Hi Peter,
You suck!! Congrats on the new machine and tooling...I keep looking for a good buy in my area and I hope I can score something as nice as what you found. Please post some pictures and I will be interested in seeing any of your mods.
Scot
Member
Hi Peter,
You suck!! Congrats on the new machine and tooling...I keep looking for a good buy in my area and I hope I can score something as nice as what you found. Please post some pictures and I will be interested in seeing any of your mods.
Scot
[OP]
Member
Only mod I have planned is to throw the Delta X5 fence on it, I think there is room to tap the table for that, and if I can't locate a second hand slider down the road for it (it is machined to accept one as an accessory) I may add a small extension table to the front of it using those same bolt holes to give my coping sled a bit more support. Oh, and the VFD as a phase convertor. Unless somebody wants to GIVE me an Aligner fence for product testing purposes, then I might be able to accommodate that as wellOriginally Posted by Scot Ferraro
! It sure starts up and runs smoother than the old Chitty chitty bang bang PM 27's in the cab shop at work. Then again, so does my little delta...
Member
What is the footprint of the machine (width and length) and what is the max diameter tooling you can run in the table and under the nut?
[OP]
Member
I think I measured the top at 24"X35"? It is longer than it is deep. Sort of long and skinny actually, as the spindle seems to be centered on the table which leaves only 9-10" of table left to the hood is on. Can't seem to find it in the manual exactly, its still in my van until I can get some help moving it in, I'll measure tomorrow. Looking at the 'manual' I have, I think it is simply a parts list, seems i don't have the "instructionnes" booklet, so if anyone has a copy I'd love to get a scan if possible. I think I measured 7 1/4" max below the table, maybe 8" or a little better above. 3 7/8" max under the nut.
Member
That's a nice size. I have been looking at shapers and I am amazed at just how large some of the more heavy-duty units are -- some are close to four feet wide or more -- too big for my shop. I would be interested in hearing the exact dimensions once you get it set up -- height is not as important. I have seen a couple of T40's come up for sale ever so often and it might be a good fit for my shop.
Thanks...looking forward to the pics!
Scot
Contributor
Here are the specs from my manual. I don't have a scanner, but I'll see what I can do. Really, it is mostly very basic info, and since you obviously know shapers, it may be redundant. If you have the spindle style with a bolt and cap, then you can squeeze a taller tool onto the spindle if need be...
top dimensions: 870mm x 560mm
top height: 900mm
removeable spindle: 1-1/4"
max spindle protrusion from table: 155mm
working length of spindle: 90mm
max tool diameter in table: 180mm
max height of retractable tool: 60mm
dust collection diameter: 120mm
max tool diameter with fence: 180mm
max tool diameter with tenon hood: 250mm
motor: 3.6KW, 230V, 3PH
JR
[OP]
Member
J.R., I just got a Leuco rabbit/jointing/tenon cutter from Oella Saw and Tool that is 180MM. Man that is a big donut, and heavy is an understatement. I see from your specs that 180MM is the maximum tooling under the table. Have you ever spun anything that big on the T40? Is the tenon hood sold by Minimax, or was that a shop made apparatus? I have an email into a guy from the SCMI parts dept. whose name was given to me by Erik at MM on the users group board at Yahoo. He thinks it may be possible to get the owners manual from them. Any idea where to look for a sliding table for that shaper on the used market?
Member
Peter, there is a fellow with a couple of T130 shaper hoods for sale on the Woodweb. He is located in CA. I'm not sure if they would fit, but they look like nice hoods for $300. I have used several 180mm dia cutters on my Hammer shaper (similar specs), and they work fine. I now have a couple of 250mm dia cutters that I will be using above the table. One fellow I know even mounted about a 25lb door cutter onto his.
Panhans makes a sliding tenon attachment that bolts to the table. There was a used Martin version on the woodweb many many months ago, but with that name you could probably buy a new knock off cheaper.
Brad
Contributor
These would be an upgrade from the MiniMax fence. They are heavy duty cast aluminum, but only the infeed (right side) is adjustable, at least if it is like the one I used to have. For that price, I would be more likely to keep looking for a 2-sided adjustable style that is easier to keep aligned to the miter slot. I have enjoyed using the aluminum style fence plates with filler bars - safe and precise.
JR
[OP]
Member
Thanks for the tip Brad. I checked them out but as J.R. noted those seem to adjust from only one side, in this case in feed rather than out feed. I prefer a fence that adjusts from both sides. I have a spare Delta X5 fence, and while it seems strange to put it on a MM, it is a pretty good fence and should be a simple matter to tap the table for its hold down bolts. Can't quite swing an Aigner fence presently. I did get the shaper into the shop today, probably won't wire it up for a month or so in any event. This was more of a buy it while its cheap purchase than something I needed immediately.
Contributor
I have the one side adjustment fence and for what it is worth I have been planning on converting it to two sided adjustment. I looked at it a while ago and it would not be difficult, but like many things, I have not found the time.......
Member
Just a FYI for anyone with Minimax shapers and the fence with adjustments on the right side only. I have a Minimax T 50 shaper with this fence. While the adjustment is only on the right side of the fence physically it does adjust both sides of the fence. To do this you loosen one side of fence at a time and adjust. Then tighten that side down,loosen other side and adjust it.
[OP]
Member
You ain't kidding Scot. We have a couple of older SAC's at work, the tables are something like 34"X46" on the bigger ones. Perfect for curved work, bigger than it has to be for 80% of what it gets used for. Having moved them this winter to lay down a new shop floor, I can tell you they are heavy too. The old SAC's are nothing fancy, but they are very smooth and brutally powerful. I considered going that route in a day dream as I have seen some SAC's selling in the mid $3K range w/feeder, but I woke up when I started envisioning what it would take to get a 900# machine down a steep bilco entry. Oh, and the price of phase conversion for a 9HP machine is quite steep too. I needed a nice little flexible machine to do some side work in my home shop, I think the T40 will fit that bill nicely.That's a nice size. I have been looking at shapers and I am amazed at just how large some of the more heavy-duty units are -- some are close to four feet wide or more -- too big for my shop. I would be interested in hearing the exact dimensions once you get it set up -- height is not as important. I have seen a couple of T40's come up for sale ever so often and it might be a good fit for my shop.
Thanks...looking forward to the pics
Scot
JR, thanks if you you have a way to copy the manual, and no sweat if you don't. The seller walked me through all the specifics before I left so I knew how to handle spindle changes and cutter changes. He had to think about it as he had set the machine up to cope a single cab door profile, once, and never touched it again. It still had his coping sled on it, still set to the fence!
Member
Hi Peter,
One thing you might try is going to the MiniMax website -- they have some manuals for discontinued machines and I believe that I saw one for the T40 in Adobe.
Scot
[OP]
Member
Checked there Scott, they have the "Parts list" which is simply a booklet of schematics and part numbers, very little else. There is also an "Instrucciones" manual (it is listed as a part in the Parts list!) and that's the one I can't seem to find. I haven't tried calling minimax directly, not sure how they would respond to a guy with an old used machine looking for a manual?
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