MiniMax 16 and small blades

[tim walker]

Thanks all for the help on getting the blade off. I had to move the machine. Very poor design IMHO. So now I am putting either a 3/8 or 1/4 blade on, haven't decided yet. I have read that for these small blades, cool blocks are recommended. This MM16 has Euro style guides. Any comments or suggestions out there?

TIA.

[David Eisenhauer]

While I have not run anything smaller than 1/2" on my MM 16, I find that running the bands tensioned up properly causes me not to worry tons about exactomundo adjustments to my guides. My old Delta 14" did require constant fiddling with the guides. However, as I said, I have not ever run smaller blades and cut lots of tight curves with it and that may require more careful adjustment of the guides. I do know that the smaller blades should be run more towards the center of the tire as opposed to having the teeth hang off the edge of the wheel as done with larger blades.

[Jim Becker]

While I typically have a 1/2" blade on the machine, I've run 1/4" and 3/8" blades with the Euro guides with no problem on my MM16. I've even put a 1/8" blade on, but had to track that one a bit differently. That said, I actually have a set of Cool Blocks designed to slip into the Euro guide holders and if I were going to use the narrower blade a lot, I'd likely use them to make it easier to set the blades and guides up. (I had forgot I had them, but "found" them during a recent shop cleaning... :D )