I own a factory based ryobi BT-3000 table saw. I like the table saw, but I don’t like the base. The base consists of a set of stamped steel that are screwed together. The frame makes the table saw lightweight and more portable. However, due to its design, the saw is more susceptible to vibration when cutting material.
Generally what I want to accomplish is to ‘bolt’ the table saw and frame to the shop floor. Heavy-duty commercial cabinet saws are built with a lot of mass. The top is usually constructed of cast iron and the base is made of heavy gauge steel. This effectively anchors the saw to the ground and any vibration from the motor, spindle assembly or saw blade does not allow the table saw to vibrate much. Of course, the trunnions and arbor assemblies on more expensive cabinet and contractor saws are better balanced.
Vibration is caused by imbalance of the motor, arbor assembly, and saw blade. Even if one of them is slightly unbalanced, it will produce a certain amount of vibration. In my opinion, the biggest contributor to blade vibration is the saw blade. For my main table saw blade, I have switched from a no brand carbide blade to a 10″ 50 tooth blade from Freud.
Okay, back to table saw base vibration. There are a couple of solutions to minimize saw vibration. A quick fix is to load the frame with some kind of ballast. For the Ryobi BT-3000, reinforce the base with two pieces of 3/4″ plywood. Then stack on top of the plywood ballast, such as pavers, concrete blocks, or sandbags. Pavers are good because they allow you to control how much weight you want to stack on the base. The downside is that there can be a lot of pavers to load and unload. Especially if your tent is in the garage and portability is a must. You know, the wife wants to park her car in the garage every night .
Note: Depending on how the table saw frame is designed, you may need to strengthen the base.
Another option is to cast your own concrete slabs. Depending on how much weight you need, three or four slabs should be enough. This translates into less ballast to load and unload when the saw needs to be moved.
A third option is to build your own portable table saw base. When I bought my Ryobi BT-3000 table saw, it came with the extension rails and table. Unfortunately, when the extension rails are bolted to the table saw, the saw is much less portable. The base I plan to build will have retractable wheels and be wide enough to hold the table saw and extension rails permanently mounted to the base. The bottom of the saw and the bottom of the extension rail will be built with storage cabinets. If needed, you could put additional ballast on the base.
Quick Tip: Make sure all frame fasteners are tight. If any of them are loose, the more vibration you will get. Use lock washers or lock nuts. I like the nylon lock nuts. If you don’t plan on taking the frame apart, consider using locktite or some other thread-locking adhesive.