TS-3650 Assembly Tips

[Bob D.]

OK all you long time TS-3650 owners, this is the place to add your tips on assembly, maintenance, and enhancements for the Ridgid TS-3650.

If you just got your new tablesaw and are putting it together, I suggest you read though this thread, it may save you asking questions later or save you some grief during assembly.

Lets keep it on topic and include photos where they may help new owners or those with questions or problems understand the issue being discussed. I also want to say up front in this thread that the advice offered here is not official information from Ridgid, it is seat-of-the-pants real life knowledge gained by fellow TS-3650 owners and other knowledgeable woodworkers. So nothing suggested in this thread should be taken to be officially from Ridgid unless so labeled. No one is perfect (hey, just look at the manual :) ), and no one means to cause you or your new saw any harm , but if you follow the advice given anywhere in this thread and something goes wrong, its on you. I make an effort to verify information I provide, you should do the same with information/advice you receive.

Some questions which seem to be more frequently asked during or immediately after assembly:

Q1. What are those three extra bolts and nuts for? Did I miss something during assembly?
Answer: No, the three bolts and nuts are supplied for mounting an axillary fence on the table saw fence. Keep them in a safe place until needed. You may also have a few extra brass shim washers when you are done, save them too.

Q2. I've put it all together by the book but when I went to turn the saw on it won't run, what's wrong?
Answer: First; Did you insert the yellow safety key in the switch?
The switch can not operate the saw without the key. This is a safety device to stop unauthorized operation of the saw and possible injury. If you have children around your home or shop, you should use the key as intended and remove it along with unplugging the saw from the AC Power outlet or otherwise removing power to prevent a tragic accident. It only takes a minute to make the saw safe, it takes forever to learn to do normal everyday tasks with one or two less fingers.
If that does not solve the problem, its time to start tracing back toward your power source to find out where/why you are not getting power. If you have verified power available all the way up to the outlet where the saw is plugged in, check the overload reset switch (red button) on the TS motor. It shouldn't be tripped but ya never know. I hesitate to suggest any further troubleshooting knowing that most people are not comfortable with diagnosing electrical circuits and having no idea of your skill level in this area. It would be best to contact Ridgid Customer Service by phone for help at this point, because its possible you have a fault somewhere that will be covered by warranty, and if you attempt to troubleshoot or repair it you will most likely void your warranty.
http://www.ridgidparts.com/images/products/AC1000.gif
These are the Safety Keys |(Part No. AC1000)

Q3: Where can I get a Zero Clearance Insert?
Answer: ZCIs are available from Ridgid, but they are not cheap. See this thread for alternatives.
http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1334

Your first acronym - RTFM = Read The Fine Manual. Even if you think it is not so fine, there's a good bet that after you read through it once or twice you will be better acquainted with assembly of your saw, and have fewer problems when you assemble yours. Some members say the online PDF manual is better than the one that shipped with their saw, I thought mine was the same, but it might not hurt to look over the copy currently available on the web site (see link below).

Here's some tips for assembly, I thought someone else had posted these when this thread first started but they appear to be gone now so here they are again;

Leave the handwheels off until AFTER you upright the saw. For some reason the manual wants you to put them on while the saw is still upside down. It might make it easier to affix the handwheels but you'll surely bend them if you flip the saw over as described in the manual.

You'll need a mix of metric and imperial wrenches and sockets. It's weird but some bolts/nuts are metric and some are imperial, even the manual gets confused about what is where :)

Some members have left the cast iron wings off until after standing the saw upright. This will reduce significantly the weight of the saw and may allow you to upright it by yourslef but don't risk getting hurt or damaging that new tablesaw :) Get some help lifting if you need to, keep your back straight and bend and lift with your legs (this sucker is HEAVY... almost 300 Lbs when fully assembled), not your back (you know the drill).

You can see my TS-3650 here:
http://home.comcast.net/~sparc/woodworking.htm

Here's the links to the online TS-3650 Manual and the parts list with exploded assembly diagram.

TS-3650 Web Page http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/TS3650-Table-Saw/

All Table Saw Manuals http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Table-Saw-Manual/index.htm

Ridgidparts: All woodworking machinery manuals webpage: http://www.ridgidparts.com/wood/

TS-3650 Parts - the link I had to this is broke

Here is a link to the parts sheet/assembly diagram in PDF format;
http://home.comcast.net/~sparc/woodworking/TS3650_Parts_Sheet_eng.pdf

You might want to look at this video about table saw alignment. It's not about the TS-3650 specifically, but most of the instruction about contractor style saws will apply. Along with the instructions in the manual, this should help you get your TS setup nice and square from the beginning.
http://www.ts-aligner.com/tablesaw.htm

So you've heard about the arbor issue, well here's the skinny on it:

Depending on when you bought your TS-3650, you may want to check your arbor over before you assemble the saw. We don't know a date code or serial number that Ridgid can say anything produced after this has the modified arbor, so you will have to check yours to be sure. Some saws but not all had a problem with their arbors as they came shipped from the factory. The problem, briefly, so as not to scare anyone from buying the TS-3650, only occurs if you are using a stacked dado blade set.

Here is what one of the Ridgid Reps posted back in Dec 2004 about the arbor problem.
-----------
12-09-2004, 03:43 PM
BrandMan (http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/member.php?u=420) http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/images/statusicon/user_offline.gif
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Ridge Tool Company
Posts: 187

http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif
Dear RIDGID Customers:

RIDGID is aware of the concerns of some owners of the TS3650 table saw regarding the application of a stacked dado blade set on the arbor shaft. It has been brought to our attention that a blade or chipper from a stacked dado blade set has the potential of resting in the low cut area near the inner flange. This low area may allow the chipper or blade to ride in the recessed area allowing one blade to cut slightly deeper than the other blade or chippers. In an effort to resolve this issue we are working with our engineering and manufacturing teams towards a quick resolution. Although this is not a safety related issue, we expect to have a resolution in a short amount of time that will be posted on our website.
----------------

See this thread for full story. http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2353&highlight=3650
If your arbor should have the problem described in the above thread, you might want to consider changing it out before you put the saw together. There is no reason that you have to, the arbor poses no safety hazard. This thread also has some photos so you can get a good idea of what the problem is. I would hope by now that only the new, corrected arbor is being installed at the factory. If we ever get a cutoff date after which the new arbor was used exclusively I will add it to this thread to save everyone some time.

If you're still shopping and trying to decide if the TS-3650 is 'the one', you might want to look at this comparison of tablesaws by American Woodworker in 2005;
http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker/toolguide/SS2005_Tablesaws.pdf

No matter what make TS you buy, work safe! If you are new to using a Table Saw or haven't used one in a while, I suggest you view these safety videos provided by the Power Tool Institute:
http://www.powertoolinstitute.com/stream1.html


The Press Release for the new TS-3650 back in 2003
"Ridgid® Introduces the Ultimate Table Saw" - (see attachment TS3650 Press Release.txt)

[Jalon]

I found a great article in Fine Woodworking #179 (Oct 05) called Tablesaw Tune-up, and a video that goes along with it by the same author.

http://www.taunton.com/FWN/ToolGuide/ToolGuideArticle.aspx?id=5313

It's 8 minutes long, and for a newbie like me learning to align the tablesaw it's nice to see someone do it, and giving advice on tolerances as well.

HTH,
Jalon

[scribenc]

I just spent an enjoyable 9+ hours assembling a new TS3650. I like to do these kinds of chores as they give me a sense of accomplishment, especially a cool tool I will use to make other cool things. When the magic moment to power up arrived, it didn't . . . power up that is. Probably a bad switch . . . tomorrow Rigid (Home Depot via One World Tool Co.) will get a HUGE piece of my mind. One might hope someone in the QC section in Tiawan might just make sure the switch worked before the units are shipped . . . mighten one.

So . . . BEFORE you spend a day assembling your new TS3650, plug in the motor/switch assembly and make sure it works. It's easier to return that way. That said, Rigid does give you fair warning of sorts on page 17 where they say, "Do not discard the packing material until you have carefully inspected and satisfactorily operated the tool." It's like they KNOW you'll be bring it back . . .

Here's the irony . . . I decided to buy a new saw because I got tired of replacing switches in my 25-year old Craftsman . . . go figure . . .

Stephen
Fairview, NC

[Lorax]

Did you verify that the circuit is live?
Did you check to see if the motor overload was tripped?
Did you check under the little cover thingy on the motor to see if maybe a wire is loose?

If the answer to these is yes, then maybe you could just exchange the switch assy. I hope you weren't thinking you had to take the whole saw back.

[TOD]

Did you put the yellow key in the switch?

[scribenc]

Lorax - Yes to all
TOD - The yellow key (mechanical lock out) is sitting on the work bench

Calling Rigid this morning . . . after coffee . . .

[scribenc]

TOD - Ok . . . you're right . . . yellow key is NOT a lockout, but an enabler . . . I WON'T be calling Rigid this morning. Thanks!

[TOD]

Glad I could help. Hope you didn't lose to much sleep.

[Lorax]

I just spent an enjoyable 9+ hours assembling a new TS3650. I like to do these kinds of chores as they give me a sense of accomplishment, especially a cool tool I will use to make other cool things. When the magic moment to power up arrived, it didn't . . . power up that is. Probably a bad switch . . . tomorrow Rigid (Home Depot via One World Tool Co.) will get a HUGE piece of my mind. One might hope someone in the QC section in Tiawan might just make sure the switch worked before the units are shipped . . . mighten one.

So . . . BEFORE you spend a day assembling your new TS3650, plug in the motor/switch assembly and make sure it works. It's easier to return that way. That said, Rigid does give you fair warning of sorts on page 17 where they say, "Do not discard the packing material until you have carefully inspected and satisfactorily operated the tool." It's like they KNOW you'll be bring it back . . .

Here's the irony . . . I decided to buy a new saw because I got tired of replacing switches in my 25-year old Craftsman . . . go figure . . .

Stephen
Fairview, NC

Didn't your Craftsman saw have a key? Every stationary tool I have has the same key.:)

[scribenc]

Lorax - The Craftsman was 25 years old and had a succession of switches. The last 15 years it had a simple toggle switch from Radio Shack.

With the exception of the new 3650, I don't have a stationary tool newer than 25-years old. Most are hand-me-downs from long dead family members. If it works, keep and use it. My handheld power tools, except an old router, are a different story. None of them are older than two or three years. Half or better of my hand tools are hand-me-downs as well.

[Josh]

Working on the Parts Manuals. RidgidParts Shoulda been updated a while back but slipped under the radar.

Thanks,

Josh

[ub1chris]

I just got the 3650 and have got it all assembled, but I can't get the herc-u-lift caster system to work. I did everything by the manual, but when I step on the large foot pedal, the saw won't lift onto the wheels. Anybody got advice?

Chris.

[Lorax]

Did you leave the bolts loose that are supposed to be loose? Do you have the levelers adjusted out too far? The shorter the better.

[TOD]

I just got the 3650 and have got it all assembled, but I can't get the herc-u-lift caster system to work. I did everything by the manual, but when I step on the large foot pedal, the saw won't lift onto the wheels. Anybody got advice?

Chris.
Are the bars of the Herc U Lift under the brackets on the legs? Does the pedal lock down?

[jigsaw]

Chris, did you get your herculift issues resolved?

Before I did my assembly, I grabbed the latest manual from ridgid's site and followed both of them. The one I downloaded had much more and better details especially with the lift instructions.

Here's a link tot the manual I downloaded:

http://www.ridgid.com/CatalogDocs/TS3650_6498_eng.pdf

It might be advantageous to go through the pdf and verify that you did everything correctly.

[ub1chris]

looks like the same manual that came with the saw. I'm gonna head over to the Depot tonight and see if I can figure this thing out by seeing one that actually works.

[ub1chris]

The manual doesn't actually say which bolts to leave loose. It says to tighten them all, but I assume you have to leave the 4 bolts attaching it to the legs loose so it has some up and down play. Hopefully I'll figure it out soon.

[Gofor]

Assembled my new TS3650 today. I would like to add the following observations for new owners.

1. That aluminum casting part in the box that is not listed on the parts list is the Spreader Support that holds the blade guard and spreader (see page 36 in assembly inst)

2. Even if the saw blade is square to mitre joint, check the trunnion bolts. Mine was within tolerance (about 0.010" out) but I wanted it closer. When adjusting it, I found the trunnion mount bolts (all 6) were only hand tight.

3. When assembling the legs, it is easier to mount the Herc-U-Lift leg brackets while you still have the saw upside down.

4. Because I didn't have another strong back available, I installed the cast iron table extensions after I had the saw upright. I supported them on side-by-side adjustable saw horses with 2x4 lumber on top to get them close to in-line. Attachment was easy and I was able to adjust them as I installed them. (IMO a safer way of doing it).

5. Because I installed the extensions after the saw was upright, I was able to install the Herc-U-Lift before attaching them, saving my head form unneeded contusions.

May have to take the saw back because now I have no more excuses for messing up the honey-do furniture projects!! (Just kidding, it is one nice piece of equipment)

[Bob D.]

Hey Gofor, congrats on the new TS and also for posting some good tips. I did the same on mine leaving the wings off until after I uprighted the TS as I had no one to help either. I didn't have a couple horses so I clamped a 2x4 along the lower edge of the table to form a ledge to rest the one side of the wing on while I got the bolts started, worked but your way is better, and safer to boot.

[Gofor]

Thank you. I forgot to add that the most important tip was to read "all the above". This site was very helpful to me in deciding to buy the TS3650, and also made my assembly experience much less painful then those that have gone before.

Now I need to go through the past posts for advice on saw blades, replacement belts, etc (I figure the belt will comply with Murphy's Law, so I'd best be prepared)

Again, Thank You

[jauto98]

Hey all, I just finished assembling my 3650 and for some reason have some extra bolts. They are the 1/4 x 20 - 3/4 bolts and 1/4 x 20 nuts (3 of each). Can anyone tell me where these bolts go? I read through the manual, but for some reason I don't see these bolts mentioned. Thanks for your help.

[Gofor]

They are for mounting an auxiliary fence to the factory fence. The square heads go into the slots. The new fence will require countersinking on the blade side of the face to get the nuts below the surface. If you use an aux fence of 32" (the same length as the aluminum channel on the factory fence) center the middle screw and move the others about 11 1/2" toward each end. This will keep the nuts clear of the blade if you run the fence into it.
Further on in the directions about saw usage, it says to install the bolts with lock washers and flat washers (not supplied). I went to the local store and bought some 3/4" dia. shoulder washers (for 1/4" bolts) and lock nuts. The 3/4" washers will give you enough room to use a socket to tighten the nuts after you slide the aux fence on.
Have fun with the new tool. :)

[jauto98]

Thanks for the quick response. Ran the saw and its smooth. Now got to dial everything in for accuracy.

[SteveM2006]

I just brought home my new T3650, man that sucker is a heavy load to get down to the basement.

I have gotten to the step where the manual says to attach the cast wings. I have found that the outer bolts work just fine, but I cannot seem to work the inner mounting bolts in far enough to thread. It goes in at an angle because of the way it is cast. The bolt seems to long to me, such that it will not fit in the little space far enough to be straight and begin to catch the threads on the other side.

My first thought was to grind one down to the right size, but I got frustrated with that. I am thinking of just going back to HD to find some bolts that are .25inches shorter.

Any Thoughts?

[Bob D.]

Check the holes drilled in the wings to see if there are any casting flaws. Might require a slight filing or maybe run a 5/16" drill bit through there carefully to clean out or square up the hole. Its cast so it should drill easily.

[TOD]

Are leaving the bolts loose until you get them all started? Have you tried starting the one giving you the problem first?

[mijfwb]

I had the same problem and what I did was I pushed those bolts through the top first and then slid the extension over to the table and I had no problems starting them. If you try butting up the extension to the top and then run the bolts in you will be stuck but like I said if you leave the two halfs seperated and then when you have the bolts inserted through the top it worked perfectly for me. And the two end ones are easy.

[SteveM2006]

Thanks guys! Separating the two pieces worked fine. I'll keep working on it tonight. A little at a time.

SM

[bowdry]

I found the extensions heavy also. I set the saw upright before I attached them. I cut the head off of a 5/16" bolt and screwed the bolt into one of the center bolt holes. I then clamped a 2x4 to the top of the table on an edge patallel to the bolt. I then could then slide an extension hole over the bolt, rotate it against the 2x4 and clamped it tu the 2x4. Tthat held the extension in place while the repaining bolts were installed. SAfter all of the bolts were tughtened the table surface and the extensions were not mated to suit me.

To fix this I clamped another bar to the opposite edge of the table. After finding the point the extension was low I slipped a washer under the bar on the saw table, put a clamp on the bar and edge of the extension, tightened the clamp and pulled the exrtension up to a point I could find no noticeable diference in table and extension level. I repeated this on all four corners while tightening the bolts. I now can see the joint but running my fingers over it detect no misalignment. The use of two 4' angle irons would probably be better than my 2x4.

[BigGreyS]

OK I have a quick question, where on the saw is the SN? I live in Alaska and bought the3650 TS. My garage is full and I need to keep the TS in the box until it warms up a little bit, but I want to get my LSG. I need the SN to do this. Where on the saw is it so I can write it down?

[Bob D.]

The plate bearing the serial and model numbers is located on the left side near the back corner, as can be seen in the photo below. It is the lower of the two tags you see in this photo.

http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13&d=1136176719

[steelewoodworker]

SteveM2006,

I may be too late with this suggestion, but in times past when I needed a shorter bolt, I would take one longer and put a nut on it, run the nut far enough up the bolt to where I could cut the bolt off with a hacksaw the slightly grind the rough spots off the end and when you take the nut off the bolt, it will straighten any damaged threads.

In fact, I keep a supply of long machine screws just for this purpose.

Jerry

[BigGreyS]

Found the SN, thanks. I went to the my e-box and entered my TS information. Is that all I have to do?

I also need to finish up my TS. I get to have fun with the wheels now.

[cebler]

after spending 10 hours assembling my 3650 I hit the switch and my blade wont turn -- so I rechecked all my motor install stuff, belt tension etc. etc,
still no Joy the motor just humms and after about 5-10 seconds the breaker trips. somebody please help me:confused:

[TOD]

Does the motor run if you remove the belt? Does the blade spin freely with the belt removed?

[TOD]

Also unplug the saw and remove the wiring cover on the motor to make sure it is wired for 110volts and not 220volts.

[cebler]

Yes the blade does spin when the belt is off the pulley and the motor is wired for 120v

[TOD]

Remove the capacitor covers and mke sure they are hooked up ( a wire might have come off during shipment). With the belt off will motor run if you give it a spin to get it started?

[cebler]

Hey TOD
yes the motor runs with no belt attached. So I guess the problem is with belt tensioning allthough Im sure I installed the motor as per instructions I will now recheck

[cebler]

Hey Tod all I did was reattach the Belt and guess what "IT RUNS "
I'm pretty sure that the Belt was not correctly installedf over the pullleys as you know it isn't a 'vee' belt in any case thanks for your help. Now I think I'm going to rip up some wood :)

[dncarac]

Hi. I recently bought a 3650 and am spending evenings assembling it now. I just finished mounting the motor.

Somewhere in the procedures, the instructions wanted me to align the blade. First, as directed, I loosened all six trunnion bolts, then checked clearance between the blade and the edge of the insert. There's supposed to be a minimum of an eighth of an inch. There is barely that, and I couldn't move the assembly to create any more. Should I be concerned?

Second, when I attempted to align the blade to the miter slot, I could do it, but the little lever in the back is all the way to the left. Should I be concerned about that?

I still have a way to go, then I'll post a review of the assembly and the instructions with, I hope, constructive criticisms of the manual.

Thanks in advance,

Dave

[dncarac]

Sorry. I forgot something. The manual calls for waxing the castiron. Would some dry silicon spray be as good? (I have both, but used silicon on my previous saw - a small Sears contractor saw around which I build a large table of wood. The silicon spray kept the wood nice and slippery. Worked like a charm too, until the motor seized.)

Dave

[wwsmith]

Dave,

General opinion on this forum is that you should not use wax with silicon in it as it may cause the wood to get fish eyes or other damage when it is finished. Popular waxes I have seen recommended here are silicon free such as Johnson's paste wax or Minwax paste wax.

I have much more space between my blade and the insert on my TS3650. I might be a little concerned if I was closer than an 8th of an inch. Personally I do not think that there is much concern with your alignment lever in the back of the saw for aligning the blade being all the way to the left though.

Just my $.02. WWS

[Gofor]

Mine has just barely 1/8" between the left side of the stock insert and the blade. I can still run the blade to a full 45 degrees without it hitting (which is why you need the clearance and why there is a larger gap on the right side). The only time I use the stock insert is for beveled cuts. Other than that I use homemade Zero-Clearance Inserts (ZCIs) to reduce tearout. As long as your blade spins freely, you are okay, but I always check mine on bevel cuts, after changing a blade, installing a dado set-up etc by spinning it by hand before applying power (yellow key OUT and saw Unplugged). It is a good idea also to remember one of the key safety rules when using the saw: If it starts making a funny or unusual noise, Shut It Off (and if its a real loud noise, Duck!!), and Then figure out what's causing the noise after the blade stops. :eek:

[Bob D.]

You've received a couple good responses to your question about the blade clearance, so I won't repeat what has already been offered and I tend to agree with. I will also echo that you should stay away from the silicone and use the suggested waxes or Butchers wax which is similar. All or at least can be found at HD or Lowes or just about any hardware store.

On the subject of the adjustment lever, this might indicate that the front end of the trunnion is out of square in that you are having to make up for it on the rear end by moving the lever to the extreme left or right. You might check the front trunnion bolts and see if you can shift it a bit so that the level is in a more neutral position, allowing for adjustment in both directions.

[dncarac]

Thanks for all the good answers. I'm away this weekend, so no work in the shop. But the last response was where my head was going. To get the barely eighth inch clearance, I moved the front trunnion all the way to one side. I'm thinking that I'll try to center the front trunnion and give myself some leeway on both sides at the rear. I'll run up against the clearance for bevel cuts (thanks for the insight into why the clearance instruction), but I'll find a happy medium.

I finished the assembly last night and found that the blade isn't aligned right anyway. A fence cut cuts twice, once with the front teeth, and again when the piece goes past the back teeth. It could be the blade alignment, or the fence alignment or a little of both. I intend to go back and do both when I have time and it's not the end of a workday when these old eyes are tired. Still, it was a wonderfully smooth cut. I'm very pleased.

What a great forum!! Thanks.

Dave

[dncarac]

Well, I spent some time this past week, and this weekend, trying to align the blade to the miter slot of my new saw. I followed the instructions implicitly. I could not align the blade. Then I tried improvisation. I even descended to hitting the front trunnion and back trunnion with a plastic mallet to try to move them to a position where the blade is aligned with the miter slot. The best I could do was (from the front) the rear of the blade 10 or 12 thousandths (depending on which tooth I used) to the right of the front. This meant that any piece I cut was cut twice -- once by the teeth at the front of the blade and once by the teeth at the back. (The rip fence was easy. I adjusted that to be about 3 thousandths out at the back).

I'm looking for any suggestions. I hope the answer is not take it back, since it took me hours to assemble it and hours spent trying to align it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Dave

[Bob D.]

Blow the dust off the interior of the saw cabinet so you can see and look for some obstruction that is preventing you from adjusting to within spec.

Q: Are you loosening the trunion bolts enough? I would think one full turn would be enough. Be careful that you don't turn them all too far and the whole assembly comes down.

Have called Tech Support to see what they say (besides take it to your nearest service center).

Maybe you will just have to remove the belt and blade and take the whole thing off the saw to inspect it and the underside of the table for some type of damage or flaw. If you do then take some digital photos which may help us (and Ridigd Tech Support) better understand the problem.

[georgeburns]

Here's a tip...

Assemble it on top of some 8 foot long 2x4s. When it's time to turn it over you can do it by yourself cause you have the leverage. I got my wife to stand on the other side to make sure I didnt knock it over when it got straight up. Didn't really need her there.

[dwcurry]

I finished assemblying my saw - it took 6 1/2 hours with some lifting help from my son. The only problem I experienced was a leg bolt breaking when I tightened it down too much. The fence was 1/8 inch off when compared to the fence guide/scale - not a big deal as adjustment is easy.

I felt lucky after reading some of the problems others have had and believe that Ridgid apparently has been addressing them. This has been a great forum and I appreciate everyone who has shared their experiences.

DWC

[Mountaineer]

Here's a tip...

Assemble it on top of some 8 foot long 2x4s. When it's time to turn it over you can do it by yourself cause you have the leverage. I got my wife to stand on the other side to make sure I didnt knock it over when it got straight up. Didn't really need her there.

I did the same and also added extra blocks at the back edge of the table, to hold it high enought off the ground to give clearance to the mounts sticking out the back. I lifted mine alone, but the type work I do its common, get help or have someone stand by. ;-)

[Cephus]

I finished assemblying my saw - it took 6 1/2 hours with some lifting help from my son.

That's probably about how long it took to put mine together with no help except for my wife doing the flip-over. I think they need to move the "install handwheel" instructions to after the "flip the saw over" and probably should have you put on the Herc-u-lift before the flip as well. Once you put the upper assembly together, there's no way to get it under the saw, I had to remove one of the side pieces, put it under the saw and then reassemble.

I felt lucky after reading some of the problems others have had and believe that Ridgid apparently has been addressing them. This has been a great forum and I appreciate everyone who has shared their experiences.

Amazingly enough, I had no problems whatsoever, except for the above. Everything fit together perfectly or had common sense solutions that only took a second. I think I used 2 shims on the spacer bar and that was it, and I was prepared to have to make tons of adjustments.

One thing they should probably put in the manual is when you're putting on the rear fence guide bar, make sure that it's pushed down all the way before tightening the bolts. If you don't, the miter gauge will hit it.

[Gofor]

I waited until afterwords to install the extensions, and the handles. You are correct, it is easier, and without the extensions on it, I was able to stand it up by myself with no problem I put an adjustable heighth saw horse next to it to support the extension while I got the bolts in. I installed the lift after setting it upright, but before I put the extensions on, which probably saved me some of my scalp!:) :)

[JHE]

Hi all !!! This is a great forum! Glad I found it. And just in time. I just purchased my 3650 Sat. Got it fully assembled Tuesday am. I didn't work on it Sat. and Sun. I had to use my tractor with the front end loader to get it off the pick-up. (Just had back surgery). The assembly went pretty well ! IMO! The Herc-U-Lift had me scratching my head, but we figured it out ( me and the dogs).:)
The question I have is! Does anyone have an answer on how to protect the cast iron table? I know it's just a question of time before rust appears.:confused:

[wbrooks]

Welcome to the forum, not trying to put you off but there are many good threads on this issue available but using the search tool with the phrase cast iron rust.
If you have some paste wax (not car wax with silicone) put it on now then go read, rust happens fast especially where your finger prints from assembly are. Even some WD40 until you find a better solution

[Speedball]

Our local Lowe's carries Johnson Paste Wax which works quite well but it does take some "elbow grease" to buff it off.

[tagalong]

Hi: This is my first post here. I just finished the assembly of my saw and have used it for a few days. In a word it’s “FANTASTIC”. I don’t know why a waited so long before I bought it.

One issue I have is the removal of the blade that came with the saw. I’m a big guy over 6’ and 200 lbs and in fairly good shape. For the life of me I couldn’t turn the nut to get it off. I think an air gun was used to install it; otherwise the tools used were very long and a lot of tork was applied. The problem was the blade was distorted when I checked the blade angle. I finally got it off and reinstalled it, the blade returned to square. I also checked it with a new blade I had purchased with the saw, and it too is ok.

All and all it’s a great saw and I’m looking forward to producing tons of sawdust in the future

[grayblud]

So, after reading this and other threads on this forum, I should probably take the Bosch 4000-09 (still in the box) back to Lowe's and head on down to HomeDepot for this saw?

[KenM]

IMHO, yes.

[JWMustang]

I got mine Monday, hardest part to figure out was the Herc-u-lift.
Did not have to adjust anything. Just hope the steel wont rust in FL. I did put 2 coats of wax on it.
Used it a little, veryyyyyy niiiice and smoooooth.:)

[Capt. Hank]

Hello Guys....

After reading most of the threads on this forum, concerning the TS3650, I had to join. I had the same annoying problems. The blade still isn't perfectly square, but close. I feel there should be a much better design for one of the most important parameters of the saw.

I'm also looking to add a router table to the saw. Thanks for the postings, concerning this subject. Here again, RIDGID, would have another sale item, if they had this as an accessory.

Capt. Hank

[mhylton01]

I recently picked up a set of PALS from WoodCraft (think it was the Craftsman set) and they worked wonders and aligning the blade to the miter slot. If you have problems with alignment, and don't like the method offered out of the box I'd recommend them...

[Tnblues30]

Just purchased TS3560 and assembled it.

The one tip I would recommend is after tensioning the belt make sure the belt is resting on both pulley's. I started mine up for a intial test and started smelling rubber I immediatedly shut the saw off, and low and behold the belt was riding the arbor shaft on the saw assembly,which caused a misalignment. The misaligmnet resulted in the belt scraping the belt shroud,resulting in some burned rubber. The rubber melted onto the belt pulley. Luckly I stoped it quick enough :eek: So double check this before starting making sure belt is on both pulley's and parrell. :)

Any suggestions on getting the rubber off the pulley, I was thing mineral spirits?

[djb]

OK guys - add me to the list of TS3650 owners! I came home with one Christmas Eve. Got it assembled and made a few test cuts, but haven't made anything yet. Granddaughter's birthday is in 2 weeks, though...

Here's my 2 bits on the assembly of this saw:

(1) First of all, this forum is great. Product performance was important to me as I considered various table saws to purchase, but customer support is also important. I'm not aware of any other line of power tools that has the kind of online support that Rigid has here.

(2) I didn't keep track of exactly how long it took me to put the saw together, but I'd estimate around 6 hours. Time well spent, bonding with my new tool. (Yes, I bond with machinery. My truck has 260,000 miles on it. It's my horse, ya know. I can't just get rid of him...)

(3) The TS3650 manual delivered in the box was NOT the same as the online manual. The online manual clarified a couple things that were not so clear in the delivered manual. The HercuLift section is lacking in both manuals, though.

(4) The "wobbly leg" syndrome I read about in various Rigid forum posts concerned me, and it was one of the issues I had to get past to purchase this saw. I was pleased to find out wobbly legs are a NON issue as far as the delivered saw is concerned. Yes, the saws in stores wobble quite a bit, but every one I looked at had loose and/or missing bolts. However, there were reports that even properly assembled saws were still wobbly, so it was a concern. I can now testify that this saw I have is as solid as I'd expect any table saw to be. There is something I learned, though, which may also explain why floor models in stores are wobbly: with the leveling feet on the legs adjusted all the way up, when I put the HercuLift in the retracted position, the wheels did not go high enough. They still made contact with the floor, and that made the saw unstable. After adjusting the leveling feet down about a half an inch, the HercuLift wheels are now raised high enough and the saw sits solid as a rock. So a slight adjustment of the leveling feet (1/2") made the difference between a wobbly or stable saw. Sounds like a good note to put in the manual (and I also think HD stores should address this apparent wobbly leg issue with their display saws).

(5) Blade alignment:
Blade to miter gauge alignment: < 0.008" (measured with a combination square and machinist feeler gauges)
Blade to rip fence alignment: < 1/64"(?) (measured with various rulers)
I believe this is an acceptable tolerance (0.015" according to manual). Actually, I'm having a difficult time getting a good measurement on blade alignment. I plan to make a jig to mount my dial measuring indicator on so's I can get a better measurement.

- djb

[Bob D.]

Since this question comes up so often, here's an online
video on making your own from the ShopNotes website.

Making a Zero-Clearance Insert (http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/090/videos/making-a-zero-clearance-insert/)

There are plenty of other web sites, books, etc. with similar
information, this is just one source to help those searching.

[dmr]

When making your own ZCI how important is it that they sit flush with the table? Is it accepatable for them to be slightly lower that the table?

[VASandy]

The ZCI should be flat to the table. Having it lower could result in pieces "sticking" at the end, where it can catch on the table. Also, it will result in cuts being a smidge off since the surface isn't level; the blade end of the workpiece will dip down.

[hobby32092]

I'm having a problem with the Hercu-lift. It's assembled properly. I've gone over the manual, the repair manual, and the online PDF, and they all indicate it's assembled correctly. The problem is that when I go to attach it to the legs of the saw, the holes from the hercu-lift parts are about 3/4" wider than the leg holes. They just don't line up.

I can take a picture if need be, but this is pretty straight forward. The Hercu-lift bars are too wide to be mounted to my saw base. Suggestions? Ideas?

[VASandy]

I remember having that problem when I setup my saw. As memory serves (caveat: my memory never serves me well), I had the front-back tubes upside down, or maybe backwards. I think if you go back and look carefully, it'll make sense. Also, having the front-back tubes on the proper up or down side of the side-side tubes is important. I'm sorry, but this puter is 2 floors away from the saw...and not only does my memory fail, but I'm a lazy git as well. Next time I'm down there (later this evening), I'll take a peek at the herculift and post a better suggestion!!!

[Hooligan]

I just check my cast iron table for flatness and it's off about .006 running from the right front to the left rear. I'm bringing it back to HD and may get another brand.

This should be the first thing that is checked once you have your saw on the legs.


Lance

[Davet]

Dang, .006" ...is that out of tolerance for a wood cutting saw table?

[Hooligan]

Dang, .006" ...is that out of tolerance for a wood cutting saw table?

If it's not, I'd be happy to hear. Believe me. I dread having to lug this back to HD.

Think I'll xpost to see what others have to say.


Lance

[Woussko]

Are you sure that your straight edge is dead true? If there's a little high spot (in table) you should be able to deal with it by sanding or grinding it flat. If there's a dip and it's only 0.006 and the rest of the saw seems fine, I would try it out for a week or so before thinking of returning it. Please remember this not a $2000 cabinet saw. It will be interesting to see what others post.

[Davet]

.006" may be out for a machine mill, but is to me plenty good for a woodworking saw table.

Are you sure it's .006" or is it .060" ?

[Hooligan]

.006" may be out for a machine mill, but is to me plenty good for a woodworking saw table.

Are you sure it's .006" or is it .060" ?

err...yeah .060 Sorry.

Does that make a difference?

Also, did a quick check a minute ago and it seems to be closer to .080 now. I checked it in the morning when the table was cold(er).

[cadenz]

i remember reading something about trunion bolts not being tight enough in here but don't remeber for sure. anyway mine were not. after a day of cutting the blade was out of alignment. realigned it of course and that's when i discovered the trunion bolts were...not loose but not even hand tight! check those bolts!

is there an easier way to adjust the bolts that level the legs of the table? what do you call those bolts? i wonder if i can use a car jack?

[Jimh42]

Does anyone know if the arbor issue (problem using stacked dado) has been corrected in current models?
I'm looking to buy next week but don't want to get a bag of worms.
Any other problems to be aware of?
Thanks,
Jim

[talos4]

Yep no problem, I just got mine about 3 weeks ago and my Freud Dado set works just fine.

[fx4fssc]

I am in the middle of assembling my TS3650 - this discussion is great; I have run into some of the same problems as some of you other guys. I have a question that I don't think has come up yet.

I have just come to the step where you intall the front and rear fence rails. I have them both bolted up finger tight and I aligned the front rail at the 7-1/8" mark on the scale with the right side of the table according to the instructions. Just as a quick test I went ahead and slipped the fence on to see how close the scales on the rails are to being correct. I assumed that the scale on the right would be on the 0" mark when the fence is up against the right side of the saw blade. My scale is off about 3/8" (0" mark is to right of red line in fence view glass). Slipped the fence over to the left side of the blade and sure enough its about 3/8" out also.

I would never trust the scale for precise rip cuts (I use a framing square on my radial arm saw to set it for rip cuts), but the scale would be handy to get you "close" enough for quick "rough" cuts. What's going on here? Is the 7-1/8" an error in the manual?

[hobby32092]

I would never trust the scale for precise rip cuts (I use a framing square on my radial arm saw to set it for rip cuts), but the scale would be handy to get you "close" enough for quick "rough" cuts. What's going on here? Is the 7-1/8" an error in the manual?7-1/8" is within 1/32" of accurate for me. Dunno why yours is different.

[VegasGuy]

My scale is off about 3/8" (0" mark is to right of red line in fence view glass).

My new TS3650 (bought 4/6/07) was off 1/8". I moved the front rail so that the right edge of the table lined up with the 7-1/4" mark. That allowed me to keep the red line scales for both the left and right side about in the middle of the horizontal adjustment.

[sandking]

Does anyone know where to find the foot stiffeners? I couldn't locate them in the box.

[TOD]

Does anyone know where to find the foot stiffeners? I couldn't locate them in the box.Mine were pushed way down in one of the small holes in the foam. I thought they were missing at first.

[stidrvr]

Mine were pushed way down in one of the small holes in the foam. I thought they were missing at first.


I thought the same thing

[sandking]

I thought the same thing

Found them thanks.

Using my Johnson 48" level and feeler gauges I have less than .003" across the whole table. Assuming of course that the level is machined well. There are machining marks on it and it says I think within .001" so I think I'm all good here.

Thanks to the posting here on the updated manual the Herculift went together easy!!! I haven't even checked which manual I have yet, just took the laptop into the shop and followed those directions.

This week I'll finish the setup.

[1rreynolds]

Hi

Putting together my 3650 and ran into an issue I need input on. I am trying to align the front and back rails to the rip fence page 22/23 in the manaul. Sliding the rip fence to the right miter gauge I can't get the front of the fence to less than 11 pages the back will tighten to within the 8 pages limit but evertime I tighten up the front rail it raises up to the 10-12 page range at the miter slot. If I slide the fence towards the edge of the table I get to the 8-9 page range. Is this a cause for concen and if so how do I fix it. Thanks.:)

[VegasGuy]

Hi

Putting together my 3650 and ran into an issue I need input on. I am trying to align the front and back rails to the rip fence page 22/23 in the manaul. Sliding the rip fence to the right miter gauge I can't get the front of the fence to less than 11 pages the back will tighten to within the 8 pages limit but evertime I tighten up the front rail it raises up to the 10-12 page range at the miter slot. If I slide the fence towards the edge of the table I get to the 8-9 page range. Is this a cause for concen and if so how do I fix it. Thanks.:)

I found setting the fence height via the rear rail to be a bit tricky. I especially disliked the advice to use 11 pages from the manual instead of giving a dimension. The shipping grease made a mess of my manual. Wouldn't you know, I used the English pages instead of another language section where it does not matter.

When I would raise the rear rail to get the correct fence height, the miter gauge guide would hit the rear rail. I ended up mounting the rear rail as low as it would go so the miter gauge guide would clear it. I tightened the nut at the rear of the fence enough so the fence would not drag on the table (tightening raises the fence), but not so tight that it would cause the fence to bind anywhere. I found there to be a fine line between the fence dragging on the table and having the fence bind slightly at the outer right end of travel. To give a bit more clearance to the back end of the fence, I loosened the two bolts holding the rear fence against the long end of the table and pushed up on the fence before tightening the bolts. This gave me the clearance I wanted under the fence and still allowed the miter gauge to freely clear the rear rail.

[stidrvr]

Thanks to the posting here on the updated manual the Herculift went together easy!!!

Awwee Man, theres an updated manual on the Herculift, no wonder it was a PITA to assemble

[sandking]

Awwee Man, theres an updated manual on the Herculift, no wonder it was a PITA to assemble


I'm not sure if it's updated. I just went to the link from this thread for the 3650 manual.

[CraigM56]

I just finished putting my 3650 together and had no problems at all but spent my time (3 days) doing it. I was impressed the way the fastening hardware was packaged and the ease of putting it all together. I built this alignment gauge to check out the saw and out-of-the-box, the fence is less than .002 from front to back but the blade is off by .023 so looks like I need to adjust that. Even without making any cuts with this saw, I am very impressed. Can't wait to align it and start using it.

Craig

http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/align1.jpg

http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/align2.jpg

http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/align3.jpg

[VegasGuy]

Craig,

Nice jig for your dial indicator. I was able to use the mounting rod from a HF magnetic base and screw the rod into the miter gauge. My dial indicator mounts to the adjustable support rod. What did you use for the bar that slips into the table's t-slot?

Ike

[CraigM56]

Craig,

Nice jig for your dial indicator. I was able to use the mounting rod from a HF magnetic base and screw the rod into the miter gauge. My dial indicator mounts to the adjustable support rod. What did you use for the bar that slips into the table's t-slot?

Ike

It's an 18" miter slider from Incra. It's adjustable to remove all slop from the bar as it rides in the miter slot.

Craig

[sandking]

It's an 18" miter slider from Incra. It's adjustable to remove all slop from the bar as it rides in the miter slot.

Craig


I have a similar jig I use that I got from a machine setup book. The only issue I've found is that I get the fence in alignment and then i move it and test it again and it's off.

Are you folks rechecking the fence in several locations? I think the issue is the fence might twist when locking it down.

[CraigM56]

This image shows deflection of my fence at the front in the locked position:
http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/saw1.jpg

This is the front to rear deflection:
http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/saw2.jpg

And at the back when locked:
http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/saw3.jpg

I found that with proper fence lock pressure the deflection is minimized.

Craig

[wesm]

Thanks for all the tips. I found this before I put the saw together so saved myself many headaches (literally and figuratively).

I left the wings off until I had it flipped as well. I also put the Herc-u-lift on before I did the wings as well so I could move the saw around easily. My bench turned out to be about 1" shorter than the bottom of the wings so it was easy to put the wings on with a bit of shimming.

If you are putting together the lift, make sure you visit the website and download the manual from there. The bolt lengths are actually marked on the online version of the manual.

I think I'm going to be on this forum frequently. I've only looked at a bit of it and already I have plans in mind. Looks to be a fun and informative place.


Wes

[onsightman]

After using my new TS3650 for a couple of weeks, it has begun to make a loud noise when i use it. After some research, I found the noise is coming from the fan rubbing against the motor body. I can make the noise go away by pushing the motor axle such that the fan moves away from the body, but after a little bit (30 seconds) of the motor being on, it comes back. Any ideas?

[JSM]

I purchased a TS3650 last weekend and have been reading over the instructions before I try to start assembling it. I have a question and was hoping I could get some info from people here.

In the unpacking instructions on pg 17 of the manual, it says "Remove the protective oil that is applied to all unpainted metal surfaces. Use any ordinary household type grease and spot remover." I was wondering if anyone could recommend some specific products and let me know if there are any things that I should definitely NOT use.

Thanks!

[Bob D.]

I picked up most of it with some dry Scott Paper Shop Towels, then used some kerosene (just a enough to dampen the rag) on a cotton rag and wiped it down. I followed that with a clean dry rag then applied paste wax (NOT automotive wax which has silicone in it) and gave it two coats of wax. To maintain the finish I re-apply the wax about 3 or 4 times a year.

It's not safe to use gasoline, alcohol, or mineral spirits as they is much more risk of fire than there is using kerosene. You need to dispose of the soaked rags properly, those with grease and/or solvent (whatever you chose to use).

[Northern Wood]

I used paper towels with mineral spirits for the cast iron top and any grease that I found anywhere else. I know mineral spirits are flammable, but a little bit on some paper towel should not be an issue as long as you dispose of them properly. Don't dump it on mind you, and you will need lots of paper towel, but it works great.

No disrespect to you, Bob, but I know lots of people that used mineral spirits without incident. Make sure you are careful, though.

Good luck!

[Bob D.]

None taken. I used kerosene cause its safer and I had it readily available since I have a kerosene heater.

[Northern Wood]

Funny... I was going to say I use mineral spirits because I have a can anyway, but I'd have to go buy kerosene! :D

More than one way to skin a cat, that's for sure. :)

[JGB]

Having recently assembled and adjusted a model 3650 table saw I can offer a few practical tips. First, I waited almost a year from the time I made up my mind until I actually bought the saw because I was intimidated by the weight of it, and knew I had to handle it alone. Having now done it, I can assure that almost any male woodworker and most women can do it. I had the saw delivered by Home Depot which eliminated one big challenge; how to get the box out of my truck. When I opened the box I found that all parts are neatly placed in styrofoam compartments. There are four heavy pieces; the two wings, which can easily be lifted and carried with one hand, thanks to the clamp slots; the motor, which takes two hands, but is not difficult to handle, and, the largest and heaviest, the main table with cast trunnions and enclosure. To transport the last piece I made a platform for a two-wheeled dolly to keep the part from shifting, and strapped the whole thing to the uprights of the dolly. It was not difficult to take the table down the basement stairs. Taking it off the dolly required that I tip it forward and I set it atop a couple lengths of 4x4 to make the ultimate righting of the partially assembled saw easier. Someone in an earlier thread suggested leaving the wings off until righting the saw, and that definitely makes the job of righting the saw much easier. If you have placed the upside-down saw table on 4x4s or other support, you will find that it is relatively easy to stand the saw upright after the legs are installed. Putting the wings on when the saw is in an upright position is also relatively easy if you use a sawhorse or other support to hold them in place. Also, once you have a pretty good alignment of the edges of the wings and the main table, use C clamps to hold that alignment steady while you tighten the bolts. I think the assembly of the Herculift causes some people problems (including me) because the concept is so simple that it just does not seem it is going to work, but it does, very well. Paay attention to the instruction that you do not tighten the anchor bolts; they need room to move.
When making adjustments I was frustrated by a lack of information until I discovered that the adjustment section of the manual comes after the section describing how to make cuts with the saw. Once I got the fence properly adjusted, following those instructions, I found it to be rock solid and right on the money.
The only other thing I can offer at this time is that I found the presence of the clamp slots in the wings to be annoying when I was changing blades, because I invariably set the wrenches down such that they fell through the slots to the floor. I solved that problem by cutting a couple of strips of 1/8 th inch Masonite (now called hardboard) about 2.5 wide by 24 inches long and dropping them into the slots when I am not using them.
I am 70 years old and skinny as a rail. If I can do it, so can you. Good Luck.

[puddlejumper]

I did the same and also added extra blocks at the back edge of the table, to hold it high enought off the ground to give clearance to the mounts sticking out the back. I lifted mine alone, but the type work I do its common, get help or have someone stand by. ;-)

I'm BRAND NEW to this site and the TS3650. I plan to buy tomorrow. I don't understand what you did with the 2X4s. Did you turn the saw from upside down onto it's side on the 2X4s and then use them to stand it up? Surely you didn't have the saw upside down on the 2X4s and then stand it right side up!:eek:

[dncarac]

Just checking in.

About a year and a half ago I bought this saw, assembled and aligned it, with help from this group, and have used it since. It's been a great saw. I'm very happy with it.

That's all,

DNC

[JGB]

I'm BRAND NEW to this site and the TS3650. I plan to buy tomorrow. I don't understand what you did with the 2X4s. Did you turn the saw from upside down onto it's side on the 2X4s and then use them to stand it up? Surely you didn't have the saw upside down on the 2X4s and then stand it right side up!:eek:
Sorry for the delay in replying. You probably have figured it out by now. Yes, I put a couple of short lengths of 4x4 on the basement floor and then deposited the main body of the saw on top of them in an upside down position, which is the only way you can attach the legs. I had made a platform for my two-wheeled dolly so I could get the saw down the basement stairs and it was relatively simple to deposit the saw onto the 4x4s from the dolly. Then, when it was time to right the saw, it was easier to get under the table and lift the saw onto its legs than it would have been had the saw been resting on the floor, Speaking of legs, remember to lift with yours instead of your back muscles. Hope you had success.

[Lildrgnoflb]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and just bought my new ts3650.

Thanks to you kind folks and all of the post, I was able to get my saw up and running in about 3 hours. By myself no less! (All of buddies chickened out when I told them how heavy the beast was)

I think I got lucky, my blade was spot on, and I got the rails aligned on the first shot.

I took the advice about putting the extention wings on after I righted the saw. I used my roller stands to hold it while I got those suckers up. Now, with a few coats of paste wax, this thing is smooth as silk. And I actually made my first project. A panel jig. :)

I just wanted to say thanks for all of the great advice and look forward to picking all of your brains on future products. I'm a novice so much picking will ensue I'm sure.

Thanks again!:)

[Northern Wood]

Hey, Lildrgnoflb -

Welcome to the board! I hope you enjoy your new saw. I'm sure you will. :)

This place is a huge help for assembly and anything else you need. Feel free to ask, and remember there is no such thing as a dumb question concerning the 3650. God knows I've asked more than my share here...

Take care!

Mike

[del schisler]

Hi all !!! This is a great forum! Glad I found it. And just in time. I just purchased my 3650 Sat. Got it fully assembled Tuesday am. I didn't work on it Sat. and Sun. I had to use my tractor with the front end loader to get it off the pick-up. (Just had back surgery). The assembly went pretty well ! IMO! The Herc-U-Lift had me scratching my head, but we figured it out ( me and the dogs).:)
The question I have is! Does anyone have an answer on how to protect the cast iron table? I know it's just a question of time before rust appears.:confused: T-9 and Rust Free this is the best stuff you can use I use it and find it the best If you have some rusty tools This will make them look like new I have used this for some time now good luck on the saw del

The Rust Store - Rust Removal and Prevention Categories (http://www.theruststore.com/Rust-Removers-C1.aspx)

The Rust Store - Rust Removal and Prevention Categories (http://www.theruststore.com/Rust-Preventers-C4.aspx)

[Pez]

I am having a problem with the tilt on my 3650. I recently aligned the blade to the miter guage slots but before that never had a problem with tilting the blade. When I turn the wheel I can only get to about 10 degrees and cant crank it anymore. When I did align the blade there was 1/8 inch space between blade an opening in stock insert per instructions. Any ideas?

[Gofor]

First: Make sure the motor is not hitting anything and you did not leave any tools inside when loosening/tightening the trunnion bolts when aligning the blade to the miter slot.
Second: Check the lock handle on the front of the saw under the front fence bar and above the height adjustment handwheel. It may be jamming against the table top. Crank the blade back to vertical and then reposition the handle. This is done by pushing it in (which disengages it from the lock rod) and turning it so the handle points down or down and left. The bevel lock mechanism moves in an arc as the blade tilts(left to right as you crank in more bevel) so if the handle is in the wrong position, it will jam against the top. After you get the desired bevel (tilt), lock the blade with the bevel lock. You may have to push it in and reposition it a couple times to get the lock tight. Also, make sure it is loosened before trying to bevel the blade or return it to vertical.
Third: If the above is not the problem, unplug the saw and take out the insert around the blade. Look at the curved grooves the trunnion rides in on the front and back (looking down into the saw interior through the insert hole), A couple people have had problems with metal gouging up in the track and jamming the mechanism. Return the blade to vertical and remove any chips or burrs in the track areas. Try tilting it again to see if you get full range of bevel. If it starts gouging up metal, stop and call Ridgid.

Please let us know what the problem was. If it was the lock handle, do not feel alone. Many of us have done the same thing. I learned it from experience and have had to relearn it occasionally as I don't do a lot of bevel cutting and the lock handle is hidden from view until you get your head below the table level.

Go

[Pez]

It appears there was metal burrs clogging it up but when I cleared it out and tried to tilt the balde again it gets to the same point and stops, about 10 degrees. It looks like the part that rides in the curved grooves is gouging up the metal and why it stops at a certain point.

Since this wasnt a problem before would re-aligning balde to get more than 1/8 inch from the side of the insert fix the problem or do I have serious problem since the was some metal being gouged.

I am concered because I had a very hard time getting the blade aligned to the miter slot and dont know if I can align it get the proper clearance. I really dont want to have to bring it to Ridgid for repair as its so heavy and I dont have a truck.

By the way, thanks for the quick response.

[Pez]

Well, I think I figured it out. When I aligned the blade to the miter slots I was following the method from "The Table Saw Book" by K. Mehler. In it he says to use an f-clamp clamped to the rear trunnion but I accidentally clamped it to the front and rear trunnion. By doing that I think moved the rear trunnion into a position which caused it to rub to close into the grove and once it got past a few degrees would start digging into it. I lightly tapped the rear trunnion away from the saw and now I can tilt the blade all the way to 45 degrees. The rear groove the trunnion rides in did get chewed up a little the first 1/2 inch or so, is this something I should worry about it?

Unfortunately now I have to re-align the blade. Based on my first experience I am not looking forward to that. I know its not hard but I am very new to this hobby and have steep learning curve to overcome.

[Pez]

The saga continues...

I thought I had it all sorted out so I adjusted the blade to the miter gauge slot and tried beveling the blade again - gets stuck in the same place.

I loosened all the trunnion bolts again and to see if that would let me bevel the blade - nope. Like last time I had to tap the rear section where the groove is and it worked but not as smoothly as the first time I tried it. As mentioned earlier, the first 1/2 inch or so got gouged a little. When I tried beveling the blade past the 10 degree mark you could feel the saw "jump" over the part where the gouge stops.

Is it possible that from the way I tried to align the blade the f-clamp bent the left side of the rear section of the trunnion just enough to cause this? I am afraid my only option at this point is to call ridgid which I can bet will mean I have to bring the saw in for repair. That is going to be very difficult.

[Pez]

Problem solved - went to Home Depot and exchanged it for a new one. Just in time as the 90 days were up next Saturday.

Lesson learned - read and re-read the instructions if anything is unclear. And if that doesnt help check out this thread.

[Door Geek]

Hi everybody. Geez what an incredible forum. I had a couple if issues if someone could address. The first was during assembly. The side cast iron wings droop about an 1/8" at the end of the wings. I believe that they just need to be shimmed but wanted to get someone's opinion on what to use to shim and how many should be used.
The other issue is that I can't tell how to adjust the motor to put more weight on the belt. When I start up the saw there is a loud vibration sound which goes away after about 1 second. When I place pressure on the motor putting more weight against the belt and then start it, there is no noise.
Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for this awesome forum.

[FreddiePhuzz]

What a nightmare!!! If it was not for the rave reviews on performance I might take this saw back. Instructions are very in-accurate, out of order and crucial steps are missing! Where do I begin...? I looked up the newer version of the assembly instructions on the ridgid site and they are not much better.

Let’s check the error list:

1. They call components different names during different steps
2. It is suggested to use 2 wrenches to tighten carriage bolts
3. The online version at least has the labels for the bolt usage for the lift unit
4. Front rail instructions say to align rail to edge of table at 7 1/8 inch... picture shows 7 1/16... Ended up using 7 1/4 to get fence right.
5. The hardware is American threads with metric heads (wtf?) No wonder my 1/2 inch wrench was spinning on the head... Its 12mm! Love them rounded bolts!
6. There is NO step to tighten the motor. There is one that tells you to install but DO NOT tighten screws at this time. Then belt and guard install and no mention of motor mount bolts to be tightened. Hope you all took the initiative to do so.

I understand mistakes are made and corrections are needed but the date on my manual was 07/06. I think the online version could be updated just a bit. ESPECIALLY the motor mount issue. I just know in my mind someone out there go busy putting the belt on and lining up the pullies and taking it all off to install the guard then re-installing the belt and then they forgot to tighten the motor. Bad bad juju.

And to top it all off I call ridgid to let them know and the rep really could have cared less. She was more interested in letting me know to send in my UPC and receipt copy to get my registration done. At least the home depot manager feigned some sort of concern.

Anyway... my rant is done... I will try it... I have about 10 weeks left on my 90 day satisfaction guarantee. Hope it performs better the assembly process

[FreddiePhuzz]

Hi everybody. Geez what an incredible forum. I had a couple if issues if someone could address. The first was during assembly. The side cast iron wings droop about an 1/8" at the end of the wings. I believe that they just need to be shimmed but wanted to get someone's opinion on what to use to shim and how many should be used.
The other issue is that I can't tell how to adjust the motor to put more weight on the belt. When I start up the saw there is a loud vibration sound which goes away after about 1 second. When I place pressure on the motor putting more weight against the belt and then start it, there is no noise.
Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for this awesome forum.


Make sure you have the motor mounting bolts tightened down. there is no step in the assembly instructions for this.

[JGB]

Re motor vibration; I believe that if you raise the blade to its top limit and then drop it down slightly you can get a tight belt by loosening and then tightening the adjustment bolts. The full weight of the motor should be enough to limit if not eliminate vibration. I found that the belt guard was rattling so I put a small C-clamp across the top of the guard and that seemed to take care of it.

Does anyone have any suggestions for mounting an auxiliary fence to the table fence?

[Geoawelch]

Merry Christmas to all,

This is my first forum post.

My experience assembling the saw has been relatively trouble-free. The differences between the supplied and online manuals is a little aggravating.

A dumb question and a help request:

* When they mention the 8 pages of manual to use as a "feeler gage" in adjusting the fence height, do they mean eight SHEETS or four double sided pages?

* When moving the fence from side to side, I get an annoying squeal (for lack of a better term) from the left side of where the fence mounts to the front rail. I have removed the fence and looked at the bottom of the fence and do not notice any issues (burrs, etc). The noise seems to occur for the entire length of the fence.

Thanks for your help.

George

[Gofor]

They mean 8 sheets of paper. Goal is to get about 1/32th of an inch. Thats about .031". (8 sheets of the manual measure out to about this thckness). The key to adjusting the rails is to ensure the top of the back rail is even with or slightly below the bottom of the miter slots. If it is too high, the miter guage or any jig using the miter slot (like a cutoff sled) will hit the back rail when you move it towards the back of the saw. The second objective is to get the fence-to-table clearance about the same front to back. This will only be important if you use a jig that slides on the top of the fence. As long as the fence does not drag on the table, it should be okay.

As for the squeal, many of us have had to put some wax on the front rail to stop it. I believe it is caused by something on the teflon sliders as they come from the factory. I did mine once two years ago when I first assembled my saw, and have not had to do it since.

Hope this helps.

Go

[texan63]

I really appreciate the info I've learned on this forum. I'm considering the TS-3650, but am concerned about dust collection for this type of saw. How does it compare to the hybrid types where the moter is enclosed?
Thanks, Travis

[Wood_Junkie]

With a shop-vac hooked up to the blade shroud assembly, I'd estimate it captures about 50% of the sawdust with the stock throat plate. Put in a ZCI and you'll see about 75% captured. I found that somehow I still wound up with dust under the saw when doing a lot of cutting. So I added a Dust Cutter bag ($40 from Woodcraft) and that's *really* cut it down to almost nothing underneath. I just use the vacuum port on that bag once a week or so to empty it.

Note, that I am a naughty, naughty woodworker boy and don't use my splitter and blade guard most of the time (because I use my tablesaw top for measuring, assembly, etc). The blade guard helps dust collection via the shroud vacuum port.

[Wood_Junkie]

Does anyone have any suggestions for mounting an auxiliary fence to the table fence?

Get these:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17821&filter=fence%20clamp

[Bob D.]

Get these:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17821&filter=fence%20clamp

Yup, got a pair for Christmas and they work fine. I think they should have padded the face side of the clamp screw though so it would not mar your fence when you tighten it down. You can easily glue something on there, cut out some circles from some 1/8" neoprene gasket material and put them on and they are much better now.

[melchman]

i have a question...after I aligned the rail to 71/8" to the table.....I slid the fence down to the saw blade and put the fence to 1". I measured the distance to the fence to be
1 3/16". Did I do something wrong? or do I need to adjust the front rail to 7 1/4 "ish ?

[wwsmith]

I think they should have padded the face side of the clamp screw though so it would not mar your fence when you tighten it down. You can easily glue something on there, cut out some circles from some 1/8" neoprene gasket material and put them on and they are much better now.


Liquid plastic could also work? :confused:

[JimSim]

Has anyone had to replace the 115v circuit breaker/reset switch on the motor? The parts list does not show it as a seperate component but as integral to the motor. I need to replace it and would like a source for the part

[Gofor]

i have a question...after I aligned the rail to 71/8" to the table.....I slid the fence down to the saw blade and put the fence to 1". I measured the distance to the fence to be
1 3/16". Did I do something wrong? or do I need to adjust the front rail to 7 1/4 "ish ?

First, I found on mine that the 7 1/8" measurement was accurate with a full kerf blade. It may be a holdover from past times when a Full kerf blade was supplied with the saw.
Second, the two clear plastic pieces on the fence front (one for right fence clearance and one for left) will need to be adjusted.
All that said, you will not hurt anything to slide the front fence a little either way to get everything to line up perfectly.

Go

[melchman]

thanks for the reply....thats what I did... i slid the fence to accurately align the fence to t he right side BUT when I went to check the left.... I can not adjust the clear plastic piece enough to rest above the 1" mark. I might try and readjust the fence again.... any other suggestions please reply.

[Bob D.]

As you stand in front of the saw in the normal operating position, the left side of the blade (NOT the left edge of the teeth), regardless of the blades thickness, will remain the same with respect to the front rail. Why, because the fixed flange of the arbor is to the left of the blade. When you mount a blade on the arbor you always butt the blade up to the flange which is on the left of the blade, so the left side of the blade is always the same. If the blade body thickness changes, then the right side of the blade will be slightly further away than a thin kerf blade.

What happens when you swap blades?

Think about two hypothetical blades:

Blade #1 - Thin Kerf
Tooth width = 3/32"
Blade width = 1/16"

Blade #2 'Normal' Kerf blade
Tooth width = 1/8"
Blade width = 3/32"

Measuring from the LEFT face of the blade body which is against the arbor flange, the left edge of the tooth is 1/64" to the left of the left blade face, the right tooth edge is 1/16" + 1/64" or 5/64" to the right of the LEFT blade face.

For the 1/8" or Std Kerf blade, the left tooth edge is 1/64" to the left of the left blade face, and the right tooth edge is 6/64" + 1/64 or 7/64" to the right of the left blade face.

So the right tooth edge ends up being 2/64 (1/32") further to the right than the thin kerf blade.

OK so these are not actual blade tooth widths or body thicknesses, or maybe they happen to match some blades out there. My point is that two blades with different body thicknesses and tooth widths will show greater variance on the right of the blade than to the left.



One of these days I'll figure out how to get my point across in a hundred words or less and not put everyone to sleep. :(

[vlrice]

Looks like a very useful forum. I am a new TS3650 owner. Put it together last week. I have encountered only one problem that relates to aligning the riving knife assembly. With the assembly mounted on the spreader support and the assembly positioned as far right (looking from the saw front) as possible the knife is still lightly to the left (~16th of an inch) of the blade. Thus when I cut the knife pulls the piece away from the fence as the piece is pushed through the cut.
What am I missing? The spreader is mounted on the spreader support and pushed up against the roll pin. The riving knife assembly is mounted on the spreader support and pushed as far right as the slots in the support will allow. AIN'T no room left.
For the time being I removed the whole assembly so my cuts are true. I need to get this problem solved as I hate running without the blade guard.
Any ideas? I hope I have done something stupid that can be easily corrected.

[VASandy]

Hi VLRice! Welcome to the forums.

Aligning the splitter was a nightmare for me. Now that it's correct, I find myself taking it off and putting it back on often, and it stays in it's proper alignment. It's a good splitter design for the most part, but it's problematic to setup the first time.

What I did was use a really straight edge on either side of the blade. I have a 4' level and a straight long square. I put the splitter in the mounts and attempted to line it up. Well, I ended up having to bang on it a bit at the metal vise to get it straight back and forth and up and down. Took a bit of work to get it straight in all directions, but it's definitely worth it. To get the vertical alignment, I used a machinists' square. Just keep working at it. Do the back and forth (horizontal) alignment first. It may take a bit of banging to get it straight. Put it on, check alignment, then take it off and back to the vise. I had to keep doing that till it was right on. It took me the better part of a Saturday to get it set. The vertical alignment then took probably about an hour. One other tip is to tape the anti-kickback pawls up while you're doing the alignment, and DISCONNECT THE POWER! The anti-kickback teeth kept getting stuck in the level and made it a nightmare until I discovered the varied and wonderful uses of blue painter's tape. ;)

[Gofor]

The hex head (allen wrench) screw on the shaft that the assembly slides onto is the key. Put the splitter on the shaft and tighten it down. Loosen the set screw and you can move the shaft left or right as needed. This info is not included in the manual. I think it takes a #4 metric allen wrench, but may be a 5. SAE won't work. It will round it out.

I had the same situation with mine.

Go

[vlrice]

AH HA! The set screw on the shaft was the ticket. I didn't see this in the manual so i didn't go looking. Thanks a bunch.
Vic

[bcbutler]

Got my TS setup today!! only 4.5-5 hrs. Now that I have it setup, what do I need to do to the top before I start sawing?

[Bob D.]

Got my TS setup today!! only 4.5-5 hrs. Now that I have it setup, what do I need to do to the top before I start sawing?

If you've got bare metal there now after cleaning all the packing grease off then you need to get it protected ASAP with at a minimum a couple coats of wax, but not automotive wax which has additives in it such as silicone which will haunt you later on. Then you'll have time to investigate which protectant you want to go with. Search the forums there are a number of threads on the topic with input from many of the members.

[weatherjeff]

The Herc-U-lift is my Waterloo so far. Lowering the leveling feet to make sure the wheels are clear worked... until I engaged the wheels and the leveling feet didn't clear the floor making movement impossible.

I park my saw in my garage corner- I roll it out to stage center after I pull out the cars when its time to make the sawdust. This problem is getting into my head and am flashing back to that bad day in Shop Class in 8th grade when everyone started laughing - but I degress.

I have noticed that on my saw there is very little play when I step down to engage the wheels. The TS set up at HD moved half a foot it seemed. Perhaps this is my problem?

[texan123]

One thing to check is where it attaches in the corner of each leg the square tube goes under the bracket not on top.

[weatherjeff]

ub1Chris-
Any solution to the Herc Lift problem? I'm completely stumped..

[FINER9998]

make sure the points where the herc-u lift attaches to the brackets which are attached to the leg set are not tightened too much. the bolts that hold the lift to the leg set angle brackets are designed to fit loosely.

[CraigM56]

Does anyone have any suggestions for mounting an auxiliary fence to the table fence?


This is what I came up with which has been very usefull. I like the taller fence and routed T-Slots in the face for added versatility.

http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/auxfence1.jpg

http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/auxfence3.jpg

http://members.cox.net/vettenut72/auxfence2.jpg

Craig

[Bob D.]

Nice idea on the quick mounting system using the toggle clamps. Fast on/off and no tools required.

[walkingman]

Hello Folks,

Thanks in advance for the assembly tips, which were all very helpful. I assembled my saw last night in about 4 1/2 hours. Time sure flies when you're having fun. I had a couple of thoughts to add....

Since I assembled by myself, I also waited until the saw was standing to bolt on the extension wings. I also left the main table section in the box where I bolted on the legs while it was supported by the foam packing. I then tipped the top & legs assembly over on its side onto a packing blanket and pulled away the box & foam. The tip here is to wait to screw on the miter gauge or fence hanger on the side that you'll be tipping onto. The weight was pretty managable for a 50 yr old guy with a bad back to raise it up onto its feet.

Assembling the Herculift wasn't too bad, after a little head scratching. It's a pretty slick yet simple system that works great. I did, however, make the mistake of screwing the feet down way too far into the bottoms of the legs. The instructions really don't explain that the Herculift only travels vertically about a quarter of an inch, so the feet really need to be extended to within a quarter of an inch of the fully extended travel of the Herculift wheels. Hopefully your shop floor is relatively smooth and level so that the feet don't "bottom" out on humps when you're rolling on the lift.

I took a bunch of pictures that I'll post soon because I wished while I was assembling that there were more detailed diagrams or photos that illustrated proper orientation of some of the small parts.

It's all good, though. I figured that it was just a "rite of passage" that makes you more familiar with your tool. (It's that "bonding" thing...)

I have a question for anybody...

Is there any way to manage the way the motor "jumps" when you hit the on switch? It shakes the whole table when it kicks on, and I wasn't sure if this was normal. I'm used to the "soft start" that my Bosch table saw had.

Cheers

Steve

[Bittermidget]

Cheers everyone! Just joined after reading all these posts for a few months and finally purchasing my 3650 a few days ago for a nice price.

Assembly has been fairly straightforward so far thanks to all of your great advise and warnings. I need to loosen my hurculift-to-leg bolts as suggested because right now the saw is always up on the wheels.

For what it's worth, the blade was pretty much dead straight to the mitre slot, and 90 degrees read 90 degrees on the scale. At full bevel stop, the blade was 45 degrees and I only needed to adjust the right side of the scale about 2 degrees to be dead on. Trunion bolts were tight as well. I am very impressed so far with how accurate this saw is out of the box.

While installing the fence rails tonight, I did notice something odd that I wanted to mention. Manuals say to attach 4 square head bolts for the front rail and 4 for the back. The fastener package has 9 bolts total and my iron tables have 5 holes in the front and 4 in the back. I only put 4 on the front, but it would seem to make sense that since they give you 9 bolts and there's 9 holes, you should fill all 9 holes with fasteners. Am I missing something here? Should I take the front rail off and install the 5th bolt? Probably irrelevant, but I might as well do it right the first time.

Thanks again for the great suggestions.

[DGreenwald]

I bought my TW3650 last weekend and managed to get 90% of it assembled before I ran out of time so its been sitting in the basement, all ready to go except for the fence and motor. I'm going to try and finish it up this weekend, but I'm debating on the electrical options. I have a dedicated 20amp line for my workbench and am going to put in a plug just for the saw, but is it worth it to make the change on the motor to 240v? I've heard that it can give you a little more power and is a little easier on the motor, but I've also heard the opposite is true. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[Bandit]

Bittermidget,

The instruction manual for the TS3660 (which in other threads appears to be a cosmetic update to the 3650) doesn't quantify the bolts for the rails. They have issued 9 bolts/nuts and the table has 9 holes... I filled them all when I assembled mine.

Just so you know you'll end up with an unopened blister of bolts and nuts (3 ea., I think) these are for installing an auxillary fence, but you won't see anything mentioned in the instructions.

[Gofor]

I bought my TW3650 last weekend and managed to get 90% of it assembled before I ran out of time so its been sitting in the basement, all ready to go except for the fence and motor. I'm going to try and finish it up this weekend, but I'm debating on the electrical options. I have a dedicated 20amp line for my workbench and am going to put in a plug just for the saw, but is it worth it to make the change on the motor to 240v? I've heard that it can give you a little more power and is a little easier on the motor, but I've also heard the opposite is true. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

On a 20a circuit, there isn't any electrical advantage to changing to a 220v circuit, unless you need to free up capacity for other items, like shop vac, dust collection, electric heater, air compressor, etc, that you will be running or may cycle on at the same time that you are running the saw. Theoretically, there should not be any change in the saw's performance, but I have not had the opportunity to try it, so cannot say for sure. One possible drawback on the 220v. It pulls current off of both 120v legs coming into the breaker box. If one leg is overloaded with inductive loads (ie refrigerator compressor, window A/C, etc) and these things kick in and drop the voltage on that leg, it will cause an imbalance in the saw's motor. This will not do the motor any good. That's one reason for having a good qualified electrician install the 220v to ensure the loads are balanced between the legs in the box.

Go

[gator95]

Here are my two tips:

1) Use the nut & bolt designations for identification only. Keep your set of metric and US sockets and wrenches handy and regardless of what the instructions say, use the metric or US socket/wrench that fits the bolt/nut.

FWIW, 12mm seems to be the magic socket- fit most of the bolts, including the ones that the instructions said should only be screwed in with a 1/2 wrench.

2) Yes, the four corner bolts on the Herc-U-Lift are supposed to be that loose. Seemed odd to me at first too, and had to get confirmation on this forum

[mcoffey916]

Hello Folks,


Is there any way to manage the way the motor "jumps" when you hit the on switch? It shakes the whole table when it kicks on, and I wasn't sure if this was normal. I'm used to the "soft start" that my Bosch table saw had.


I just finished assembling this saw tonight and so far I'm super impressed!! Can't wait to play with it this weekend.

I have the same question as above - is the motor "jump" normal or would higher belt tension fix this? Any ideas?

[gbm13]

Just finished assembling the TS-3660 and while it was pretty straightforward, I'm suprised and the mistakes that are still in the manual. In one case, I referred online to a better version. A couple of notes:

1) I knew I was in trouble from the start when the leg stand said to use 15 bolts and 15 nuts, clearly each side needs 4, making a total of 16.

2) I tightened the Herc-u-lift bolts too far, but they were still loose. In a previous version of the manual, I found it to say 'tighten the nuts until the bolt is flush with the nut'. Works great now.

3) In the blade guard alignment, the manual says to loosen the thumbscrew to adjust. It didn't make sense, since the thumbscrew seats in a 'v' shaped notch. They must've meant the hex screw to the side, and then the whole post slides to be adjusted. Then you can take the guard on/off with the thumbscrew.

4) Like others, I aligned the front rail to 7 1/8" and couldn't adjust the fence window's far enough. I moved it the 7 1/4-7 3/8 mark and was able to adjust the windows easily.

Now to build something!

[Phil3]

This pertains to the TS3660.

Could someone tell me if the 8 screws (1/4 -20 x 1/2") that fasten the leg brackets for the Herc-U-Lift to the legs use washers or not? The nuts are self locking, but in the list of material for the screws, the manual says "8 screws (1/4-20 x 1/2 in. with washer). I found no such animal, except the same without washers. Diagrams in manual do not show a washer, and want to be sure I do not start using wrong fasteners.

Also, I will probably have to turn this thing over myself, so will install the wings after right side up. But, should the Herc-U-Lift be installed before or after turning the saw right side up? Is the leg assembly sufficiently strong to lay the saw on its side, and then lift it up while it rests and pivots on two leg feet?

Thanks.

- Phil

[OpaDC]

This pertains to the TS3660.

Could someone tell me if the 8 screws (1/4 -20 x 1/2") that fasten the leg brackets for the Herc-U-Lift to the legs use washers or not? The nuts are self locking, but in the list of material for the screws, the manual says "8 screws (1/4-20 x 1/2 in. with washer). I found no such animal, except the same without washers. Diagrams in manual do not show a washer, and want to be sure I do not start using wrong fasteners.

Also, I will probably have to turn this thing over myself, so will install the wings after right side up. But, should the Herc-U-Lift be installed before or after turning the saw right side up? Is the leg assembly sufficiently strong to lay the saw on its side, and then lift it up while it rests and pivots on two leg feet?

Thanks.

- Phil

Phil,
If I remember correctly, those are the screws you want (they kind of have built in washers :) ). And by the way just tighten them enough for the screw head to just show past the nut.
I also lifted it by myself. I found it easier to install the herc-u-lift prior to uprighting it, easier access. The legs held just fine. Just be sure to let it down slowly.

Opa

[Phil3]

Phil,
If I remember correctly, those are the screws you want (they kind of have built in washers :) ). And by the way just tighten them enough for the screw head to just show past the nut.
I also lifted it by myself. I found it easier to install the herc-u-lift prior to uprighting it, easier access. The legs held just fine. Just be sure to let it down slowly.

Opa

Opa, thanks for your reply. Not sure we are talking about the same screws though. I am referring to the screws that hold the small brackets to the inside of the legs. The brackets themselves are for attachment of the Herc-U-Lift. The screws I am referring to go through the orange legs to hold the small brackets. There are two screws per leg. My question is if these have washers, that go under the screw head against the outside of the leg?

Did you have the wings attached when you turned the unit upright? Thanks for your answers.

- Phil

[Gofor]

I've had mine for a little over two years, but I doubt anything changed. Mine does not have washers under the herculift leg bracket screws (and looking at them just now, I realized the lock nut probably wouldn't grab if they had washers as short as they are). I had no washers left over after assy, either.

I put the table extensions on after setting it upright. I installed the Herculift first, as you have, and then just stood it up. I do not remember if I went from back to front, front to back, or from one side (too long ago, sorry). I installed the wings by sticking a saw horse close to the edge and shimmed them up with some wood scrap until I got them close. (I have a couple of those adjustable, metal sawhorses, so I was starting out at about 34" high.) I then started all the bolts loosely before tightening.

Looking back, an easier way would have been to take a couple four ft 2 x 4s and clamp them running across the table about 10" in from the front and back. For the first wing, clamp the end of the 2x to the opposite side of the table. That way you can use a C-clamp or quick-clamp to loosely clamp the wing to the 2x through the slot in the wing to hold it in place while starting the bolts. After you get the bolts started and hand snug, tighten the clamps to align the top of the wing to the table's top and finish tightening the bolts.

Hope this helps

Go

[OpaDC]

Opa, thanks for your reply. Not sure we are talking about the same screws though. I am referring to the screws that hold the small brackets to the inside of the legs. The brackets themselves are for attachment of the Herc-U-Lift. The screws I am referring to go through the orange legs to hold the small brackets. There are two screws per leg. My question is if these have washers, that go under the screw head against the outside of the leg?

Did you have the wings attached when you turned the unit upright? Thanks for your answers.

- Phil

Oops, wrong screws. No I have no washers on the screws you talk about, no problems with it though. (and that's enough no's for one sentence) :o Like Gofor said, I don't think washers would even fit.

I also put the extensions on after saw was upright. In my case I didn't hace clamps strong enough to hold so I set them on top of 4x4s on top of a table I had that got me close enough to install.

Now hurry up and get that thing together so you can make some sawdust. :have-fun:

[forrey45]

Hi All
Great thread, I have been lurking and reading for a couple of months after seeing the 3650 in HD. Went and got it last Sunday and started to assemble through the week after work. Last night put the wings on and though they are flush on the front edges both wings stick out about .005 to .01 on the back edge, will this cause any bother when I go to put the back rail on?

Thanks Forrey.

[Gofor]

Short answer is: No. They include some small shim washers to use as needed. However, if its only .005 to .010, you can shim it with a piece of aluminum beer can (approx .007) if the supplied washers are too thick and you feel it is needed. Mine was out enough I could catch my fingernail on it, (didn't measure it) but it posed no problems just putting the rail straight to it. It has worked fine for over two years now, so I doubt you will need anything.

Go

[forrey45]

Duhhh:banghead:

Thanks Gofor, I got to that bit in the manual, and do I feel stupid, where I work we make ...................... SHIMS. I'll just sneak back to the basement now.
Forrey.

[dworden32]

I really appreciate this forum. I recently purchased a 3660 and I am in the middle of assembly. Got the CI wings on and matched up the edges. Checked the 'flatness' of the table with my 4' level and it dips noticably in the middle. The left wing looks to be the problem. I got out a dial caliper and the dip measures about .024 at the seam (although it looks more like 1/16th when I eyeball it).

I'm hesitant to accept this as 'within tolerances'. Safety being one of my concerns. As I see it I have 2 options:
1) Dissasemble what I've done so far and take it back for an exchange at HD.

2) Grind down the bottom of the mating side of the CI wing to see if it will fit better.

I would appreciate some advice as I am not looking forward to either of these options.

[forrey45]

Hi dworden.
Finished my assembly yesterday and cutting OK. after I had got my wings on and not locked the two middle bolts there was a small dip in the middle of both wings, I used c-clamps to pull them level with the main table then locked the bolts. I do not think it was .02 + thou though.
I did have a part that was smashed in the box so I took it along with the bill back to HD and they just opened up another box and gave me the replacement so I would not have to deal with it. This may work??.
good luck.

forrey.

[squatting bear]

Three words on my assembly experience: drunk and naked

That being said, I assembled the saw twice, as I returned the first one due to dished extensions.
Having tried both methods, I found it easier to put the wings on when it was upside-down.

[squatting bear]

When doing the initial de-greasing and waxing on a new saw, do I degrease and wax (rustproof) the miter slots, too?

[VASandy]

Squatting Bear, you want to keep the mitre slots from rusting, too. Although they won't touch wood so degreasing them isn't as important, it depends on how much is on there and if the grease will get into the wood you're cutting. I have waxed mine now, and they're fine, but I didn't clean them the first time out.

[News_man]

I have got the Herculift thing on the machine, but the entire lift is really wobbly because