Finally!
Okay... The problem was stated earlier... (fence requires adjustment after being locked down because it racks or twists AS it is being locked down... and/or one side of the "front block" (T-Bar) raises off the rails) and several of us had experienced the same problem, with several different conclusions.
Any or all of the solutions may be right for you, if you are having this problem.
Steps are listed in order of easiest to most difficult fix, with more tools (and daring) required for each succesive step.
Front will, in all cases, mean closest to the operator's position in front of the saw... back or rear will mean outfeed side
FRONT overview drawing BACK
1. Check for wax buildup on the front rail, and the underside of the front block where it contacts the rail(front block is the black T shaped portion with lock handle).(Blue area in overview drawing)
Especially check the rearmost top vertical surface of the front rail. There should be NO wax here, [u]not even a thin coat</u>. If you have waxed this portion of your rails, use naptha or mineral spirits to remove it. Because this is the area where the front block "bosses" contact the rail and that is what the fence locks to. Bare metal to metal contact here is the most secure.*
Likewise if you have waxed that area, there will be wax on the "bosses" use the naptha or M.S. on them, too.
(the bosses are the little "nubs" on the inner rear underside of the rail front block. There are 6 of them on the BT3000.
2. If your fence still "climbs" on one side or the other of the front block when clamping it down after completing step 1, look at the 2 sliders on the underside of the fence. Are they each the same distance from the boss nearest each one (easiest to measure with a dial or digital caliper)? If they are not, attempt to adjust them so that they are. Because they are nylon, they may have compressed and distorted under the screw that holds them to the front block.
If that is the case, it will be easier to adjust them and have them stay adjusted, if you purchase (or make) a square washer 25/64 square with a 3/16 hole in the center (I made mine out of a piece of scrap galv. tin, probably about 22g thickness).
They should be adjusted so that they are each no more than a few thousandths (you could use a feeler guage for this) farther from the bosses than the width of the top rear of the front rail (the horizontal area between the T-nut slot and the rear topmost vertical surface of the front rail). This will allow the fence to slide freely, and yet be very close to parallel with the blade all the time.
.002-.003" indicated by the blue area on the right, above.
>>>>IF YOUR SAW IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, YOU MAY WANT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER GETTING REPLACEMENT PARTS RATHER THAN CONTINUE...<<<<
3. Replace the fence and try it... Still racking? Goody!! you get to use more tools!
Get out a flashlight (especially if your shop is dim) to see clearly what is happening. Remove the end caps from one end of both the front and rear rails (this makes it easier to see half of the operation).
Now, move the fence (unlocked) down to the end without the caps and get in a chair facing the end of the front rail.
Shine your flashlight at the front block where it meets the front rail. In the cut-out portion of the lower part of the front block, you can see the sliders in the T-track (they are about 1/2" in front of the bosses), where you can see the .002-.003 gap you left between the bosses and the top rear of the rail in step 2).
Work the locking lever slowly into the down position watching the FRONT(closest to the normal operator's position) of the sliders. As you bring the lever down, is the front of one slider (or the other) contacting the front of the T-track slot BEFORE the fence is locked?
Green area in the above drawing
Do this check several times to be sure, looking at both ends of the front block. Also, if there's more than .002-.003" gap where the bosses are closest to the rear of the front rail, go back to step 2, and get the gap right, before proceding any further.
If the sliders are contacting the front of the T-slot, remove the fence, turn it upside down, and remove the sliders, your washers and the factory screws, both sets of them.
Place the fence (without the sliders) in its normal operating position on the saw, but don't slide it anywhere. Operate the locking lever.
DOES THE FENCE STILL RACK OR TWIST?? You may be able to feel it easier than see it moving as you lock it down... If it moves a teeney bit (say, less that a 64th of an inch, or any amount you can live with (I went for .001"))... it's ok. If it doesn't move at all, you have found the problem!!![8D]
The solution is to grind/file/sand off enough of the FRONT portion of the slider (that contacts the rear of the T-slot in the green area inthe above dwgs.) so that it will not touch that before the fence is locked.
Re-install the sliders and check fence operation. If it all looks good, you are happy, etc., replace the rail end caps, check fence for squareness to blade, and make some sawdust... you are a woodworker, and an apprentice machinist now!
STEP 4...
<Scooby Doo voice on>
RUH ROH!!!! [:0][B)]
<S.D.voice off>
If you've read this far, it means you are still having racking problems even with NO SLIDERS INSTALLED!!!
This is Not Good... This is the same problem I had. I was fortunate, though, in that my saw came new with a fence that had no hook on the rear end of it... Ryobi sent me a complete fence. I got it in a couple of days. But that was over 4 years ago, when it was still the BT3000.
I just replaced the front block with the one that was on the original fence... it works fine now...
But, that doesn't help you...
OK. Here's what I noticed when I put the old (but never used) front block on my fence:
The bosses on the old (never used) one have a machined surface with ridges in them. The one that is racking has shiny/smooth bosses (from all the use). You could try filing the bosses equal amounts and just enough to give them a "gripping" surface. (* Oh, and remember what I said about the wax and metal to metal contact..? This is why! Recheck step 1? It couldn't hurt! Especially before taking a file to your fence...huh?)
NOTE: I haven't yet done the filing myself, so I cannot say that it will work. But, I did try taping over the bosses with masking tape, and it reduced the racking (again, [u]no sliders installed</u>). So I think the increased friction may indicate that filing would work. I will try that and put results of that test and more drawings in the final/final report...
Information on timing the rear hook for best results will be there, too! This has been an intense 3 days disassembling the fence and testing all the parameters... reassembling and testing... and doing the drawings... I know too much about the fence now... Unfortunately for the new guys, it's all applicable to the 3000.. and I don't know if it will apply equally to the 3100.
Remember, I am not an engineer, and I don't even play one on TV... so this information may not include the best method for repairing your saw... It did work for me, though. And, I hope it helps you.
Charlie
Okay... The problem was stated earlier... (fence requires adjustment after being locked down because it racks or twists AS it is being locked down... and/or one side of the "front block" (T-Bar) raises off the rails) and several of us had experienced the same problem, with several different conclusions.
Any or all of the solutions may be right for you, if you are having this problem.
Steps are listed in order of easiest to most difficult fix, with more tools (and daring) required for each succesive step.
Front will, in all cases, mean closest to the operator's position in front of the saw... back or rear will mean outfeed side
FRONT overview drawing BACK
1. Check for wax buildup on the front rail, and the underside of the front block where it contacts the rail(front block is the black T shaped portion with lock handle).(Blue area in overview drawing)
Especially check the rearmost top vertical surface of the front rail. There should be NO wax here, [u]not even a thin coat</u>. If you have waxed this portion of your rails, use naptha or mineral spirits to remove it. Because this is the area where the front block "bosses" contact the rail and that is what the fence locks to. Bare metal to metal contact here is the most secure.*
Likewise if you have waxed that area, there will be wax on the "bosses" use the naptha or M.S. on them, too.
(the bosses are the little "nubs" on the inner rear underside of the rail front block. There are 6 of them on the BT3000.
2. If your fence still "climbs" on one side or the other of the front block when clamping it down after completing step 1, look at the 2 sliders on the underside of the fence. Are they each the same distance from the boss nearest each one (easiest to measure with a dial or digital caliper)? If they are not, attempt to adjust them so that they are. Because they are nylon, they may have compressed and distorted under the screw that holds them to the front block.
If that is the case, it will be easier to adjust them and have them stay adjusted, if you purchase (or make) a square washer 25/64 square with a 3/16 hole in the center (I made mine out of a piece of scrap galv. tin, probably about 22g thickness).
They should be adjusted so that they are each no more than a few thousandths (you could use a feeler guage for this) farther from the bosses than the width of the top rear of the front rail (the horizontal area between the T-nut slot and the rear topmost vertical surface of the front rail). This will allow the fence to slide freely, and yet be very close to parallel with the blade all the time.
.002-.003" indicated by the blue area on the right, above.
>>>>IF YOUR SAW IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, YOU MAY WANT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER GETTING REPLACEMENT PARTS RATHER THAN CONTINUE...<<<<
3. Replace the fence and try it... Still racking? Goody!! you get to use more tools!
Get out a flashlight (especially if your shop is dim) to see clearly what is happening. Remove the end caps from one end of both the front and rear rails (this makes it easier to see half of the operation).
Now, move the fence (unlocked) down to the end without the caps and get in a chair facing the end of the front rail.
Shine your flashlight at the front block where it meets the front rail. In the cut-out portion of the lower part of the front block, you can see the sliders in the T-track (they are about 1/2" in front of the bosses), where you can see the .002-.003 gap you left between the bosses and the top rear of the rail in step 2).
Work the locking lever slowly into the down position watching the FRONT(closest to the normal operator's position) of the sliders. As you bring the lever down, is the front of one slider (or the other) contacting the front of the T-track slot BEFORE the fence is locked?
Green area in the above drawing
Do this check several times to be sure, looking at both ends of the front block. Also, if there's more than .002-.003" gap where the bosses are closest to the rear of the front rail, go back to step 2, and get the gap right, before proceding any further.
If the sliders are contacting the front of the T-slot, remove the fence, turn it upside down, and remove the sliders, your washers and the factory screws, both sets of them.
Place the fence (without the sliders) in its normal operating position on the saw, but don't slide it anywhere. Operate the locking lever.
DOES THE FENCE STILL RACK OR TWIST?? You may be able to feel it easier than see it moving as you lock it down... If it moves a teeney bit (say, less that a 64th of an inch, or any amount you can live with (I went for .001"))... it's ok. If it doesn't move at all, you have found the problem!!![8D]
The solution is to grind/file/sand off enough of the FRONT portion of the slider (that contacts the rear of the T-slot in the green area inthe above dwgs.) so that it will not touch that before the fence is locked.
Re-install the sliders and check fence operation. If it all looks good, you are happy, etc., replace the rail end caps, check fence for squareness to blade, and make some sawdust... you are a woodworker, and an apprentice machinist now!
STEP 4...
<Scooby Doo voice on>
RUH ROH!!!! [:0][B)]
<S.D.voice off>
If you've read this far, it means you are still having racking problems even with NO SLIDERS INSTALLED!!!
This is Not Good... This is the same problem I had. I was fortunate, though, in that my saw came new with a fence that had no hook on the rear end of it... Ryobi sent me a complete fence. I got it in a couple of days. But that was over 4 years ago, when it was still the BT3000.
I just replaced the front block with the one that was on the original fence... it works fine now...
But, that doesn't help you...
OK. Here's what I noticed when I put the old (but never used) front block on my fence:
The bosses on the old (never used) one have a machined surface with ridges in them. The one that is racking has shiny/smooth bosses (from all the use). You could try filing the bosses equal amounts and just enough to give them a "gripping" surface. (* Oh, and remember what I said about the wax and metal to metal contact..? This is why! Recheck step 1? It couldn't hurt! Especially before taking a file to your fence...huh?)
NOTE: I haven't yet done the filing myself, so I cannot say that it will work. But, I did try taping over the bosses with masking tape, and it reduced the racking (again, [u]no sliders installed</u>). So I think the increased friction may indicate that filing would work. I will try that and put results of that test and more drawings in the final/final report...
Information on timing the rear hook for best results will be there, too! This has been an intense 3 days disassembling the fence and testing all the parameters... reassembling and testing... and doing the drawings... I know too much about the fence now... Unfortunately for the new guys, it's all applicable to the 3000.. and I don't know if it will apply equally to the 3100.
Remember, I am not an engineer, and I don't even play one on TV... so this information may not include the best method for repairing your saw... It did work for me, though. And, I hope it helps you.
Charlie
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