BT3000 Rip Fence -- can't re-install?

[LCHIEN]

Wide extension rails are the solution to needing wider rips for sheet goods and such.

Having wide extension rails is a mixed blessing.
On the one hand you don't have to shift rails to make wide rips of sheet goods and realign everything when you are done. And your scale remains correct.
But then you are taking up a lot more room in your shop with the wide rails permanently installed.

Some people have resorted to various compromises.
One is to simply not have the full width rail extensions (42 inches?) but cut them down so the extension is 18-21 inches usually. This can easily be done with a wood miter saw or even the BT3000 as woodworking saws and blades can easily and safely and cleanly cut aluminum extrusions. And you have a set of half rails left over you can sell to someone else.
Another solution is to have the half rails hinged or otherwise rapidly removable and connectable. Unsupported 18" extension is feasible but 42" full extension is not!

[cwsmith]

Coming in late here, but let me add that the BT3100 was and is my first table saw and I purchased it in 2005 (clearance by that date). I had looked at several different table saws, and had some experience using different table saws over a the decades. Up until that purchase, I was an ardent RAS fan and it was the only stationary saw that I owned. The BT3100 was attractive to me mostly because of it's versatility and proclaimed accuracy.

A good part of that versatility was that the rails were not fixed in position and could very easily be moved left or right to increase the blade-to-table edge capacity. While I primarily use it with the front rail in it's normal mid position where the scale provides some measure of accuracy, I found the ability to move the rails a real plus. I've looked at other table saws over the years and often wonder why other brands haven't incorporated that feature into their designs.

For me, adjusting the rails and then returning them to their normal position isn't a challenge. I basically sandwich a measured block between the blade and the fence and then slide the front rail until that measure aligns with the fence indicator and then lock the front rail. I then move the back rail so it aligns with the front and lock that. Once done, I double check the scale and fence, cut a scrap and take a measurement to proof the accuracy. Generally no other adjustments are required.

Regarding the various table heights, I must be lucky as I haven't had to make any adjustments there. The SMT is slightly higher than main table, which is as it should be, at least as I understand it.

CWS

[LCHIEN]

I will say, contrary to other postings, that I find the tape scale on the rip fence to be just very accurate. The BT3000 rip fence cursor has a very fine red line allowing very high resolution positioning. I can literally split the mark on the tape or shade to one or the other side of the mark.
I rarely move the rails and Basically I use it for gospel - if I want a 2 inch rip I set it for two inches, rip and checking the result using calipers is generally within 10 mils of the desired value. That's 0.01 inches or less than 1/64th (0.016")
The micro adjuster from Ryobi optional accessory has marks every 1/64th inch (1/4th turn of the knob on 16 TPI thread) as well for really fine tuning. If you turn against the backlash (same direction as the last movement) you can move it 1/2 of one mark and take out about 8 thousandths. But that's really overdoing it for woodworking.