OPERATOR’S MANUAL 10 in. TABLE SAW BTS21 Your table saw has been engineered and manufactured to our high standard for dependability, ease of operation, and operator safety. When properly cared for, it will give you years of rugged, trouble-free performance. WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, the user must read and understand the operator’s manual before using this product. Thank you for your purchase.
TABLE OF CONTENTS � Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................2 Warranty ...........................................................................................................................................................................2 General Safety Rules ...........................................................................
GENERAL SAFETY RULES SECURE WORK. Use clamps or a vise to hold work when practical. It’s safer than using your hand and frees both hands to operate tool. WARNING: Read and understand all instructions. Failure to follow all instructions listed below, may result in electric shock, fire and/or serious personal injury. DON’T OVERREACH. Keep proper footing and balance at all times. MAINTAIN TOOLS WITH CARE. Keep tools sharp and clean for better and safer performance.
GENERAL SAFETY RULES work or around or over the blade while blade is rotating. Do not attempt to remove cut material when blade is moving. BLADE COASTS AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. NEVER USE IN AN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE. Normal sparking of the motor could ignite fumes. INSPECT TOOL CORDS PERIODICALLY. If damaged, have repaired by a qualified service technician at an authorized service facility.
SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES IF THE POWER SUPPLY CORD IS DAMAGED, it must be replaced only by the manufacturer or by an authorized service center to avoid risk. NEVER perform any operation “freehand” which means using only your hands to support or guide the workpiece. Always use either the rip fence or miter fence to position and guide the work. NEVER stand or have any part of your body in line with the path of the saw blade.
SYMBOLS Some of the following symbols may be used on this tool. Please study them and learn their meaning. Proper interpretation of these symbols will allow you to operate the tool better and safer.
SYMBOLS The following signal words and meanings are intended to explain the levels of risk associated with this product. SYMBOL SIGNAL MEANING DANGER: Indicates an imminently hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. WARNING: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury. CAUTION Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
ELECTRICAL EXTENSION CORDS SPEED AND WIRING Use only 3-wire extension cords that have 3-prong grounding plugs and 3-pole receptacles that accept the tool’s plug. When using a power tool at a considerable distance from the power source, use an extension cord heavy enough to carry the current that the tool will draw. An undersized extension cord will cause a drop in line voltage, resulting in a loss of power and causing the motor to overheat.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS Non-Through Cuts Any cutting operation where the blade does not extend completely through the thickness of the workpiece. Anti-Kickback Pawls (radial arm and table saws) A devise which, when properly installed and maintained, is designed to stop the workpiece from being kicked back toward the front of the saw during a ripping operation. Arbor The shaft on which a blade or cutting tool is mounted.
FEATURES PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS Rating .............................................. 120 V, 60 Hz, AC only Input .....................................................................15 Amps No Load Speed .................................... 5,000 r/min. (RPM) Cutting Depth at 0˚: ..............................................3-1/2 in. Cutting Depth at 45˚: ............................................2-1/2 in. Blade Arbor .............................................................. 5/8 in.
FEATURES KNOW YOUR TABLE SAW HEIGHT/BEVEL ADJUSTING HANDWHEEL - Located on the front of the cabinet, use this handwheel to lower and raise the blade for height adjustments or blade replacement. This handwheel also makes the adjustment for bevel angles. See Figure 2. The safe use of this product requires an understanding of the information on the tool and in this operator’s manual as well as a knowledge of the project you are attempting.
FEATURES OPERATING COMPONENTS WARNING: The upper portion of the blade projects up through the table and is surrounded by an insert called the throat plate. The height of the blade is set with a handwheel on the front of the cabinet. To accommodate wide panels, the saw table has rails on each side. Detailed instructions are provided in the Operation section of this manual for the basic cuts: cross cuts, miter cuts, bevel cuts, and compound cuts.
FEATURES BLADES WARNING: For maximum performance, it is recommended that you use the 36-tooth, 10 in. carbide-tipped combination blade provided with your saw. Additional blade styles of the same high quality are available for specific operations such as ripping. Your local dealer can provide you with complete information. Do not use blades rated less than the speed of this tool. Failure to heed this warning could result in personal injury.
LOOSE PARTS The following items are included with your table saw: B C A H D E G F I Fig. 5 A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. Rip Fence .................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Large Blade Wrench .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Small Blade Wrench ....................
ASSEMBLY UNPACKING MOUNTING HOLES This product requires assembly. Carefully remove the tool and any accessories from the box. Place it on a level work surface. Inspect the tool carefully to make sure no breakage or damage occurred during shipping. Do not discard the packing material until you have carefully inspected the tool, identified all loose parts, and satisfactorily operated the tool.
ASSEMBLY TO OPEN/CLOSE (SET-UP/TEAR DOWN) THE LEG STAND SET-UP TEAR DOWN See Figure 7. �To open (set-up) the leg stand: � Step 1: With the saw table on end and standing to the side, use your left hand to pull the leg stand latch towards you. Step 2: Once the leg stand is released from the table saw base, ease the legs of the stand down. Steps 3 and 4: Grasp the upper leg support below the saw cabinet. Keeping your left hand clear of the leg stand, pull the leg stand up until it locks into place.
ASSEMBLY TO STORE THE TABLE SAW ACCESSORIES See Figures 8 - 9. The table saw has two convenient storage areas (one on either side of the saw cabinet) specifically designed for the saw’s accessories. When not in use, store the accessories securely by snapping each accessory in place. TO MOVE THE LEG STAND RIP FENCE See Figure 10. Holding the leg stand firmly, pull the leg stand toward you until the leg stand and saw are balanced on the wheels.
ASSEMBLY TO CHECK SAW BLADE INSTALLATION LARGE BLADE WRENCH See Figure 12. CAUTION: To work properly, the saw blade teeth must point down toward the front of the saw. Failure to do so could cause damage to the saw blade, the saw, or the workpiece. SMALL BLADE WRENCH NOTE: Arbor shaft has left hand threads. Lower the saw blade and remove the throat plate. Make sure the bevel locking lever is securely pushed to the left.
ASSEMBLY TO INSTALL BLADE GUARD ASSEMBLY ANTI-KICKBACK PAWLS See Figure 14. Proper installation of the blade guard assembly means that the saw blade and spreader are in alignment. ALWAYS align the spreader to the saw blade prior to turning on the table saw. Lower the blade. Install the blade guard assembly to the mounting plate using the wing nut. Partially retighten the wing nut. Check the blade and spreader alignment.
OPERATION AVOIDING KICKBACK WARNING: Always use the correct blade depth setting. The top of the blade teeth should clear the workpiece by 1/8 in. to 1/4 in. Inspect the work for knots or nails before beginning a cut. Knock out any loose knots with a hammer. Never saw into a loose knot or nail. � Always use the rip fence when rip cutting and the miter fence when cross cutting. This helps prevent twisting the wood in the cut. Always use clean, sharp, and properly-set blades.
OPERATION TYPES OF CUTS See Figure 17. There are six basic cuts: 1) the cross cut, 2) the rip cut, 3) the miter cut, 4) the bevel cross cut, 5) the bevel rip cut, and 6) the compound (bevel) miter cut. All other cuts are combinations of these basic six. Operating procedures for making each kind of cut are given later in this section. 1 CROSS CUT WARNING: Always make sure the blade guard and anti-kickback pawls are in place and working properly when making these cuts to avoid possible injury.
OPERATION FEATHERBOARD featherboard. Positioning the featherboard will depend on the placement of the bolt and the position of the sliding miter table on the rails. Place the washer on the bolt and attach the lock knob, loosely. Position the featherboard with the hex head of the bolt in the miter table slot but do not tighten. Completely lower the saw blade. Position the rip fence to the desired adjustment for the cut to be performed and lock.
OPERATION TO CHANGE BLADE DEPTH GULLET See Figure 20. The blade depth should be set so that the outer points of the blade are higher than the workpiece by approximately 1/8 in. to 1/4 in. but the lowest points (gullets) are below the top surface. Push the bevel locking lever down for elevation mode. Raise the blade by turning the height/bevel adjusting handwheel counterclockwise or lower it by turning the handwheel clockwise. TO CHANGE BLADE ANGLE (BEVEL) Fig. 20 See Figure 21.
OPERATION TO CHECK MITER BASE PARALLELISM See Figures 24 - 25. Unplug the saw. Set saw up as if you were preparing to make a cut. Tighten rail clamps, miter locking clamps, lock knob, etc. Slide miter table (A) to the front of miter base (B) as far as it will go. Place a reference mark (C) near the end of the miter table as shown in figure 24. NOTE: Front of miter base is on infeed side of saw.
OPERATION TO ADJUST THE MITER BASE SLIDING MITER TABLE See Figure 26. Remember: Check all settings before loosening screws for the following procedures. Once screws have been loosened, these settings must be reset. Unplug the saw. MITER FENCE ECCENTRIC SCREW Set the miter fence at 0˚ then securely tighten the lock knob. Push the sliding miter table to the back and loosen the right-front screw from beneath the table saw cabinet. Loosen the nylock nut beneath the front left eccentric screw.
OPERATION TO ADJUST QUICK-STOP See Figure 28. The quick-stop is preset at the factory to stop the miter fence at exactly 0°. However, when sliding miter table adjustments are made, these adjustments may cause the quick-stop to need adjusting. Check quick-stop with miter scale set at 0°. If adjustments are needed, proceed with the following steps: Loosen the eccentric screw holding the quick-stop. Place the quick-stop against the miter fence with miter scale set at 0°.
OPERATION TO USE OUTFEED SUPPORT See Figure 31. The outfeed support slides to give the operator additional support for cutting long workpieces. With the table saw in the OFF position, stand behind the saw. Grasp the outfeed support with both hands and pull it until it is fully extended. OUTFEED SUPPORT TO USE THE TABLE EXTENSION See Figure 32. The table extension provides the operator with additional table width for supporting wider workpieces.
OPERATION HEELING (PARALLELING) THE BLADE See Figures 33 - 35. WARNING: (1) (2) (3) ADJUSTING BOLTS (3) The blade must be square so the wood does not bind resulting in kickback. Failure to do so could result in serious personal injury. Do not loosen any bolts for this adjustment until you have checked with a square and made test cuts to be sure adjustments are necessary. Once the bolts are loosened, these items must be reset. FRAMING SQUARE Unplug the saw. Lift the blade guard.
OPERATION MAKING CUTS CROSS CUT The blade provided with the saw is a high-quality combination blade suitable for ripping and cross cut operations. PLACE LEFT HAND ON WORKPIECE AND MITER FENCE HERE WARNING: Do not use blades rated less than the speed of this tool. Failure to heed this warning could result in personal injury. Use the miter fence when making cross, miter, bevel, and compound miter cuts. To secure the angle, lock the miter fence in place by twisting the lock knob clockwise.
OPERATION MAKING A RIP CUT RIP CUT See Figure 38. It is recommended you make a test cut on scrap wood. RIP FENCE BLADE WARNING: SCALE Make sure the blade guard assembly is installed and working properly to avoid serious possible injury. Position the rip fence the desired distance from the blade for the cut and securely lock the handle. Adjust the scale to zero at the cutting edge of the blade. Place a support (the same height as saw table) behind the saw for the cut work.
OPERATION MAKING A BEVEL CROSS CUT Position the workpiece flat on the table with the edge flush against the rip fence. Let the blade build up to full speed before feeding the workpiece into the blade. Using a push stick and/or push blocks, slowly feed the workpiece toward the blade. Stand slightly to the side of the wood as it contacts the blade to reduce the chance of injury should kickback occur. See Figures 40 - 41.
OPERATION Once the blade has made contact with the workpiece, use the hand closest to the rip fence to guide it. Make sure the edge of the workpiece remains in solid contact with both the rip fence and the surface of the table. If ripping a narrow piece, use a push stick to move the piece through the cut and past the blade. When the cut is made, turn the saw off. Wait for the blade to come to a complete stop before removing the workpiece.
OPERATION MAKING A LARGE PANEL CUT Raise the blade to the correct height by turning the height/bevel adjusting handwheel counterclockwise. See Figure 44. Make sure the saw is properly secured to a work surface to avoid tipping from the weight of a large panel. NOTE: Carefully check all setups and rotate the blade one full revolution to assure proper clearance before connecting saw to power source. Plug in and turn on saw. WARNING: Feed the workpiece into the blade.
OPERATION WARNING: WARNING: Never feed wood with your hands when making any non-through cut such as rabbets or dadoes. To avoid personal injury, always use push blocks, push sticks, or featherboards. Always use push blocks, push sticks, or featherboards when making dado cuts to avoid the risk of serious injury. Unplug the saw. Lower the blade and remove the screw holding the throat plate in place. Remove the throat plate. � Raise the saw blade. Push the bevel locking lever to the right.
ADJUSTMENTS Rotate the blade by hand to make sure it turns freely. WARNING: Lower the saw blade and reinstall the throat plate. NOTE: Securely tighten throat plate screws. Do not allow the throat plate to bow up above the table surface. Before performing any adjustment, make sure the tool is unplugged from the power supply and the switch is in the OFF position. Failure to heed this warning could result in serious personal injury. LARGE BLADE WRENCH WARNING: Blades coast after turn off.
ADJUSTMENTS TO CHECK AND ALIGN THE SPREADER, SAW BLADE, AND BLADE GUARD ASSEMBLY SCREW (2) See Figure 50. If the blade guard assembly is out of alignment with the saw blade, adjust the alignment of the blade guard assembly. The spreader must be aligned with the saw blade. To check alignment of the spreader: Unplug the saw. FRAMING SQUARE Raise the saw blade by turning the height/bevel adjusting handwheel counterclockwise.
ADJUSTMENTS TO SET THE BLADE AT 0° AND 45° BLADE See Figures 52 - 53. COMBINATION SQUARE 0° ADJUSTMENT BOLT The angle settings of your saw have been set at the factory and, unless damaged in shipping, should not require setting during assembly. After extensive use, they may need to be checked. Raise the blade and the blade guard. If the blade is not perfectly vertical (0°), loosen the adjustment bolt and the bevel locking lever. Place a combination square beside the blade on the left.
MAINTENANCE Periodically check all clamps, nuts, bolts, and screws for tightness and condition. Make sure the throat plate is in good condition and in position. Check the blade guard assembly. To maintain the table surfaces, fence, and rails, periodically apply paste wax to them and buff to provide smooth functioning. Protect the blade by cleaning out sawdust from underneath the table and in the blade teeth. Use a resin solvent on the blade teeth. Clean plastic parts only with a soft damp cloth.
TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM Excess vibration. CAUSE SOLUTION Blade is out of balance. Replace blade. Blade is damaged. Replace blade. Saw is not mounted securely. Tighten all hardware. Work surface is uneven. Reposition on flat surface. Adjust legs of leg stand. Blade is warped. Check saw blade installation. Replace blade if necessary. Rip fence not mounted correctly. Remount the rip fence. Rails are dirty or sticky. Clean and wax rails. Clamp screw is out of adjustment.
TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM Saw does not make accurate 90˚ or 45˚ cuts. CAUSE SOLUTION Positive stops inside cabinet need adjusting (Bevel Cuts). Adjust positive stops. Miter fence is misaligned (miter cuts). Adjust the miter fence. Height/bevel adjusting handwheel is hard to turn. Gears or screw post inside cabinet are clogged with saw dust. Clean the gears or screw post. Saw does not start. Motor cord or wall cord is not plugged in. Plug in motor cord or wall cord. Circuit fuse is blown.
NOTES 41
OPERATOR’S MANUAL 10 in. TABLE SAW BTS21 WARNING: Some dust created by power sanding, sawing, grinding, drilling, and other construction activities contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Some examples of these chemicals are: • lead from lead-based paints, • crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry products, and • arsenic and chromium from chemically-treated lumber.
