| To all readers:
This complimentary manual is not Mini-Max-USA authorized. This was
written strictly from my own viewpoint as a MM16 Bandsaw owner and does
not implicate Mini-Max or JWS Joinery for any wrongful action or injuries
taken by individual owners of MiniMax machinery.
Be Safe!!!
Delivery
Arrange with the trucking company to deliver to your site or you may also
arrange to pick it up yourself at the trucking terminal (Bandsaw is crated
vertically and shrinkwrapped)
Inspect for damage before signing release and taking delivery
It is recommended to have help loading and loading, machine is very heavy.
(450 lbs)
Remove crate, shrink wrap, accessories and remove bolts attaching saw
to pallet
Use holes in top of frame for hoisting
OBSERVE ALL NORMAL PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY PROCEDURES WHILE WORKING ON
OR OPERATING THIS MACHINE
Cleaning
Cosmoline has been applied to your new machine for rust protection in
shipping
There is a lot of this grease, take your time in cleaning each area or
part, it will help you understand the intricacies of your machine
Use WD40 or a Citrus based solvent to clean, with plenty of rags
Pay special attention to cleaning the 3 micro switches on the saw; one
connected to the foot pedal (behind lower wheel); one each
behind upper and lower doors
Tool kit & options
Your saw comes completely assembled. Included with your saw is the tool
kit, manual and parts list, the optional mobility kit, and the optional
miter gauge.
Included in the tool kit should be:
Box Wrenches
Allen wrenches
Push stick
2 bolts for attaching mobility kit
4 leveling screws
Install mobility kit to holes in rear of base using bolts provided
Move to position using the lifting bar inserted into foot pedal
Screw 2 leveling bolts into front 2 holes in base until they just touch
the floor *
Determine level and then screw appropriate bolt downward minimally to achieve
level
*Note- If not using the mobility kit, insert all 4 leveling bolts into 4
holes in saw base for leveling purposes
Electrical
(connection options and breaker)
DISCONNECT ALL POWER BEFORE ATTEMPTING FOLLOWING PROCEDURE!!!!!
The motor is 240 volt single phase; provide 30 amp circuit breaker for overload
protection (this works for both the MM16 & MM20)
Use minimum 12 gauge wire for supplying power to saw from wall receptacle
Attach either a twist lock male plug or an electrical junction box (by drilling
and tapping frame) to the cord extending from rear of saw
Keep the yellow/green lead as ground, Keep the other two leads in continuity
to the hot wires supplying power.*
(*Note; If using 3-phase power, and if the wheels turn in reverse direction,
switch the two hot leads)
Dust Collection
(port size and CFM requirements)
Diameter of dust port on machine is 4" (100mm). Connect 4" flex
hose directly or use a quick disconnect flange - 4" flex hose to 100mm
(available from Onieda Air systems, see sources)
Use a minimum of 800 cfm on your collection system to capture dust effectively
It is imperative that you use dust collection within your new bandsaw. With
the flat wheels, sawdust will build up under the blade and cause the blade
to move outward off the wheels possibly causing damage to the saw or operator.
Blade Selection (widths and guide types)
CAREFUL, BLADES ARE SHARP!
Common blade widths are 1 1/4", 1", 3/4", 1/2", 3/8"
,1/4" , 1/8", 1/16"
1", 1/2", 1/4" blades will give you a good range of woodworking
TPI (teeth per inch) range from 3/4 pitch to 12/14 pitch
Hook/Skip type are good for re-sawing, ripping or joinery
MiniMax offers "Olson" brand blades, other options are under "Sources"
Bi-metal blades are recommended (versus carbon or carbide) for general woodworking
Guides are European ball-bearing type
Blade installation -BE SURE POWER IS DISCONNECTED FROM SAW
1- Remove clear plastic guard
2- Open cabinet doors
3- Raise telescoping blade guard
4- Adjust upper & lower guide assemblies out of the way of the insertion
of blade
5- Insert blade on tires, adjust so teeth are just barely protruding beyond
outside edge of tires (teeth should point downward toward table, if not
turn blade inside out)
6- Adjust tension
7- Adjust tracking by spinning wheel manually to check tracking and blade
location
8- Check coplaner of wheels (see coplaning section)
9- Adjust upper and lower thrust bearing 1/64 ( .016 ) inch gap behind blade
10- Adjust upper and lower guide bearing leaving .004 inch gap between blade
and bearing (Thickness of a dollar bill folded once) and locate the front
edge of bearings 1/64 inch behind tooth gullet
11- Close doors and reinstall plastic blade guard
12- Plug in saw, turn power on to check operation
Adjustments (tensioning, blade tracking, guide adjustment,
blade drift)
MiniMax bandsaws have "flat" tires versus "crowned"
tires.
The flat tire offers better support for the blade while cutting and increases
accuracy
TENSIONING
Tension gauge on machine does not indicate "true tension" it is
only a point of reference after establishing the correct tension for each
particular blade.
Carbide, bi-metal, and steel blades require different amounts of tension.
You can use this saw mounted gauge for making your own reference "mark-off
lines" for commonly used blades.
Each manufacturer has different recommendations of tension,
generally 15,000 to 30,000 psi is normal
Purchasing a tension gauge is highly recommended (See Sources)
Set tension by gently pushing blade sideways with finger and having approximately
a 3/8 inch sideways deflection in the blade with telescoping blade guard
at full height or approx. a 1/4" deflection with distance between upper
and lower guides set 6" or lower apart (this method is highly subjective,
so we again recommend purchasing a tension gauge for optimal performance
of your new bandsaw)
TRACKING
You cannot track the blade properly until tension is set!
Blade teeth should protrude slightly beyond edge of tires
The tracking knob is located opposite the upper wheel on outside of frame,
Loosen the lock lever under the tracking knob and turn the tracking knob
clockwise to adjust the blade toward the back of the wheel or turn the tracking
knob counter clockwise to adjust the blade to the front of the wheel.
When blade is adjusted correctly, spin by hand to stabilize, then lock adjusting
knob w/lever (see note under coplaning regarding tracking of small blades)
Check coplaner of wheels and adjust if necessary (see coplaning section)
COPLANING
Coplaning means having the upper and lower wheel faces in exactly the same
plane thus keeping the blade well supported for accurate sawing
Wheels are set in "coplaner" at factory for 1 1/4" blades
When using smaller blades (ie 1/2"), blade may not track exactly the
same on both the upper and lower wheels. This is normal, as long as the
back of the blade stays square to the table
STEPS TO ADJUST COPLANER
1) Cut 3/4" plywood template 12" wide minimum, 67" long with
one edge perfectly straight
2) Cut an arc or notch out of the template to bypass table, (or remove table)
cut notches for wheel hub and frame
3) With blade on and tensioned (use your widest blade) hold the template
against upper and lower wheels. If the wheels are in coplaner, the straight
edge of the plywood template will be in contact with the top and bottom
of each wheel
4) If there is a gap on either the top or bottom on the lower wheel, then
coplaning needs
adjustment
5) On lower wheel hub on outside of frame, loosen center bolt, loosen lock
nuts on the appropriate bolts to adjust (usually top and bottom), adjust
wheel into coplaner by loosening one and tightening the other, check with
template; tighten locknuts and center hub bolt; recheck & stabilize
blade by spinning wheels by hand.
The following was
an experiment in adjusting tension and coplaner with 3 different blade widths
to determine where each blade wanted to run
MM16 Blade coplaner adjustment and blade experiment
Removed table by removing center pivot bolt
Made coplaner template from 3/4" plywood, 12" wide, 67" long
(resting on bottom of frame)
cut necessary notches for wheel hub, edges of frame and edge of wheel for
blade clearance Mounted 1" (mm supplied blade) blade,
4 &1/4 turns to reach 25,000 psi,
tracked and found blade to hang 5/16" off bottom wheel, 1/16"
off top
Checked coplaner with template and wheels were out of coplaner in opposite
direction of each other by 1/4"
Loosened center hub bolt on outside of frame
Loosened top and bottom lock nut, backed off top bolt and tightened bottom
bolt to adjust and tilt bottom wheel into coplaner
tightened lock nuts, bolts and center hub bolt
adjusted top tracking knob into coplaner with bottom wheel.
Spun by hand and 1" blade stayed true on both wheels with the teeth
protruding about 1/8"
Adjusted upper guides only and checked vertical adjustment, needed
1/16", adjustment by loosening the two 17mm center bolts behind the
guide post locking knob.
All done with 1" blade in tension
Installed ½" blade, 3 & 1/4" turns to reach
25,000 psi ( Lenox bi-metal blade)
Put wheels into coplaner with template and ½ blade ran (by hand
turning) in center of wheels
Adjusted tracking so that blade teeth where at edge of top wheel, spun,
½ blade relocated on bottom wheel 1/4" back from edge.
Checked coplaner and top wheel was out 1/8";; 1/8" is fine,
but the interesting note was that in checking the vertical upper guide
post adjustment without changing things from the 1" blade, the vertical
adjustment was out 1/32" until I put the wheels back into coplaner
and then all was fine.
Installed 1/4" blade, 1 & ½ turns to reach 25,000
psi, (lenox bi-metal)
with wheels in coplaner blade ran slightly forward of the center of wheels
Readjusted so blade teeth were at edge of top wheel, blade relocated 1/4
back from front edge on bottom wheel
Checked coplaner, wheels were out 1/16"
Reversed all above procedures to make sure of adjustments, going
from 1/4" to 1" blade
When reinstalled 1" blade, no adjustment was necessary (except of
course guides)
Remounted table and squared to blade
Re-sawed 5" Oak, slow even feed,.... nice smooth cut
While in the machine, I readjusted the drive belt tension to 1/4"
flex as it had stretched since from use. The door micro-switches can be
adjusted out toward the door about 3/32" by loosening the little
nuts securing the switches.
Ball Bearing Guides
Note- when locating bearing distances, disregard the "play"
in the bearing itself
Adjust the gap between rear thrust bearings and back of blade to approx.
1/64 (.016) inch
Blade should only contact rear thrust bearing while cutting,
if rear thrust bearing spins when not cutting, bearing is set too close
to the blade
The upper and lower thrust bearings need to be set in exactly the same
plane which will equally support the blade throughout the cut Upper and
lower side guide bearings should be set in two ways.
1) The front edge of each side bearing should sit 1/64 inch behind tooth
gullets
2) Set guides a distance of approx .004 in (or the thickness of a dollar
bill folded in half) away from the blade on both sides, these will guide
the blade from twisting sideways during the cutting operation
The side guide bearings should not imprison blade or spin while not sawing
Be careful not to push the blade with the side guide bearings, in effect
kinking the blade out of alignment
Squaring the blade to the table
After all adjusting of blade is done, check the blade to table squareness
A)Use the four adjusting bolts in the trunnion on the under side of
the table for adjusting the back of the blade to the table
B) To square the table to the side of the blade, first loosen the large
single bolt (within the table tilt scale) which secures the table to the
frame.
Then adjust by turning small bolt and nut on underside of table until
the table is square with the blade. Tighten large bolt.
Vertical guide post adjustments
When re-positioning the height of the upper guide assembly, the bearing
adjustments you made should stay in position and in-line with the blade
Checking the vertical guide post adjustment requires loosening the lock
knob on the front of the saw, turn the adjusting lever to move the guide
assembly up and down. All bearing adjustments should stay the same. If
not loosen the two center bolts behind the locking knob and adjust by
hand slightly until adjustment of bearings remain the same with the vertical
movement of the guide post.
The lower guide assembly can also be adjusted vertically giving more
support to the blade while cutting. Adjust by loosening the 17mm bolt
clamping the lower assembly and slide up or down. Tighten securing bolt.
Tilting
The table will tilt up to 45 degrees. To tilt table loosen large bolt
in the table tilt scale and adjust tilt by hand. Tighten bolt.
Careful! If you have positioned the lower guide assembly close to the
bottom of the table you will need to move this guide assembly down in
order to tilt the table more than10 degrees
Fence and Blade drift
Blade drift means the blade isn't cutting parallel to the fence. Every
blade will cut slightly different and you may have to adjust to compensate.
To check blade drift, mark a straight line on a board 24" long, rip
the board freehand following the line only about halfway, stop the saw
leaving the board in place.
Move and adjust the fence parallel to blade cut by loosening the top bolt
in the fence assembly. Pivot the fence on the roll pin and tighten bolt
Belt Adjustment
With lower cabinet door open, check drive belt tension. There should be
approx. 1/4" deflection. To adjust, loosen clamping bolt within lower
cabinet . Then adjust the bolt resting against the flat plate on outside
of frame under motor to tighten or loosen belt tension. When belt has
proper tension, tighten inside clamping bolt.
Re-sawing
Re-sawing means ripping a board in its vertical axis
The existing fence height is good for re-sawing wood 6" or less.
To re-saw wider planks it is recommended to make a higher fence. This
is done by either bolting a taller 3/4" plywood fence approx. 24"
long to the existing fence or by making a separate plywood fence and clamping
it to the table. You will still need to adjust for blade drift.
When re-sawing, have the small piece fall to the outside of the blade
NOT between the fence and the blade
A 1" blade with a 3/4 pitch will offer the greatest "beam strength"
for re-sawing, although depending upon wood width, species, and or moisture
content a smaller width blade will also work.
Use slow even pressure to achieve a smooth cut surface, it you speed up
or slow down in the cut you cause an uneven sawn surface
Frequently Asked Questions
(also see troubleshooting section)
What blade for what purpose (general recommendations)
1" with 3/4 pitch (tpi) hook/skip blade for re-sawing & ripping
½" with 3/4 pitch for light re-sawing & ripping
½"with 8/10 pitch for joinery cuts and curves larger than
2 -1/4"radius
1/4" with 8/10 pitch for joinery and curves larger than 3/8"
radius
Blade wobbles-
Wheels out of coplaner (see coplaning section)
Lack of blade tension
Too much play in bearing adjustments or bearings adjusted incorrectly
Bad blade weld
Blade "ticking"
The weld of the blade may not be straight, thus periodically hitting the
bearings. Straighten weld with file or honing stone while saw is running
Upper or lower side bearings may be set to close to blade, adjust outward,
listen again and readjust.
Electrical
Motor won't start-
Is the saw plugged in? The circuit breaker on?
Emergency stop button released?
Be sure all grease has been removed from the micro-switches and main switch
Adjust door switches by loosening the small nuts, move toward the door,
tighten nuts. You should hear a metallic "click" in the main
switch area when the micro-switches are pushed in.
Is it Ok to test motor and operation without blade installed?
YES
HELPFUL HINTS:
Clean table and fence frequently and wax with paste wax to eliminate friction
Round back of blade with file or honing stone to eliminate scouring of
thrust bearing and help prevent binding while cutting curves.
Coating the blade with paraffin or blade lube will ease cutting and reduce
pitch build-up
Check bearings for sawdust buildup to prevent damage to bearings
Keep holes in "table insert" clear for effective dust collection
Always remove tension from blade at the end of day
SOURCES:
Blades
MiniMax www.MiniMax-USA.com Olsen
Blades & Lenox carbide 1-866-975-9663
Suffolk Machinery www.suffolkmachinery.com
Swedish Steel Blades 1-800-234-7297
Iturra Design - (no web site ) Lenox Blades 1-888-722-7078
Highland Hardware - www.highlandhardware.com
Woodslicer Blades 1-800-241-6748
Tension Gauges
Iturra Design (Starret, Lenox, & Iturra Blade Gage) 1-888-722-7078
Grainger (Starret) www.grainger.com
Dust Collection Systems and Fittings
Oneida Air systems www.oneida-air.com
1-800-732-4065 <Books
"The Art of the Bandsaw" by Mark Duginske
"Bandsaw Handbook" by Mark Duginske
"The Bandsaw Book" by Lonnie Bird
Recommended reading
"Six steps for Bandsawing" by Suffolk Machinery at www.suffolkmachinery.com
Contact MiniMax user's group at www.minimax-usa@yahoogroups.com
for user friendly advice and discussions
© 2005 Copyright. All rights reserved.
Written by Bill Sams of JWS Joinery
Feel free to contact by email; jwsjoinery@yahoo.com
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