This page: Ryobi BT-3000 Modifications Contents Woodworking: CD-Cabinet BT3000 Lifting Handle BT30000 Shim Supports Kanon's Cabinet The Boot Bench Dovetail Layout

I guess I've finally finished most of my BT3K cabinet modifications. I borrowed a number of hints I from elder statesmen on the Ryobi Tools Forum, and added a few innovations of my own. The Whole Ball of Wax 1. For any BT3K users who haven't already seen it, I previously uploaded a separate page about my version of an Optional Handle for Lifting the BT3K . After installing the new handle, though, I noticed, as others no doubt also have, that when the Ryobi casters are attached as directed, the other end has to be raised quite high to engage the wheels and move the saw. I found a simple solution by inserting about 3/8" in thickness of additional washers as "spacers" between the upper caster bolts and the saw frame. This forces the upper side of the casters to tilt outward, rotating the caster downward and closer to the ground. My casters are now just about 1/8" off the ground when the saw is level, so I figure it takes nearly a foot less leverage to move the saw. Additional Washers Tilt Casters Down 2. The BT3K is said to have one of the best dust-collection shroud designs in the business, but when I first purchased the saw, I didn't yet have a dust collector or shop vac, so I bought Ryobi's optional cloth dust bag and attached it to the exhaust. The bag does a decent job of collecting the dust that goes into the shroud, but without the suction provided by a vacuum, quite a bit of sawdust still remains to sift down under the saw. That sawdust under the saw creates a problem: for anyone like me suffering from a lack of space in their makeshift shop, the BT3K's standard steel frame has a nice rectangular area under it, representing far better storage potential than the splay-legged stands that come with most contractor saws. On the other hand, how is anyone to use the space under the saw if it gets covered in dust each time the saw is used? Not only does sawdust sift down directly through and under the throat plate (understandable), but sawdust left on top of the main table drifts outward and down between the main saw table and the Sliding Miter Table (SMT) on the left, and the accessory table on the right. From there, the dust falls down the sides of the saw, some of it collecting on whatever is stored in the plastic accessory clips, and the rest sifting through the cooling vents or gaps between the saw and the steel stand, where it also ends up in the area beneath the saw. Dustpan Jim Frye's dust-catching pan with vacuum attachment (a plan can be found on Sam Conder's BT3 Central) site is probably the most elegant solution to the dust problem, but while I did have a good deal of excess tin sheeting lying around, I did not have the time to experiment with soldering sections of tin together like his excellent prototype. Instead, I cut a single sheet of tin somewhat in the shape of a "fan," and used it to form a curved dust-catching pan under the saw. On the saw's front (operator) side, the pan is connected directly to the underside of the top frame via the two front frame assembly bolts. On the rear (outfeed) side, the fan shape becomes wider, forcing the sheet to bow down and in toward the center. I left additional metal along the side edges of the fan in the rear and cut it into narrow tabs which I folded up and likewise attached to the two top frame assembly bolts on the rear side of the saw. Here's what it looked like when first installed (viewed from rear side): Dustpan Viewed from Rear When installing the dustpan, I left the smooth factory edge at the protruding rear side, for safety; even so, a severe bump could cut someone, particularly at the corners of the pan, so I later rounded off the corners and placed red adhesive cloth tape all along the edge, both as a visible warning and to provide additional protection in case someone (mostly me) bumps into the metal edge. Unfortunately, my pan cannot actively remove sawdust like Jim's model with its vacuum attachment. In the months before buying a shop vac I placed a wide cardboard box behind the saw when working, and fitted a plastic garbage bag around the lip of the sawdust pan, underneath the cloth bag connected to the main exhaust. A certain amount of sawdust drifted or was pushed out and into the bag by gravity. What remained in the pan after work, I brushed out into the bag. Update: After about three months of use, I bought a shop vac and connected it to the exhaust. The difference was really remarkable to this beginner, since it has not only reduced the amount of dust "hanging around" on the table of the saw, but it's also helped reduce the frequency of requisite internal cleanings. New users of the BT3K should be aware that keeping the innards clean may be an important factor in the life of the motor bracket bearings (shims). Allowing excessive sawdust to collect on the shim area may be inviting later trouble, since it may lead to sticking of the motor lift shims (no one seems to know the real cause, but for my own response to this problem see Shims! The Ultimate Solution?). In short, connection to a shop vac or dust collector should be strongly recommended to anyone using the saw—and like I said at the top, it's got such an excellent dust collection shroud that it's a shame not to use it to best advantage. I should also note that I made my undersaw dust pan from channeled tin sheeting, since that's what I had on hand, but it might be easier to work and perhaps even more effective to begin with simple flat metal sheet, either tin or galvanized steel, copper, etc. 3. Next, I never liked the plastic clips provided on the sides of the saw base for storing the miter fence and rip fence. I found them too stiff to use regularly for their design purposes, and since small amounts of sawdust drift down between the main saw table and the SMT on the left, and the accessory table on the right, it collects on whatever is left in the clamps, anyway. So I removed the plastic clips (I found they're the perfect size for hanging hammers on the wall), and in their place I built boxes from 1/2" plywood (with 1/4" roofs) on either side of the saw. Since the plywood was an inexpensive grade and not particularly attractive, I finished it with some left-over latex paint. The color is called "Old Blue" and rather easy on the eyes, I think. Here's what the left side box looked like before I mounted it on the saw. Left Side Box for BT3K And after it was mounted on the saw: Left Side Box for BT3K I attached the boxes to the saw frame using a single bolt through the center frame hole (where one of the plastic clips was formerly installed). To make it easier to install and remove the mounting bolt for regular inspections and maintenance, I used metal screws to attach commercially available flanged nuts—nuts welded to wide steel washers—to the underside of the frame. I also placed some thin adhesive rubber padding on the curves of the boxes to protect the painted finish from the miter and rip fence when they're stored there. As you can see from the photos here, I built the boxes with angled roofs; their purpose is to catch sawdust drifting down from the table and direct it into the gap between the box and the saw, into the dust-collection pan below, thus keeping the contents of the boxes clean. Nothing will catch 100% of the dust, I suppose, but the angled roofs do a pretty good job, as seen in the next photo (shown with sliding miter table removed): Sawdust Goes Down Between Box and Body, Into Pan The photo above also shows the "thin red line" I painted on the tabletop in line with the blade. I did this after inadvertently sawing into the miter fence (cutting into the miter fence seems to be akin to a "rite of passage" for BT3K owners). The red line serves as a warning of how far the miter fence bar can be safely moved to the right. 4. Finally, I made a lower cabinet also from 1/2" plywood, with 1/4" (6.5mm) plywood drawer bottoms. I dadoed and rabbeted the cabinet together, and managed to get the dimensions to match those of the steel frame so closely that it was almost frightening. I could practically hear air hissing out as I slid the carcass into the frame after it was done. For the drawer faces, I used miscellaneous pieces of pine and fir I had left over from my CD-Cabinet project of the previous year. To match the side boxes I'd built earlier, I painted the drawer fronts the same "Old Blue" color, although I used a tan color on interior parts. Main Cabinet (This photo was taken just after completing the cabinet, so I hadn't yet put drawer pulls on the top drawer or the blade racks.) I designed the cabinet with 10 narrow slots which I use for storing feather boards, extra throat plates, and smaller push sticks. Of the three drawers, the upper one is rather shallow (about 10 inches deep), a necessity in order to clear the dust pan that dips down toward the back of the saw right above it. I use the small drawer to hold various wrenches, calipers, the rip fence micro-adjuster, a couple of small try-squares and related tools. The larger drawers I use for holding a rack of router bits, drill bits, the SMT hold-down, extra throat plates, and other larger tools. Perhaps the most original (or gimmicky?) thing about the cabinet is the blade holders. Each of the vertical pine faces is grooved to hold a 6 mm piece of finish plywood. In turn, the plywood pieces slide in dadoes cut in the carcass of the cabinet. In the center of each piece of plywood is a short (about 30 mm) piece of dowel (15 mm diameter) pounded through a 14 mm hole. I store extra blades on the dowel arbors, and hold them in place with 14 mm rubber faucet washers. Saw Blade Racks Slide in Grooves I'm still experimenting with the means of holding the blades in place, however. If the rubber washers prove too insecure, I may drill small holes near the ends of the dowels and insert cotter pins to secure the blades. One could also cut grooves in the top of each dowel and let the blade simply rest there by gravity. Each of the five blade holders holds one blade on either side, so a total of 10 blades can be stored, although I think I'm going to add some additional dowels to one of the racks to hold the chippers of my Freud dado set as well. Open Sesame The final photo below shows what the completed back side looks like, including the space for storing the step-up transformer necessary here in Japan. Back Side of Cabinet ONE-YEAR UPDATE: After more than a year of use, I can confirm the utility of this cabinet design, and on reflection, I haven't found much of anything I would do differently. The rubber washers do an adequate job of holding blades on their dowel arbors under normal conditions; a blade may slip off if you remove the blade holder and place it sideways (flat), although it hasn't presented any problems in actual use. The slots and drawers have proved every bit as convenient as I had hoped, and the angled roofs of the side boxes indeed provide an important function when you're chewing up lots of dust. The only potential issue I have discovered is what happens when you add a router to the accessory table at right. When a router is mounted there, it will strike the slanting roof of the right-side box unless the accessory table is mounted to the far right side of the table rails. Since I looked ahead and purchased an extra accessory table, this fact hasn't proved much of an issue in use, but it's something you may want to take into consideration if you build a similar cabinet. The first photo at the top of this page is of the saw and cabinet after a year of use; the major additions I've made in the first year include the drawer pulls, the additional rack on the lower right for large push shoes, the Lexan Zero-Clearance Throat plate and Inca-style riving knife (thanks to Lee Styron for this idea posted on the Ryobi Power Tools Forum), and of course the router mounted on the right side.

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Green Gables: A Contemplative Companion to Fujino Township
by Norman Havens nhavens@gol.com
Updated: April 20, 2002

URL: http://www2.gol.com/users/nhavens/