MiniMax S45 Bandsaw blade tracking

[Randall J Cox]

I upgraded from a old Delta 14" bandsaw that I completely rebuilt some years ago to a used green MiniMax S45 18", 1.8 HP. Love the saw, no complaints. I have only used Lenox Diemaster Two 1/2" 4-6 tpi blades on it to date (last couple of years). I am just a serious hobbyist, no commercial woodworking. My current blade runs on the top wheel with the teeth just off the edge of the rubber on the wheel. I remember reading somewhere, that's how this bandsaw is designed to operate - of course I can't find that article now. My question is: I am planning on buying a smaller size blade, say 3/8" or 1/4". Do I run a narrower blade all the way on one side of the top wheel with the teeth off the edge of the rubber? (My last Delta bandsaw, tracked everything in the middle of the crowned rubber on the wheel.) From what I can tell, the rubber on the MiniMax wheels are not crowned or if they are, very, very slightly. Randy

[Jim Becker]

If your S45 has non-crowned (flat) tires then yes, the technically proper way to track a band is with the teeth just off the edge. That preserves the set for longer band life and less "wandering". But then there is the practical. I find that I can pretty much run down to a 1/4" blade tracked the same way as the 1/2" blade that typically lives on my MM16, but if I go narrower, I have to change the setup and track the whole blade on the wheel/tire...there's just not enough support for such a narrow blade any other way. I've run as narrow as 1/8", but I'm extremely careful about tension and only use what I absolutely need to track my Timberwolf blades accurately. Someday, I may have a separate saw for the really narrow scrolling work, but for now, I'll continue the way I described. It's worked just fine.

[Paul Tubergen]

My S45 has crowned wheels so I usually center on the top wheel. I tried with the teeth hanging over and did not get good results while re-sawing. There is a link to a good bandsaw set up in the favorite woodworking video thread...

[Chris Parks]

My S45 has crowned wheels so I usually center on the top wheel. I tried with the teeth hanging over and did not get good results while re-sawing. There is a link to a good bandsaw set up in the favorite woodworking video thread...

Mine has flat wheels, are you sure because European saws use flat wheels AFAIK.