening up... a sign that maintenance/lubrication is due. Put that off and you might get a) damaged shims and/or b) stripped aluminum bits around the screw.

          mpc
          Last edited by mpc; 08-28-2020, 02:34 PM.

          Comment

          • nicer20
            Established Member
            • Sep 2007
            • 365
            • Dublin, CA
            • BT3100

            #6
            mpc Can't thank you enough. All important tips. Bevel locking lever did require tapping by a mallet. I was initially worried about breaking something.

            Right now the saw is as clean as factory. Everything is moving smoothly except the blade rising mechanism. This is BT3100 with better shims. And the shims are all in place as I can see, Looks like I will have to disassemble the mechanism to figure out what is really wrong. Looks like not an enjoyable process but I better do it now since I have got this so much disassebled.

            Will post what I find.

            Thanks once again .........

            Comment

            • mpc
              Senior Member
              • Feb 2005
              • 979
              • Cypress, CA, USA.
              • BT3000 orig 13amp model

              #7
              One other thing that makes raising and lowering the blade difficult - and has bitten a few folks - is the back edge of the blade guard/riving knife dragging against the back of the throat opening. Hopefully you have the blade and guard off while taking the saw apart...

              mpc

              Comment

              • LCHIEN
                Internet Fact Checker
                • Dec 2002
                • 20920
                • Katy, TX, USA.
                • BT3000 vintage 1999

                #8
                Did you read the FAQ, there is a whole section on why the vertical elevation don't work including often to someone chagrin, the riving knife was tilted too far back.

                Regarding the shims, I have never had the blade shroud off. I always lube mine by going into the blade opening from above, running the motor bracket up and down while applying Johnsons paste wax with my fingers Do the same for the elevation screw. You might need to take the right side off to make it easy to lube the elevation screw. Its a steel elevation screw but the motor bracket is aluminum so its a weak wear point. and needs to be kept lubed for long life.
                Loring in Katy, TX USA
                If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                Comment

                • nicer20
                  Established Member
                  • Sep 2007
                  • 365
                  • Dublin, CA
                  • BT3100

                  #9
                  Thank you LCHIEN . My issue isn't riving knife as all that is off the saw.

                  Finally opened the whole thing and put it back successfully. Looks like the entire aluminum housing is quite tight - may be the earlier owner didn't use it as much and needs "breaking-in"?

                  I also found one of the shims has a small crack (see photo-0). I don't believe it is making that much of an issue. The whole housing is quite tight. I had to use mallet to get it off and also back in. I have waxed the entire channel and shims using Minwax Paste wax. Now it moves reasonably fine.

                  BTW when I was trying to get the bracket back in, the bearing was giving me quite a bit of grief. So I used a small trick using a clamp to squeeze it in. Thought I will share the photos to help anyone who may have similar issue. Using this clamp I got the bearing seated in almost 80%. The remaining set-in happened after the two screws pulled in the small black plate.

                  Now the saw is almost as clean as the factory (Photo-4 & Photo-5) - Tuning up is the NEXT.

                  Thanks for such a wonderful supportive group.

                  - NG

                  Comment

                  • LCHIEN
                    Internet Fact Checker
                    • Dec 2002
                    • 20920
                    • Katy, TX, USA.
                    • BT3000 vintage 1999

                    #10
                    Very nice and clean looking.

                    Wax the shim channels (Technically the term is ways, I believe) and elevation screw every 6 months or so or when ever it feels tight. Don't let the inside of the saw cake up with sawdust; I put a Dust Collector with two hoses - one connected to the dust port in the back sucking up the dust thrown by the blade into the dust shroud and the other onto a belly pan I just laid in the bottom of the saw essentially. It keeps the inside of the saw impressively clean.

                    https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/discussions/tool-talk/54693-pics-of-my-hf-2hp-dc-with-grizzly-canister-filter-and-neutral-vane-remote-relay?53380-Pics-of-my-HF-2HP-DC-with-Grizzly-Canister-filter-and-Neutral-Vane-remote-relay=&highlight=Dust+collector

                    This is a picture of the saw opened for inspection with no cleaning whatsoever after using the dust collector on each use. Sometimes I skip it for a single quick cut. The belly pan mounted to the plywood just rests on the top rails of the BT3000 stand with gravity. It is not sealed; in fact there is an open slot between the end panels and the plywood. I think it helps to have air sucked in those slots to pick up the falling dust to be sucked into the pan. Closing off the airflow too much simply slows the air flow. Remember its airflow, not suction pressure that gets the dust.


                    Click image for larger version  Name:	fetch?id=797406.jpg Views:	0 Size:	90.9 KB ID:	840484
                    Loring in Katy, TX USA
                    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                    Comment

                    • nicer20
                      Established Member
                      • Sep 2007
                      • 365
                      • Dublin, CA
                      • BT3100

                      #11
                      LCHIEN : That's great. Liked the dust pan idea. Another item to the "To Do" list - but first will do some cuts and a couple of quick small projects for Wife to justify all this time spent on the saw clean-up & tune-up

                      Comment

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