About to purchase the BT3100

[cablebandit]

Hey all. I've been lurking for a while and finally decided that I'm going to go ahead and pickup a BT3100 this Friday. I live in the middle of PA so the closest Home depot is about 1.5 hours away. Fortunately, work takes be to Baltimore every few weeks so I figure I'll pop into a home depot on the way home and buy the saw. My question is this. I have an assortment of hand tools here at the house but was wondering it there is anything else I would need to get the saw put together. Do I need a framing square or anything out of the ordinary. Many thanks in advance.

I've got all next week off to play around with my new tool so hopefully I'll be able to post up a pic of some crude project in the near future.

Clark

[wreckwriter]

Yea, a framing square is called for in the setup to check that the blade is square with the fence. I can't think of anything else beyond standard stuff, wrenches and screwdrivers.

You can check out the manual at http://oneworld1.inetu.net/manuals/r...00_132_eng.pdf . It lists tools needed.

[cablebandit]

Great! Thanks for the link

[lkazista]

Although the size escapes me at the moment, I do remember that a nutdriver was quite useful in assembling the stand, and attaching the saw to it.

Just remember to read through the ENTIRE manual. I do remember thinking that I was done, because the directions kinda seemed like they were through. But later realized that there was a couple of steps a few pages futher down. Sounds dumb to say, but that is how I recall it.

Good luck, and enjoy.

Lee Kazista

[Ken Weaver]

What Lee said about reading the manual. Welcome aboard Clark, make sawdust, have fun, be safe!

[gimpy]

Gee, there's gotta be some handtool/power tool that you need to buy, possibly a router if you don't have one? . Also, remember not to tighten too tight. My saw had a cd with it and I watched that first. You could see that they did not overtighten on it.

Frank

[gmack5]

Welcome Clark,

Welcome to the "Family"!

Here's some information you'll find handy when you actually purchase your new BT3100 Table Saw.

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 one before it, 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/index.php?page=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.

You might also want to check out the "FAQ" in a "sticky" in the Getting Started Forum:
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=1699
It'll answer a lot of your questions.

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.

[drumpriest]

No HD in Altoona?? Wow, I'm surprised, so Johnstown is the closest. And that is about 1 hour 20 minutes away or so. A bit of a trek. Have fun with it, it's a great tool.

[cablebandit]

No HD in Altoona. We are getting one in State College, but it will probably be the end of this year or next spring. They have not even broken ground. (although Lowes was quick to buy the lot across the street and move their store 5 blocks so they could be right across the street from home depot)