5 Noob Questions BT3100

[mackmack]

Just had a few questions about my new saw and was hoping someone could shed some light. Thanks for any and all replies, you guys are the best.

1.The saw has the circular sawdust exhaust on it, can you buy something to put over that to collect the saw dust or make something yourself?(trash bags)

2. I watched the DVD and I still don't understand the difference between a crosscut and a rip cut. What I mean is, I know the cross cut is across the wood grain but why are they cut differently on the saw? I have been messing around with the saw for a few days and have just ran everything through against the rip fence and thought that was the way to go. Guy on the DVD used the miter table thing.

3. Also, regarding cross cuts and using the miter table set at 90 degrees,...do you just have to watch your line as the saw cuts it? It seems to me like the rip fence is easier because you are pushing up against the fence, not worrying about measuring or how straight the cut is because its was set before hand.

4. If I am making dado cuts... I have to completely disassemble the saw guard every time? That seems like a big pain. Any way around that?

5. Last question. I haven't purchased a framing square to line up the fence and rails yet... Is that the best way to do it and is it really that accurate where I can just cut using the fence with complete confidence?

Thanks so much guys, appreciate everything.

[bigsteel15]

Just had a few questions about my new saw and was hoping someone could shed some light. Thanks for any and all replies, you guys are the best.

1.The saw has the circular sawdust exhaust on it, can you buy something to put over that to collect the saw dust or make something yourself?(trash bags)

2. I watched the DVD and I still don't understand the difference between a crosscut and a rip cut. What I mean is, I know the cross cut is across the wood grain but why are they cut differently on the saw? I have been messing around with the saw for a few days and have just ran everything through against the rip fence and thought that was the way to go. Guy on the DVD used the miter table thing.

3. Also, regarding cross cuts and using the miter table set at 90 degrees,...do you just have to watch your line as the saw cuts it? It seems to me like the rip fence is easier because you are pushing up against the fence, not worrying about measuring or how straight the cut is because its was set before hand.

4. If I am making dado cuts... I have to completely disassemble the saw guard every time? That seems like a big pain. Any way around that?

5. Last question. I haven't purchased a framing square to line up the fence and rails yet... Is that the best way to do it and is it really that accurate where I can just cut using the fence with complete confidence?

Thanks so much guys, appreciate everything.

I'll be the first to jump in...I know gmack will post you an answer to almost every question in his intro.
1. The port can hook directly up to your shop vac. I recommend if that is the way you go to use this.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30282&cat=1,42401&ap=1

2. If you are crosscutting a piece that is wider than it is long (crosscutting) then you risk a jam or kickback

3. put a 1" thick stop block against the fence, before the blade and set your fence 1" farther than your cut.

4.Yes and yes. BUY A SHARK GUARD!!..Much easier to take apart.

5. Buy a 6 or 8" engineers square, not a framing square.

Good luck and good times.

[mschrank]

EDIT: I knew someone would beat to it!

Hi and welcome!

Someone else is probably replying to this as I type, so you may get two or more sets of answers (see how helpful we are )

1. A regular wet/dry vac hose will fit nicely in the "exhaust pipe." You can also purchase a Ryobi bag that will fit. I guess you could fashion your own...but I recommend the vac option (assuming you don't have a "real" dust collector).

2. OK, so you understand the basic difference, but if you envision cross-cutting an 4' long 2 x 4 into 2 2' sections, you will quickly see that using the rip fence to guide it won't work. There is no way to keep the wood perpendicular to the blade...so you would use the miter fence.

3. See answer above. You should NEVER use both the miter fence and rip fence at the same time. Did I say NEVER? Your workpiece can easily get bound between the two fences and the blade. The force of the blade will throw it somewhere...usually straight at you face. But, along the same lines as your question #3, when ripping, you will want to be aware of where your hands are and where the blade is, but yes, you want to watch the fence to keep the workpiece tight against it.

4. Yes and Yes, get a Shark Guard. I don't have one yet, so when I remove the dado stack and replace the regular blade, it's all too tempting to just leave the guard off. It doesn't offer much protection when it's sitting on a shelf.

5. You don't need to line up the rails. You just need to make sure the fence is parallel to the blade. There are several methods for this...some like to use plastic drafting triangles...my favorite is detailed here.

Have fun, be safe, and keep asking questions!

[scmhogg]

mackmack,

No.s 2 & 3 You have come to us just in time. As others have said already, making cross cut using the fence is REALLY DANGEROUS. [sorry for raising my voice] The sliding miter table is the way to go. Do not even use the fence to measure your cut. Add a block that is well before the blade, if you must.

I feel safer, myself, using a sled. Use the search and you will find several threads and pictures.

Oh and welcome the one of the friendliest forums on the www.

Steve

[Wood_workur]

one thing I would like to add to your Q abut the guard. When you change blades, you remove the throat plate, an raise the blade, so yu are halfway there for attaching/removing the blade guard.

[JimD]

The sliding miter table versus the rip fence is more the dimensions of the pieces being cut than it is cross grain versus with the grain. If I wanted to split a piece of 1x12 that was only 6 inches along the grain but 11+ with the grain into two pieces 3 inches by 11+, I would use the rip fence. The point about the rip fence is that if you try to cut a piece that is much longer than it is wide (longer in the distance between the rip fence and the blade than it is in the distance that will ride along the rip fence) it will tend to get at an angle and then you have kick-back. If you use the SMT, no kick-back.

The way I set the rip fence is to get it very close to the blade and just sight the clearance between the blade and the fence at the front and the back. When the gaps are equal, the rip fence is parallel. You eye can see pretty small differences when you get the rip fence close. You can also lay a steel rule or anything else with parallel edges between the rip fence and the blade when doing this. To set the SMT at right angles to the blade, I lock the rip fence close to the blade and use a large plastic drafting triangle (cheap and accurate) to get the SMT square to the blade using the rip fence as a reference. You must also get the play out of the SMT which is much trickier but only has to be done once.

Jim

[LCHIEN]

use the rip fence when the piece you're cutting is much longer in the cut direction, and vice versa. What you don't want is to cross cut a 1" wide piece of say, molding and not really be able to control it from twisting because the length aloing the rip fence is too short.

Using wither the rip fence or the miter fence should beable to follow a line w/o watyching the line because both the SMT and the rip fence are mechancically set to guide the wood in a straight line.

Dust port in the back - a shop vac with a standard 2.5" hose will work great. There's a Ryobi dust bag that's so-so (or worse according to many) A plastic bag is worst because a lot of air moves through that port and a plastic bag will blow up like a ballon and block the air flow that carries dust.

[crokett]

Just had a few questions about my new saw and was hoping someone could shed some light. Thanks for any and all replies, you guys are the best.

1.The saw has the circular sawdust exhaust on it, can you buy something to put over that to collect the saw dust or make something yourself?(trash bags)

A shopvac fits nicely in that dust port. The BT3000 came with a dust bag. Apparently the BT3100 does not.

2. I watched the DVD and I still don't understand the difference between a crosscut and a rip cut. What I mean is, I know the cross cut is across the wood grain but why are they cut differently on the saw?

Never make a cross cut with the stock against the rip fence. That is extremely dangerous. There is the option of clamping a stop block against the rip fence if you are making a lot of cross cuts for cutting stock to the same length.

3. Also, regarding cross cuts and using the miter table set at 90 degrees,...do you just have to watch your line as the saw cuts it? It seems to me like the rip fence is easier because you are pushing up against the fence, not worrying about measuring or how straight the cut is because its was set before hand.

See my previous statement. If the miter table is set correctly, you will get straight cuts without working about it.

4. If I am making dado cuts... I have to completely disassemble the saw guard every time? That seems like a big pain. Any way around that?

Shark guard. You can find references to it on the site. Some folks have also removed the guard completely and left it off. That is done at your own risk.

5. Last question. I haven't purchased a framing square to line up the fence and rails yet... Is that the best way to do it and is it really that accurate where I can just cut using the fence with complete confidence?

There are some tips on this site for squaring things up without a framing square. I don't use one myself to tune my saw.

[scorrpio]

1 - as other said, hook it up to a shop vac. Attaching a bag is possible, but inadequate.

2 - there are two types of classification here. One distinction has to do with workpiece dimensions and thus which fence to use. Another distinction is which direction the grain runs, and thus which BLADE to use. Generally, cutting along the grain is done with a ripping blade that has a lower tooth count, but teeth are large and gullets are deep. Cutting across the grain is done with crosscutting blades that have a high tooth count for producing smoother cuts slicing through end grain. However, most modern combination blades can do both equally well, so this is something you don't really need to worry about. Thus, a rip cut is one done along the longest dimension of a piece, and uses a rip fence. Cuts done across the long dimension are best done using miter fence.

3 - several options here. You can clamp a stop block to the rip fence to cut off a specific length off a longer piece of stock. You can clamp a stop block to a miter fence to trim workpiece to a certain length - or you can clamp a sacrificial fence to miter, run it through the blade, and then you simply aling the layout line on the workpiece with sacrificial fence end.

4 - as said above, you remove throat plate and raise the blade to change it. From here, it is a matter of loosening two nuts and the guard assembly lifts right off - even the stock one. Installing it back is equally easy - just slide it back in and tighten the two nuts.

5 - I personally use a high-quality combination square as primary tuneup tool.

[mackmack]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who took the time to answer what are probably boring questions for you guys. Amazing how quickly you guys responded as well.

I will be spending many nights digesting all the great knowledge that is presented here.

[gmack5]

Welcome to the "Family"

Welcome mackmack, welcome to the "family".

One of the first things you need to do, after you get your BT3100 Table 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.

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 Framing 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. If you get a 45 degree triangle that is 10", or more, then notch out the right angle corner so that you have about 8" exposed as a straight edge so you don't contact the teeth of your Saw Blade.
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.

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

You might also want to check out the "FAQ" in a "sticky" at the beginning of the Getting Started Forum:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=19968

It'll answer a lot of your questions.

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 enough, most of them contain Silicones that 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 (parafin) for the Raising/Lowering and Tilt mechanisms below the table top.

Do NOT use "oils" as they will get sticky and attract Saw Dust and "gum up" the mechanisms under the table top.

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).

One of the "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.

Another "problem" that I've solved is as follows:

Problem: The Miter Fence does not move smoothly when making an Angular Adjustment or when installing/uninstalling the Miter Fence.

There is a Grove on the bottom of the SMT that the Head of a 5/16-18 Machine Screw rides in, it's the "Clamp" Screw that you're using when you tighten the Knob to lock the Miter Fence in place.

Uninstall the Miter Fence and rub Candle Wax (Parafin) on the Hexagonal Faces of the 5/16-18 Clamping Hex Head Machine Screw, coat it liberally, so that the Parafin will be spread over the Working Surfaces that the Bolt Head rides in. You may also want to coat the Sides of the Slot that the Clamp Screw passes thru.

This should make the Miter Fence move much smoother thru it's range of motion, as well as make it much easier to install/uninstall.

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.

[poolhound]

Just had a few questions about my new saw and was hoping someone could shed some light. Thanks for any and all replies, you guys are the best.

1.The saw has the circular sawdust exhaust on it, can you buy something to put over that to collect the saw dust or make something yourself?(trash bags)

Dont mess around with bags go and get a shopvac. I would also get one bigger than you might initially think as the tend to fill up quicker than you may expect, especially if you have other equipment - router sanders etc.

I got a realitively small one and wish I had gone bigger. It is a RIGID and it works well but just wish I didnt have to empty so frequently. The good thing is that it was on sale at HD and had an awesome RIGID rebate. ended up costing less than $20. I know that I will end up with another larger model before long.