Ok, so I got the Mini Max E16 cleaned up yesterday afternoon late...didn't plan to look at it until today. I built a back panel for the contractor saw (Ridgid 3612) that took most of the morning. Decided that bandaw had failed to have a blade on it for far too long, so broke out the 3/4" blade and stuck it on. Well, that required looking at the alignment of the upper rack and pinion system, and saw how out of alignment it was. No surprise. I aligned the blade guard in both up and down positions, and watched it moving up and down, everything seemed fine. Tightened the mechanism by it's two bolts, and it puts the rack in a bind against something, to the point that you can't hardly adjust it up and down. I found two set screws on the right side of the column, but tightening them with a hex key also puts the rack in a bind. They seem to run into the back side of the rack. Don't have any idea what they could be for. Thought at first it adjusted some type of pad inside the shaft that would keep the rack running true inside the tube. I do know it looks a little like an after thought as the access holes in the frame are wallered out a little, and don't align up well with the set screws. I've used the touch up paint on the upper one, but haven't touched the lower one yet.
So MM gurus, does the alignment mechanism need a washer between it and the back plate of the frame so that the rack doesn't bind against the frame? I did see a little evidence of paint flakes on the rack after forcing it up and down while it was in a bind, though I couldn't find where they came from. Does it sound like this unit adjusts like it's big brothers, or does it sound like it is a totally different animal/design?
DSCN1267.jpgThis picture shows the openings for the 2 set screws
The other question is the amount of blade that hangs over the wheel. Which is proper, again using a 3/4" blade.
DSCN1264.jpgThis picture is the bottom wheel.
DSCN1265.jpgThis one is the upper wheel with just a little blade hanging over (too little?)
DSCN1266.jpg This last pic is a little more hanging over. No matter how I adjusted the upper wheel, the bottom stayed the same. I'm sure it has a different adjustment, but what am I getting into with the pulley and belts? The 1/4" blade might be a problem if this much of it was over the bottom tire, but is the 3/4" ok?
Thanks for looking. I hope someone has some ideas. Jim.