Need help with a minimax sc3 saw

[Dave Bureau]

I looking at a used sc3 saw. wanted to know the going price for a saw like this. seems to be in good condition. made in the late 90's 3hp single phase.
Dave

[Noah Levy]

Dave,
Someone recently gave me one of these but it was missing the sliding table. In researching a replacement table, I've seen prices from just shy of $2000 to as high as $3500. I've seen most of the Craigslist ads asking $2500 to $3000. Good luck!

[Dave Bureau]

Ya I saw your add looking for a table. Any luck? your not going to trash that saw are you. If you are let me know.
Dave

[James Reichman]

I paid 1900 for mine. I was close to buying another saw but this one came my way. The shop I work at had one for along time so I'm pretty familiar with this saw. It is a nice little saw especially the older model with the cast slider.MM parts guys are great. This saw needs to be kept up with. And a nice cleaning and bearing service(lube) makes it slide like glass. PM me if you need more info.

[Dave Bureau]

do you know what year they changed to an aluminum table?

[Noah Levy]

Ya I saw your add looking for a table. Any luck? your not going to trash that saw are you. If you are let me know.
Dave

I'm hoping not to scrap it but frankly, it's not looking good. SCM, the Italian company behind Minimax doesn't have them so they are trying to find a fabricator in Italy. With the Euro vs the Dollar and shipping etc, I cannot believe this is going to work out. As far as retrofitting is concerned, the steel sliders are not as deep (heightwise) as the boxed aluminum ones, so I wouldn't even know where to begin retrofitting one.

To answer your question, I think they went to aluminum tables around '98. Mines a '93.

[Bruce Pennell]

Saw this on CL (http://tucson.craigslist.org/tls/598894776.html) in Tucson, nice time of the year to bring the wife out and buy a saw! She'll love the 70 plus degree weather. Just drop her off at one of the spa's and go saw shopping. Sorry I don't know anything about the saw, just wanted to show you and brag about the weather.:D

[Noah Levy]

Yeah, that's the newer model with the elongated frame to support the aluminum table. I'd say that's a pretty darn good price. I bet they'd be asking $3500 for that on one of the used machinery sites.

[Dave Bureau]

which is better the aluminum or steel table?

[Noah Levy]

Ya got me. The Al slider has a slot down the center so you can clamp down a board for ripping on the slider. The steel slider doesn't have that but I don't know if there's other provision for ripping like that.

Anyone have an old steel sliding table for a '93 Minimax SC3 they want to sell? Or, maybe some ideas how to retrofit a different slider like one of the aluminum ones?

[Rick Lizek]

Have you looked at the Laguna sliding table? You might be able to retrofit the slider. Another option is build one from 80/20 structural aluminum. Can't imagine why someone would take the slider off the SC3. Nice saw. When I was working as a tech for a dealer we sold a lot of those saws in the early 90's. The slider was made out if fabricated sheet metal.

[Noah Levy]

Have you looked at the Laguna sliding table? You might be able to retrofit the slider. Another option is build one from 80/20 structural aluminum. Can't imagine why someone would take the slider off the SC3. Nice saw. When I was working as a tech for a dealer we sold a lot of those saws in the early 90's. The slider was made out if fabricated sheet metal.

I did look at the Laguna and other tables. The aluminum tables have a "box" cross section that is a lot taller than the steel slider on the older Minimax's. To make room for the increased height, I'd have to cut out a section of the sheet metal saw cabinet and weld on tabs to make a mounting surface for an aluminum sliding table. Then there's the issue of supporting the length of the aluminum beam that the table rides on -the steel slider didn't require as much support. I guess I could use legs of some sort. But going to all that trouble with no garantee that the result would be accurate seems not worth it. I don't suppose the company you worked for that sold these is still around or has any spare parts?