Just picked up a TS3650

[Undermidnight]

Hey guys,

New around these parts :) I am a beginning woodworker (only been doing it a year) and I just picked up my first good tablesaw. I started woodworking after building a telescope and I fell in love with making things out of wood. I have had a little Craftsman contractor saw for about a year, and it was time for me to upgrade. I am about to embark on making cabinets for our kitchen (only because of pocket holes :D ) and I needed a good table saw to cut the carcass. After reading reviews online, and posts in this forum, I went ahead and picked up the Ridgid tablesaw. I was looking at Deltas, Grizzleys, and a new company, Steel City, but with my budget, I was not able to go to a hybrid. I found out my garage only has 15 amps fed to it so I needed something with less current draw (my Sears TS draws about 13 amps) I also wanted something more portable (i.e., rolls around the shop).

I will be purchasing a zero clearance insert here this week. I was also wondering if I should get a link belt for this saw?

Eventually I want to get the Incra TS fence system.

Jason

BTW.. this is the only hobby that my wife is enthusiastic about! :D

[Bob D.]

Hello Jason, welcome aboard!

You shouldn't need the link belt for the 3650. If you did for some reason go that route you would need to get new pulleys too, which would up the cost of the conversion a bit, and probably double it without any trouble?

The Ridgid fence is decent, make sure you have it aligned well and give it a chance before your plunk down big bucks on a new fence system. If you have not ordered your ZCI yet, you might want to make your own, it's not difficult and it will save you some money you can put towards a good blade. If you choose to buy pre-made ZCIs that cool too, but get at least two or three of them, the shipping will not go up much for two and you will want more than one eventually.

[Undermidnight]

Thanks for the welcome Bob,

Ok, I will use what is on the saw now. One thing I noticed with the floor model at Home Depot was that the base seemed shakey. I am hoping that is just because a HD employee put it together badly.

As far as getting the Incra, I will only get that at a later time. I will be using the Ridgid fence for the immediate projects.

It is going to be really cool using a real TS instead of what I have been using (heck.. a TS with standard miter slots is awesome!)

Jason

[hellcatt200]

Nuff said lol I know EXACTLY how ya felt with the upgrade! Enjoy and welcome aboard.

[dlgdoo]

Welcome aboard Jason. You might think about wiring your table saw up to run at 240 volt. That would only draw half the amps and have the same power. If you do decide to order instead of make some zero clearance plate, check out MLCS, they have free shipping. I also upgraded from a small Craftsman to the Ridgid, I love it. I couldn't stop cutting wood for three days.

[Undermidnight]

Welcome aboard Jason. You might think about wiring your table saw up to run at 240 volt. That would only draw half the amps and have the same power.

I have to update the circuit heading out to the garage. The breaker is a 20A, 120V breaker, but I saw some of the wires going to the plugs in the garage are wired with 14gauge wire (!!!). I suspect that they ran 12 to the first plug or light and 14 to the rest of the plugs. sigh.... I have to confirm this. I would like to just run 220 out to the garage to a circuit box and branch from there (with 20 amp plugs and everything).

I know the first thing I want to do is verify that indeed the right wire is heading out to the garage and if so, replace the wiring to the plugs with 12 Gauge wires. One of the reasons I went with the ridgid TS is the lower current draw (not only because it cost less).


If you do decide to order instead of make some zero clearance plate, check out MLCS, they have free shipping. I also upgraded from a small Craftsman to the Ridgid, I love it.

I will look into it. I just prefer to buy the inserts (I will get a couple so that when I eventually get a dado blade, I will have the insert ready). I will also get the little green splitter to help prevent kickback when not using the blade guard.

I couldn't stop cutting wood for three days.

heeheehee... I think this will happen to me too! I get to put it together and set it up tonight... I think that is part of the fun!

Jason

[bench dog]

You should find your new saw to draw about the same current as your old one, so it should be a good fit for your circuit.

Keep safe

[Undermidnight]

Well.. I just started to unpack the saw and I noticed that the fence handle is broke (as seen in a previous thread.) I will be taking the fence into Home Depot and asking for a new one.

:(

Jason

[amcnerl]

Under,

Sorry to hear about the fence handle. I hope all works out and you're running in no time.

I must have lucked out with my saw. I set it up tuned it in and started getting excellent cuts from the start. It's amazing how many problems others are having with their saws.

You will enjoy the saw when you have it set up. Keep us in the know..

[Undermidnight]

I went to Home Depot and they were very friendly and understanding. I had my receipt and t hey exchanged it without any issues. I opened the new box to make sure the fence was ok. It was fine.

This evening I started the assembly. I stopped for the evening once I put the wings on and turned the TS right side up.

Maybe I am weird, but this is a good looking saw :)

Jason

[AngryBeaver]

You aren't weird, it is a good looking saw, I must be one of the few here that bought the TS and didn't have any broken/missing parts or issues assembling it. Started making some test cuts and I am very impressed with it.

[amcnerl]

Angrybeaver,

Bought mine in June last year and lucked out. No broken parts and went together with no fuss. Tuned it in and started cutting like I knew what I was doing. So you're not the only one. There sure are alot of people that have had problems.

Undermidnight,

I hope you have a understanding wife/girlfriend/both... LOL

[Undermidnight]

Undermidnight,

I hope you have a understanding wife/girlfriend/both... LOL

She is encouraging it!! This is the only hobby she has ever enthusiastically supported... (she is getting new kitchen cabinets AND other stuff I will be making).

I am a NASCAR and Tony Stewart fan.. I think I am going to put a nice number 20 on the side of the orange saw :)

Jason

[leer13]

Hey Jason - that's pretty funny about the number thing.

Two of the first things I built for my saw were

1. A ZCI plate. Mine is laminate from Ikea, but it works well.
2. An outfeed table. Mine is angle aluminum, three quarter inch ply under three quarter inch MDF.

Both make the operation of the saw safer and have improved the quality of what I make using the saw.

[Undermidnight]

Looks nice! I have a question though, on the ZCI that you build, how does it stay put? I mean, the slightest deviation can get caught on the blade right?

The outfeed table sounds like a good idea.

I am currently attempting to get the wings to be aligned and flat. I will probably wait until I get everything together before doing the final alignment.

Jason

[Hagfan]

Is it just me or do most of you never bother to take the blade guard/splitter out of the shipping paper? I just can't see how guys can use them and still see what whats happening. This is my third table saw and I havent used that guard on any of them. Do most of you use the guard or leave it off? :cool:

By the way two big thumbs up on my new TS3650 :D

[oldslowchevy]

it is you.





it depends on what i am doing if i am ripping long boards it is on, but if i am doing rabbit or dado cuts i take is off so i can see my marks

[Gofor]

I use it unless I am not making a through cut or using a jig/sled that prevents installing it. My old fingers may be getting stiff and ache in the joints, but I still want to keep them!!
Go

[BigOrangeBeast]

Congrats on your new saw. I upgraded from a Craftsman BT saw to the 3650 about a year ago. It's a great saw and as others have said, give the fence a chance. It's a good fence for the money and the only thing I've had to do is add a sacrifical fence to it for dadoes. The orange color ought to go well with your NASCAR hero! :D (I got my user name after looking at my assembled 3650. ;) )

[leer13]

Hi Jason:
In answer to a couple of your questions: Looks nice! I have a question though, on the ZCI that you build, how does it stay put? I mean, the slightest deviation can get caught on the blade right?

The laminante was too thin, so on the back I glued a couple of spacers. I then put a finishing nail into the rear spacer, that fits in the slot inthe top of the table, under the splitter/safety gaurd. To cut the slot for the blage, I lowered teh blade, clamped the ZCI under a 2 x 4, then raised the blade through it. This creates a unique ZCI for every blade you have.

The outfeed table sounds like a good idea.

The outfeed table stops things from falling off the back ovf the saw and makes cutting a lot safer.

Hope this helps

[TheIronLion]

I have the Rigid ts3650 table saw and I love it. I have yet to find any problems period with it. I also have a planner, router, and jointer and I must say I love them all. the one problem I do have is that my screw is strip that holds the plate in down in place. I have call rigid for a replacement but I was told that is was on back order, I also call a few service centers here in los angeles, and was told that they did carry that part. so at this point I am not able to change the saw blade because of that so I just have to wait until Rigid send me one via mail. oh I love this form its really great I enjoy reading the memembers post on here.

[Gofor]

Look at the post on the General Power Tools Discussion forum titled "Throat Plate Threads Messed Up". It gives info and a fix for your dilemma. (Sorry, I haven't figured out how to link another post to this one)

Go

[BadgerDave]

If it's just the screw that has the stripped threads, just go to any hardware store and buy another one. The parts list in your owners manual will list the screw size that you'll need.

Here is the thread (http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10158) Gofor was talking about.

[TheIronLion]

Thank's I did not think of that. I will go by a hardward store when I get off from work.