Help with Minimax Classic 300!

[Dory Rice]

Hi,
I have a Minimax Classic 300 machine that is ten years old. I recently moved it to a different place in my shop. Now it won't turn on. I have checked the fuses, they are good.

I can find no way to contact SCM for service. Now I have a completely useless machine. Can anyone help. PLEASE!

[Erik Loza]

Obvious question: You getting a full 220 or thereabouts volts on the new circuit?

And when you moved it, did you perform any disassembly or modification to the machine?

Very unusual for a machine to start fine one day, then not, the next day.

Erik

[Dory Rice]

Hi Erik,
I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I moved my machine in the same shop with the mobility kit. It is plugged into exactly the same circuit. (And it worked before we moved it, but not after, about 20 minutes later.

Dory

[Erik Loza]

Does the main start switch (not the master arm switch... The switch to start whatever function you want to use) feel normal or does is feel mushy (no resistance)?

Erik

[mreza Salav]

I have had my main start switch (the one Erik is referring to) behave oddly sometimes (like not turning on after a few on/off cycles in the same day).
For me there was no "engagement" when I pressed it (like Erik is saying). I had to open the switch board and play with it but couldn't figure out what the problem was.

[Erik Loza]

To Mreza's point, I have seen rotary switches like MM uses get fussy if they stood for a long period of time without use. It's like a car: You need to start it routinely. MM uses gaskets and all that stuff for their electrical conpartments but every time I have pulled the cover on a machine with any amount of shop time, there is always dust in there. Maybe not a lot, but there is. Many of my customers, especially ones who use their machines only seasonally, will pull the covers and spray some electrical contact cleaner on the swtich, then cycle it trough a few times. This seems to ward off the oxidation, dust buildup, or whatever.

I'm not saying that's the OP's issue but it is one I hear about somewhat regularly.

Erik

[Sean Troy]

Hi,
I have a Minimax Classic 300 machine that is ten years old. I recently moved it to a different place in my shop. Now it won't turn on. I have checked the fuses, they are good.

I can find no way to contact SCM for service. Now I have a completely useless machine. Can anyone help. PLEASE!
No way to contact SCM? Did you even bother to go to their website. Contact is right there.

[Erik Loza]

OP, where exactly are you located? In the US?

Erik

[Dory Rice]

The main switch is mushy. Contact information on the website is blank. I am located in Vermont.

[Dory Rice]

Sean,
I went to the website SCMGroup.NA. Under service it says to fill out the form. There is no form shown. There are no phone numbers to call. The rest of the page is just blank.

[Kevin Jenness]

As Erik suggested, start by cleaning the starter contacts. Blow the dust out of the starter and give it a shot of contact cleaner. If that doesn't work, get a competent electrician versed in machine controls. It will be less costly if your machine has a wiring diagram pasted inside the control box. Don't expect much help from SCMI as the electrics on older machines seem to have changed from year to year and they are much better on mechanical components. Starters and the like are generic so if you can identify a faulty component you can replace it from multiple sources starting with your local electrical supply house.

I don't know where you are in VT but if you are anywhere near Bristol give Tony Erwin a call. (802) 377-7897) He sorted out the bastardized control circuit on my slider in an hour and enjoyed the challenge. Even if he is not in your area he might be able to recommend someone nearer.

[Todd Willhoit]

Basic question: Have you checked to make sure all of the E-stops are reset? If you press and release an E-stop can you hear the coil in the main switch engage?

[Erik Loza]

Sean,
I went to the website SCMGroup.NA. Under service it says to fill out the form. There is no form shown. There are no phone numbers to call. The rest of the page is just blank.

Email me your phone number to eloza-at-scmgroup-dot-com and a time when you can be in front of the machine. I'll troubleshoot it with you over the phone. Generally, "not starting" issues are simple to solve.

Erik

[Rick Fisher]

Basic question: Have you checked to make sure all of the E-stops are reset? If you press and release an E-stop can you hear the coil in the main switch engage?

I spent about half an hour trying to figure out why my SCM sander wouldn't start .. there is a secondary E-stop on the rear of the machine which I had inadvertently pushed. It worked well and I felt sheepish after I figured it out .

[Dory Rice]

I spent about half an hour trying to figure out why my SCM sander wouldn't start .. there is a secondary E-stop on the rear of the machine which I had inadvertently pushed. It worked well and I felt sheepish after I figured it out .

Thank you for your great suggestions. We will try what we can ourselves, and then follow through with e-mails or the contact in Bristol.

I really appreciate the help!!!

[Dory Rice]

Basic question: Have you checked to make sure all of the E-stops are reset? If you press and release an E-stop can you hear the coil in the main switch engage?

Todd, we have checked the E-stops. When we press and release an E-stop we cannot hear the coil in the main switch engage.

[Frank Drackman]

When my Minimax CU 300 Smart had this behavior the micro switch to the blade cover was the issue. Blew it out, reclosed the cover and it started.

[Rick Fisher]

Todd, we have checked the E-stops. When we press and release an E-stop we cannot hear the coil in the main switch engage.

An electrican can probably fix this pretty quick.

[Todd Willhoit]

Is the shaper door fully closed? No coil sound leads me to believe it is a micro switch issue or power issue, as in loose connection or open fuse.

[Erik Loza]

Is the shaper door fully closed? No coil sound leads me to believe it is a micro switch issue or power issue, as in loose connection or open fuse.

This ^^^^...

If you're not getting resistance at the main switch, it means the circuit either is not getting power or is being broken somewhere. Such as an e-stop, micro-switch, etc. That's the first thing I have a customer check.

Erik

[john lawson]

I had an issue like this on a Delta Unisaw. I chased it for a day or two, felt really dumb because everything checked out on the saw. Turns out the power cord from the receptacle had a loose screw. Tightened it up and now it runs great.

Be sure to check the power supply from the receptacle and the power cord for good connection.

[Sean Troy]

Sean,
I went to the website SCMGroup.NA. Under service it says to fill out the form. There is no form shown. There are no phone numbers to call. The rest of the page is just blank.
My mistake, sorry.

[Michael Dye]

I'll give ya ten bucks for it. Be there tomorrow to take it off your hands. In all seriousness, invest in a good Fluke meter so you can isolate these problems. As many others have said, it's probably something simple. Start with the plug. I've had a few that, having been dropped many times, have had the leads come loose from the screw fittings. Good luck

[Dory Rice]

I'll give ya ten bucks for it. Be there tomorrow to take it off your hands. In all seriousness, invest in a good Fluke meter so you can isolate these problems. As many others have said, it's probably something simple. Start with the plug. I've had a few that, having been dropped many times, have had the leads come loose from the screw fittings. Good luck

Believe me, if we get this thing working again, we are seriously thinking selling it. Alas, not for $10.
We have a volt meter and will check what we can, but we know nothing about wiring and do not want to electrocute ourselves, so if Erik's walk thru doesn't help, the electrician is next. But we will check the plug!
Thanks for your suggestion.

[Erik Loza]

Dory, I replied to your email.

For the record, here is my progression of steps for troubleshooting the whole "Machine suddenly won't start"-thing. This is the exact same procedure a factory tech will walk you through if you call. Please do not think I am talking down to a customer when I list these out. Cannot tell you how many times I have had a customer swear up and down to me that they checked all this stuff, then all of a sudden, "Oh, duh. Hahaha, thought I checked that". We are all guilty of this, myself included. Start with the basics and work up from there.

1.) Confirm all E-stops out.
2.) Confirm selector switch in proper position, since there is often a neutral stop between funtions on the rotary switches.
3.) Confirm all saw doors/shaper doors/etc. closed and secured. There are often interlock switches there.
4.) Confirm 220-240V at the machine's terminal. Not, "I know I've got 220V", or, "the electrical dude said I have 220V". Cornfirm voltage at the terminal. Not the wal or at the socket, at the machine's terminal.

If, as the OP has reported, the main start switch feels mushy, that indicates that the coil is not being energized, which means either the machine is not getting power or that the circuit is being broken. Often, it is one of the safety interlock switches. On the CU300C, there is on that is actuated by the sawblade access door, one on the door to change the shaper speeds, and one down in the chassis, behind the jointer table hinges. That one, in my experience, is a frequent culprit, since there is a gravity-operated rod that helps disengage it when you open or close the jointer tables. OP, you can download a schematic for your machine from www.partspronto.com (http://www.partspronto.com) and see schematics of all these switches. I have seen that drop rod get clogged with junk, moisture/corrosion make it stick, etc. Not saying that is the issue, just that of the microswitch issues, it's one of the more common ones.

If I suspect it's a micro-switch, the first step is to manually actuate all of them and see if I can hear an audible click. It's more common for switches to just not get engaged fully than to actually fail but either can happen. If I get an audible click, and machine still won't start, then it's time to get out the multi-meter and see what's really going on.

OP, you told me in your mail that you are afraid working around electricity. In that case, I would pay an electrician to come out. That may be the most direct path to a solution for you. I will add this: You mentioned that you are unhappy with the machine and maybe want to sell it. That's certainly fine but I've been doing this for nearly 15 years and will say without hesitation that you can pay 4X-5X what you did for your CU300 and still have this exact same scenario happen. I see it every day. You have a 10 year old shop machine and shop life is not easy. On the scale of "things that can ruin my day", a simple machine not starting is one of the easiest fixes. Much better than say, "My electronic panel fried", or, "A major component broke and is no longer available from Parts", which I also see happen. I hope you get get it up and running.

Erik