New BT3000 owner!

[Leatherneck]

Hey all,

I stumbled into buying my BT3000 with no fore thought or research....I went, I saw and I bought! Bird poo stains included!

Thanks to this site, I've learned a lot about the BT3000 and I feel like I have a few hundred friends eager to share their time-tested knowledge about this saw and several other topics that will save me $$$$ or improve my life. I've yet to see a nasty post from any member and I'd be surprised if I did...this is a forum I'll visit often.

A few ?:

1) Is the SMT all that? I prefer the traditional miter fence. I would have to spend close to $100 to get the SMT into shape.

2) Is the router/jig saw mounting kit worth buying? My space is limited and I'd like them to work...however, if it's junk, I'd like to know upfront.

3) How does the Dual Slot Miter Table mount? Are holes drilled into the fence guide? Is there a shop-made alternative to the DSMT?

Thanks and Semper Fidelis,

John

[leehljp]

Welcome John! Others will chime in with their opinions and I, of course have mine. I have a BT3000 in Japan and 3100 Stateside. I have had other saws but enjoy this one. I am not a "power user" that needs speed shoving and ripping 4X4 or even 2X4s. I enjoy the precision and flexibility that the 3100 offers. In answer to your questions:

1) Is the SMT all that? I prefer the traditional miter fence. I would have to spend close to $100 to get the SMT into shape.

It depends . . . attitude and prior bias are everything here. I have what I regard as the Best commercially offered miter gauge in the business - a Woodhaven. Definitely more durable and every bit as accurate (and more) than the much heralded Incras. When I bought my BT3000 in '2000, I thought I would never use the SMT and SMT fence. It could never be as accurate as the Woodhaven that I had purchased in the mid '90s. It took me about 3 to 4 months to change my mind. I haven't adjusted the SMT and Fence in over 2 years and the registration is still dead on even though I take it on and off regularly! A quick check with the registration on occasion keeps my confidence up.

The SMT is MUCH better in crosscutting 3 and 4 ft boards than a miter gauge. I am in the process of making a couple of book cases and the SMT has done so much more than a miter gauge can even think about. I recently wrote that if I ever need another saw, I will not buy anything without getting a proven track record SMT to go with it.

I will say the the SMT is delicate in that it cannot be thrown around or dropped like a cast iron or steel wing from a contractors or cabinetmakers saw. I treat the SMT like I would a $300 Bessy or similar fence! Some people don't give a second thought to dissing the BT and its SMT as being too delicate, but then become very adamant about treating their own Bessy type of fence with kid gloves!

2) Is the router/jig saw mounting kit worth buying? My space is limited and I'd like them to work...however, if it's junk, I'd like to know upfront.

I don't use this because I have my own router table, but many people here do have that set up and use it regularly. There are times that I have things piled up on my router table and wish that I had a router mounted on the BT. There is a kit for that but one thing occasionally overlooked are a couple of small pieces that keep the table/fence from drifting from the router vibrations. I never used this so I don't remember the particulars except that it is occasionally overlooked.

3) How does the Dual Slot Miter Table mount? Are holes drilled into the fence guide? Is there a shop-made alternative to the DSMT?

The DSMT has a couple of holes on each end IIRC. I think I had to drill a couple of holes into the edge of the saw's frame and the DSMT is screwed down to that.

I think that others can elaborate better and more accurately.

Again - WELCOME!

[LCHIEN]

the BT3 FAQ has detailed answer to all your questions you posted. Send me a PM with your e-mail address for a copy.

[JoeyGee]

Could you elaborate on the current state of the SMT? Unless it is missing completely, I don't see how it would cost that much to fix.

I am an SMT convert myself. I thought it was sort of gimmicky, but once I used it, I LOVED it.

Congrats on your purchase, and welcome to one of the best forums on the Internet.

[pelligrini]

2) Is the router/jig saw mounting kit worth buying? My space is limited and I'd like them to work...however, if it's junk, I'd like to know upfront.

The kit is worth buying, but the fence that comes with it is a POS. The plate for mounting the router is good, unless you really want to make your own. The stamped t-nuts, knobs & brackets for the fence are handy for other jigs.

I've got an old craftsman router that I will use in an accessory table on occaision. I much more prefer my custom table insert that uses a Jessem router-fx lift. I'll use the accessory table at times when I don't want to mess with the setup on the lift.

[dbhost]

I use both the SMT, and a regular miter gauge. I prefer the SMT. MUCH smoother operation, much easier to set and use...

[LCHIEN]

Read the FAQ on the SMT. I prefer the SMT.

As for costing $100 to fix...
hang around here. read the for classifieds section. SMTs appear complete with miter fence for around $30 or so.

[Leatherneck]

Thanks....SMT will be salvaged!

All I have is the fence....the miter fence holder, the pivot nipple on the bottom and the 4 plastic rail guides are missing and/or broken.

It seems odd that the pivot nipple and the rail guides are plastic. Friction between aluminum and plastic never bodes well for the plastic parts. $100 to restore the SMT may be more than actual....however, I dislike the thought of being forever nickled and dimed for little plastic parts.

I've thought about retro-fitting some T-slot components from Rockler to restore the SMT.

Thanks for the input....LCHIEN is sending some FAQ info on the subject!!

John
_______________________________________________
"And always remember to wear these, safety glasses"

[JR]

The SMT is perfectly functional, IMO. I do think that to a certain extent it is incompatible with the dual miter slot table. Installing the DMST puts the SMT an extra 6" or so away from the blade. For, me, this just seems to make too long a throw for the SMT to work with confidence. YMMV.

One note about the DMST is that it is aluminum. Some have reported that the steel guide on a regular miter guage can wear out the slot. Once again, YMMV.

The accessory kit used to go for $100, which is too much for what you get, although mounting a router in the accessory table can be very helpful. It's easy enough to make a mounting plate and the rip fence has lots of slots to which you can mount a fence. You'd want some of the special t-nuts for this and other jigs. WHO KNOWS WHERE TO SEND LEATHERNECK FOR THESE? We used to call them Jeff's Nuts, but now that I'm typing this it just sounds kind weird now.

Welcome to the forum!

JR

[zbadboy]

Try these LeatherNeck. http://t-nuts.com/prod.shtml

by the way,

Semper fi,

Jeff

[Black wallnut]

Welcome to the forum John and congrats on your purchase. Fear not the choice of material that Ryobi has used for sliding surfaces in this saw. It is much more than just simple plastic. Ryobi uses glass filled resin for these parts (the glides) which is a high tech plastic. In typical use they last for a very long time and when they do wear beyond the useful range simply turning them 180° and you are back in business. I think I have had my saw for ten years now and I have yet to need to turn mine around, however I did a few months ago simply because I was writing an article for the site about it. I did not need to do so at that time. My saw has seen plenty of use over the years.

The SMT was one of the selling points of the saw when I purchased mine and that was when the price was a few dollars over $400 IIRC. I have found exactly as Hank that the SMT is a precision tool and it holds adjustment over time, even with taking it off, moving it and replacing it. It is not meant to be abused and will not stand for that. As far as the dual miter slot table, I do not have one. I do know that the DMST attaches with screws from the underside in holes that are already drilled in the saw front and rear sheet metal panels. As mentioned it is made of aluminum so wear may become a problem. Neither slot is set to "normal" contractor saw distance from the blade so with aftermarket tenon jigs you will not have the same range of adjustment as you would with most cabinet or contractor saws and the same jig. However most have been able to cope with this from what I've read. No matter which is your preference you will find folks on this forum that will agree with you and be able to offer support, encouragement, or advice depending on what you need.

BTW thanks for your service!

[jabe]

Welcome John. I got a broken BT3000 6yrs. ago with a broken SMT, it did not cost much to replace the broken parts. I made some modification to the SMT with the information at this site. It still works great today. LCHIEN has a lot good information on this saw. Lots of good people here willing to help.

[Leatherneck]

t-nuts.com

Try these LeatherNeck. http://t-nuts.com/prod.shtml

by the way,

Semper fi,

Jeff

OOHRAAAH Jeff,

t-nuts.com is a gr8 resource. I'm confident I can restore my SMT with improvised parts....maybe better quality than the original.

John

[pelligrini]

Be sure to click the T-nuts link on top of the front page of the site:
http://www.bt3central.com/forum.php
One of the perks of being a BT3 member

[George Cole]

If I may suggest, find a extension rail kit and build your own router table. If you use a router with "above table" adjust you wont need a lift. If indeed you use the Ryobi router mount verses your built table you will probably still need to drill mounting holes to install the router..You may want to have a look at the Router Forums to give you some ideas.
http://www.routerforums.com/
The SMT works better than it looks.

Best Regards,
Geirge