If the user continues to force the blade up despite the resistance, the Guide Holder will ride up over the tab of the stuck shim, flattening the tab and leaving the shim behind. If such interference causes the shim to become slightly stuck, the user will first notice it as a sensation of heavier-than-normal resistance when attempting to raise the blade. Based on the saw's construction, proximity to the main source of sawdust, and gravity, the most obvious place for foreign matter to collect is along the top edge of the shim.
It apparently happens, if it happens, when interference or excessive friction occurs in the path of the sliding shim, due to the collection of sawdust, other foreign matter, improperly adjusted shim set screws, or perhaps some other metaphysical cause (I personally think it has to do with the phase of the moon). 4) Occasionally, however, a problem arises. To prevent this kind of friction and damage, thin, oddly shaped stainless steel shims have been designed to fold around the edges and slide between the two aluminum parts. Since both these parts are made of relatively soft cast aluminum, direct contact and sliding would result in mutual wear and potential seizing. As the motor arbor is moved up and down to elevate the blade, the Guide Holder slides against the Locker Bracket. To quote Norm, "two of the central parts of the BT3000 are the Locker Bracket and the Guide Holder.
The full article can be read here: A Cure for the Shim Problem on the Ryobi BT3000. Norm Havens, another longtime "regular" on the Ryobi Power Tool Forum has written a very detailed article on the shim problem. Undoubtedly, the most significant problem plaguing the BT3000 was the shims. Internally, there are some fairly significant changes. Both seem "beefier" which should take care of a problem that plagued some BT3000 owners: the roller holder would break causing the rip fence to not lock down in the rear. The front block assembly is a totally new casting and the roller holder in the rear is also completely redesigned (fig. Additionally, the rip fence seems to be the most redesigned item. 1) Other cosmetic changes include a new bolder color scheme featuring a champagne colored powder coating, black anodized fence rails, and a black anodized Sliding Miter Table base. To accommodate this on the BT3100, Ryobi included hooks on the left and right side of the saw base. The original intention of these "shelves" on the BT3000 was to store the rip fence and the miter fence when not in use. The stand on the BT3100 has splayed legs with no shelf area to the left or right of the saw body. At first glance, the most noticeable change is the stand. 2) Also of note, the BT3000 was dubbed a 10" Precision Woodcutting System but the BT3100 is called a 10" Precision Woodcutting Table Saw. 1) arrived in a box that is a little smaller than the box my BT3000 came in. This article is my freshman attempt at review writing and I hope it proves meaningful to those interested. When given the chance to evaluate one of the first BT3100s off the production line, I jumped at the chance.
But most significantly, we have the first major redesign of the Ryobi BT series table saw. Jim Frye is still around on the forum and Tom Clinkscales and Wayne Hill are still with Ryobi. I run a website that showcases the ingenuity of the BT3000 and it's owners. That was January 1997.įast forward five and a half years to October 2002. I was convinced that I could find no better saw in for the $459 price tag on the BT3000 at Lowes. After reading every thread on the forum I decided to buy the BT3000. Back in those days, it wasn't unheard of to see posts on the forum by Ryobi employees like Tom Clinkscales and Wayne Hill. I quickly found the original Ryobi Power Tool Forum and met people like Jim Frye, BlueBoy, Ted Michon, Jerry Glauser, Woodmangler, and Ed Ellickson. I did what any self-respecting computer geek would do and turned to the Internet for research. I didn't know a miter slot from a sliding miter table but for some reason the BT3000 intrigued me. I had always been fascinated with the thought of building furniture, so I decided to try out woodworking.
I was a twenty six year old computer geek looking for a hobby to occupy my free time. It has been almost six years since I bought my BT3000. A Review Of The Ryobi BT3100 Woodcutting Table Saw