Motor re-purposing - Proper wiring

middle.road

Granite Stoopid...
H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Apr 28, 2014
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I need some assistance in properly wiring up this motor. I am thinking of setting it up as a 'Foredom' type tool.
I've got a few hand pieces and am hoping I can get one to work for polishing wheels.
The motor has been kicking around for over 20 years, and I even forgot I had until I was unpacking an old box of clutter.
Firing it up 'as-is', it spins up nicely. However there seems to be a 50-50 chance of which direction the shaft will rotate. The labeling states CCW but it is going in both directions.
I figure that I need a capacitor or something a bit more than just an extension cord spliced to it. :grin:

Thanks!
GE-OneHalf_00.JPG GE-OneHalf_02.jpg hand-pieces_r.jpg
 
it is definitely supposed to have a cap. Nameplate picture is hard to read, but there is a cap value given.
 
Thanks, I'll go grab a better pict. Didn't realize there is no zooming in on pictures...
 
Thanks Gang!

General Electric
Model 5KCP19PG190A
HP 1/2 RPM 3350
A 5.1 HZ 60 PH 1 EJU
Time Rating CONT Class B Code C
Cap 17.5 MFD ROT CCW Made in the U.S.A.

GE-OneHalf_03.jpg
 
How many wires coming out of the motor? what colors are they?
 
No cap would cause the random rotation direction. There should be a capacitor housing or look like a place for one.
 
Peeled back the shrink-tubing (I want some of that style, pretty tough stuff...)
There's a Blue, a Red, and a Yellow coming out of the housing.
The yellow was taped off.
No sign of a capacitor housing on the motor anywhere. It is rather small, only 6" long.

GE-OneHalf_04.jpg
 
Might have come out of an HVAC application. Some of those use a remote capacitor mounted in the cabinet or strapped on the side of the motor. Yellow wire probably was connected to the cap with power to the cap from the control panel.
 
My first guess would be to wire the specified cap to the yellow wire and to either the blue or red wire. To reverse rotation, move the cap to the other (blue or red) wire. But I might well be wrong ... not sure why the nameplate would specify a direction.
 
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