Finally!!!

[drkg]

I just got my first garage...(golf clap)
And I started shopping for a table saw when I started shopping for a house. Being as I had a long list of power tools I needed to buy, I didn't want to spend a lot on the saw. After looking into and coming up disappointed with about 2 dozen saws I stumbled on the BT3100 on HD's website. After I looked into it further and seen the devout following it had, and the fact that it was a little less than I had intended to spend, I waltzed into HD and asked to buy one.....
....you all know the story......
This sight turned me onto the Craftsman #21829. So....I waltzed into my local Sears......and was told they were out of stock, and weren't even sure they were GOING to be restocked- not this year at least. I called 8 different Sears locations and found one about 75 miles from home. I've got it on hold, and am going to pick it up in a little while. Cross yer'all's fingers for me that the saleman knew what he was doing and has the right saw for me.

I've got chests full of their hand tools but I didn't want to be a Craftsman power-tool guy, but I keep finding gems in their catalog made by other companies. I've also got their router combo made by Bosch (1617) and some air tools of theirs made by CP. Research the OEM makers, and watch for their sales, and Sears has got some pretty nice power tools.

Sorry for the rant....I'm just beyond excited to FINALLY be getting my BT.

[jackellis]

I believe ALL Craftsman tools are made by third party manufacturers under contract to Sears (and Orchard Supply Hardware in California). Craftsman is a brand, not a manufacturer. Sometimes you can get the same tool under the original manufacturer's brand name for less than you'd pay for Craftsman.

[TheRic]

Welcome to the family. Come on in, and make yourself at home. Don't be a stranger.

[ChrisD]

Welcome to the forum!

[gjat]

Actaully, CRAFTSMAN is the RETAILER name. We just recently had a Craftsman RANT thread, but 95% of the people posted they loved their Craftsman tools, but we did our homework and bought the tool, not the Craftsman name. I have tons of Craftsman tools that are older than my college age children, some are older than me. Ryobi makes a great saw, Craftsman is how it's currently marketed and accessorized. Try getting parts from Home Depot, compared to getting parts through Sears.

[cabinetman]

We just recently had a Craftsman RANT thread, but 95% of the people posted they loved their Craftsman tools, but we did our homework and bought the tool, not the Craftsman name.

I should wash your mouth out with soap, it wasn't a rant. There was an underlying reason for the thread. Part of the "name brand gloats" took exception to Craftsman. I wasn't surprised at all of the number of replies to back up the name. It was a great general consensus to hear all the stories, especially about the old tools. I'm not hijacking here, just trying to make an obvious point that craftsmanship is not just what's in a name.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[drkg]

I think gjat had it exactly right......do your home work and buy the tool, not the [] name. The same goes for any manufacturer. The tablesaw offerings that HD currently has with blue and gold paint on them don't seem like much of a saw at all.....and the cheaper red and black one's at Sears and Kmart are absolute junk. I didn't want to reproduce the 'rant' thread uneccessarily, but it seems like a really good point worth repeating.

....I've got the saw most of the way together and adjusted....I can't wait to get to work.

P.S. Thanks for the "welcome"s!

[gmack5]

Welcome to the Family!

Welcome drhg,

Congratulations on the acquisition of your Craftsman #21829 Table Saw and welcome to the "family".

One of the first things you need to do, after you get your Craftsman #21829 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 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.

When checking the Miter Fence for Square to the Blade with a triangle, use the 12" 30-60, if possible.

Just remember, regardless of which measuring instrument you choose to use, check it(them) to be sure they're accurate.

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, if not impossible, 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).

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.