Truely 'Getting Started'

[Rastan]

I just bought the 3100 yesterday at the HD clearance of the unit. I have a big older 3 car garage that is basically a 2 car space (approx. 20x18) then a wall seperating the 3rd space (10x18). I am planning to put in a door in the wall seperating the 3rd space and possibly closing in 3rd door since it's an old swing up garage door and the hinges take up lots of room. Anyways, I'm looking for shop idea suggestions or links. We park our cars under the carport and already have some storage buildings, so I basically have the whole layout to use and I'm trying to decide a good way to setup my shop.

I don't have many stationary tools yet, just a cheap small HD sub-$100 range band-saw, a grinding wheel, an old 10" miter, and the 3100. I also have the Ryobi 18v pack with 8 tools or so from HD. My father-inlaw owns a home construction business, so I can use his shop for the more specialty tools that I won't use very often. I do have plans to very soon get a new 12" miter. But aside from that and maybe a small sander and drill press,, I don't know of many other tools that I'll be getting.

Anyways, I don't plan on or have the money to do a top notch workshop. Just a workshop that is well laid out with a good wood storage system. I am a novice weekend warrior at best when it comes to actual woodworking. I have my father in-law to lean on for advice, but I would like to learn some of this myself and only use him when needed. I have a 2 year old girl and am hoping for a bigger family in the future, and would like to learn how to build basic furniture. So I figure I need to take the time to build a very functional, organized workshop.

Anyways, I would appreciate any help or suggestions. I don't mind if you just copy some links down for me to read. I've already done some searching and bought the Avenger 6" dado from Amazon based on some of the replies on this forum, so I don't mind searching for answers, but sometimes I have trouble figuring out the right words to use in the search to get what I want to know.

Sorry if I'm not making any sense...
Thanks for any replies and suggestions,

Gary

[gmack5]

Welcome Gary,

Congratulations on the acquisition of your BT3100 and welcome to the "family".

One of the first things you need to do, after you get your BT3100 Saw assembled is, following your Owner's Manual, go thru the entire set-up proceedure, step by step, in the sequence laid out in the Manual. Each set up proceedure builds on the preceeding proceedure, so you MUST keep them in sequence.
Usually the Saw is set up properly, right out of the box, but you should still check it as this gets you familiar with all the adjustments on the saw and assures you that everything is as it should be.

Here's some free plans that'll keep you busy for a while. http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/r...ex.php?cat=102

And here's some additional information about your Saw that you may find useful.

Regardless of what you've read or others have told you, NEVER NEVER use any wax or lubricant on your saw that contains Silicone, this includes all automobile waxes and polishes and most spray-on furniture polishes. The reason is simple, most of them contain Silicones and they will make your projects difficult to finish.
Silicones repell liquid, making "fish eyes" in your finishes, this will force you to remove the Silicones from your project and start over. That stuff (Silicone) migrates all over every where, don't ask me how, it just does.
If you put it in one place, eventually it will be all over the
entire saw.

Your best bet is to use a "dry" lubricant, such as Teflon (PTFE), Powdered Graphite, or Candle Wax for the Raising/Lowering and Tilt mechanisms below the table top.

Then use either Johnson's Paste Wax, Minwax's "Finishing Wax" or Butcher's Wax on the working surfaces, table tops (All three of them) and the Rip Fence.

Do NOT Wax the Front and Rear rails or the Miter Fence. As a mater of fact, you may want to glue 220 grit sand-paper to the front face of the Miter Fence, cause you don't WANT things to slide on there.

You might also want to check out the "Articles" section on the www.BT3central.com site. Lots of good maintenance information on your saw and some of the Jigs and Fixtures that BT3Central members and others have designed for it. Located here: http://www.bt3central.com/articles/ The only thing you'll need to access the information is a recent copy of the Adobe Reader (It can be downloaded from the BTcentral site). One of the Articles mentioned is a "Check List", written by Jim Frye. You can find it here: https://www.sawdustzone.org/articles...nce-check-list

This list contains all the different areas on your saw that need to be periodically inspected or given some sort of special attention. In other words, a "Preventative Maintanence Check List" or PM. Performing this PM on a monthly basis would be a good idea. One of the other things you'll find there is an on-line copy of the User's Manual in downloadable pdf format (a handy thing to have).

Something you might think about is the use of a set of Draftsman's Triangles instead of the Carpenter's Square that they show in the Owner's Manual for setting up your saw.
An accurate Carpenter's Square is almost a myth!
A good one will cost you quite a bit of money, $40 - $75, or more. I would recommend that you consider using a pair of Draftsman's 30 -60 and 45 degree triangles instead. You'll find they're not near as expensive and are far more accurate than a run-of-the-mill Carpenter's Square. The 30 -60 triangle should have one 12" leg and the other leg would be 9" long. The 45 degree triangle should have at least 8" legs on either side of the 90 degree corner. That way either one can be put up against the side of the Saw Blade without touching the saw teeth.

Just remember, regardless of which measuring instrument you choose to use, check it(them) to be sure they're accurate. When checking the Miter Fence for Square to the Blade with a triangle, use the 12" 30-60, if possible.

One of the other "tricks" that I've discovered is to take a piece of "Wax" paper, fold it several times and rub it in the grooves that the "T" nuts that lock your Rails in place ride in. Makes the Rails move smooth as Butter.

Last, but not least, don't forget to paint the RED line!
It's a line that extends the line-of-sight from the saw blade to the front edge of the table to remind you NOT to let your Miter Fence or your FINGERS get in the way of the saw blade. Just put red paint, nail polish, or what ever, in the grove that extends towards the operator from the front edge of the saw blade.

[Pappy]

Welcome to the Asylum, Gary!

In Mineral Wells, I'm not sure I would seal off that door unless you plan to put in an AC unit, assuming you are going to use it as a shop area. Rather than have wasted space above the door, hang storage racks from the ceiling joists above it for lumber storage.

If I'm reading you right, you have all three bays to work with. If that is the case, I would agree with closing the garage door off, install double doors in the dividing wall, and turn that area into a dedicated finishing area. Add a couple of vents in the new wall where the door is now that will accept large furnace filters and install an exhaust fan near the rear with filter holders inside and outside. Use the other 2 bays as the actual shop area.

[Rastan]

Thanks for the replies.

George, thanks for the tips. Our company is closing the plant down for 2 weeks around Christmas, so I'm gonna use some of that time to assemble and try to get to know the saw. Those tips will help me out a lot, maybe I can stay out of the club of fence cutters I've read about with that red-line.

Pappy, the garage door is an old 1 piece door that swings up and has some big springs mounted onto the sides of the garage. So basically the 1st 6 feet on either side of the door are unuseable. I am also considering just putting up a new garage door in the 1 unit, but the inside access to the 2 car bay would be nice. But yes, AC is a definate plan.

The house itself was build around the 1900's. I don't know how old the garage is, but it would need to be seriously insulated as it has none to begin with. The bottom rafters are exposed and the only ceiling is the roof, the gable vent is missing, and the double back door needs to be redone as there isn't much left of it. The whole house was bought as a fixer-upper, and it's only now that I'm getting to the garage. All of the wall studs are exposed, but I plan to insulate and put some type of siding on the interior walls before I put any permanent additions to my workshop. I guess I'm just trying to get a plan together to try to follow. I know there are plenty of things people on here wish they would have done differently or things they think are neccesities in a workshop. I'm just trying to find some of them out and hope to get a good plan. I'd like to figure it out before I wall up the walls incase I'd like to anchor anything to the wall studs themselves.

Again, thanks for the replies,
Gary

[monte]

Welcome to the group and congratulations on your new saw. Take your time and enjoy your shop.

[JR]

Gary, this link takes you to Wood Magazines several articles on shop ideas: http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/cat...Shop_Tours.xml

Having two rooms to develop is a real blessing. As has been suggested, you do the finishing in the small room, keeping your work isolated from flying sawdust in the main shop. I'd also plan for a compressor and dust collector to be separated from the main shop, keeping noise down in there.

Good luck,
JR

[Rastan]

Thanks for the links JR. I will have to look at them in greater detail when I get the time, but they look like some good ideas to get me started.

Gary

[JimD]

You should also check out the current Fine Woodworking shops issue -should be on news-stands but I got mine thorugh subscription. It has a shop layout article as well as several good ideas for specific workstations.

Generally, the table saw goes in the middle of the shop because it needs 8 feet in front of and behind the saw for ripping sheet goods. More space is better. I have a work table behind the BT3100 that is 1/4 inch shorter which doubles as an outfeed table. My router table is on the infeed side of the BT and, with the fence removed, becomes an infeed table. I have a radial arm saw and a 10 inch CMS on one long wall with a fence with movable stops that serves them both - there is an arrangement like this in the magazine.

I would start with getting the BT3100 set up, probably on a movable base and preferably with extension rails. Next I would create a cross-cutting workstation. Initially you could use your 10 inch CMS and maybe later upgrade that to a 12 inch. A long fence for stops really helps precision. In my case, the BT3100 and jointer are kind of out in the middle of the shop with other tools along walls (mortiser, drill press, bandsaw).

Jim

[kyle.w]

welcome!! sounds like my shop.

[Ken Weaver]

Welcome aboard Gary. Sounds like you have a real challenge in planning your shop. My advice is to take it a step at a time. I've rearranged my area a bunch of times so flexibility is useful. In your case, sounds like you have the space to made some dedicated area, but as you close things off, keep in mind what you are going to be moving around, in other words, make sure the door(s) is/are big enough - DAMHIKT. I'm using half (my measurement - LOML says whole thing) of a 2-car garage, would love to have the 3rd bay like you do. Have fun with it all, but be safe.