# Retired Machinist in the Fort Collins, Colorado Area.



## Stephen623 (Jan 12, 2020)

Hi.  I’m reaching out to the community to see if there is someone locally who can assist me.  I could really use a little help trouble shooting some motor issues with my SB 1002 10K Lathe.  An extra pair of skilled hands to help me get the motor adjusted properly would be greatly appreciated.

It runs at all speeds but 1200 RPMs.  However at 1200 and sometimes 780 the motor begins to start, runs for a few seconds but never reaches full speed, then trips off.  I’ve tried adjusting belt tension but nothing seems to work.  The motor works fine when it is not under load—very quiet, smooth and normal sounding.  There is no electrical smell.  Am I missing something?  Is there someone in my area who could lend me a hand?

Thank you,

Stephen


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## benmychree (Jan 12, 2020)

Is it wired for the correct voltage, did it work OK previously?


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## Stephen623 (Jan 12, 2020)

Yes.  It’s wired for 110.  It‘s a 1 hp single-phase motor.  I recently moved the Lathe to a new location.  Worked fine before.


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## Martin W (Jan 12, 2020)

What size wire and distance from the panel? Almost sounds like the motor may be too small?
cheers
Martin


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## benmychree (Jan 12, 2020)

I'd look for dirty starting switch contacts or bad capacitor.


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## buffdan (Jan 12, 2020)

loose pulley ?


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## _big_ (Jan 12, 2020)

Stephen623 said:


> Hi.  I’m reaching out to the community to see if there is someone locally who can assist me.  I could really use a little help trouble shooting some motor issues with my SB 1002 10K Lathe.  An extra pair of skilled hands to help me get the motor adjusted properly would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> It runs at all speeds but 1200 RPMs.  However at 1200 and sometimes 780 the motor begins to start, runs for a few seconds but never reaches full speed, then trips off.  I’ve tried adjusting belt tension but nothing seems to work.  The motor works fine when it is not under load—very quiet, smooth and normal sounding.  There is no electrical smell.  Am I missing something?  Is there someone in my area who could lend me a hand?
> 
> ...



What does "trips off" mean.   Are you running it at 110 volts or 220?


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## Stephen623 (Jan 13, 2020)

_big_ said:


> What does "trips off" mean.   Are you running it at 110 volts or 220?



It‘s wired for 110.  I hear a click and then the motor shuts down as if it is drawing too much current or maybe a thermal sensor is being actuated.  When I first purchased the lathe, it wouldn’t run at all.  I replaced the start capacitor and it still would not run.  Now I have a new motor with presumably a decent start capacitor but still having these problems.  Maybe it is just a matter of cord length and resistance.  I’m kind at a loss.


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## DavidR8 (Jan 13, 2020)

Hey @Stephen623 welcome to HM 
Was there an issue before the lathe was moved? (edit - apparently it was)
Is it plugged into a GFI outlet or on a circuit with a GFI breaker?
I ask only because there was another member that was having all sorts of problems because his variable speed lathe was plugged into a GFI outlet (or breaker I can't recall) and it was solved by changing to a different non-GFI outlet.

Caveat - I only have a partial clue about electricity.


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## _big_ (Jan 13, 2020)

Still not sure what "hear a click" is.   Is it the circuit breaker in the house?   A thermal cutout in the motor?

After its quits, how do you get it to start again?   Wait for it to cool?   Reset some circuit breaker or other cutout?

Nominally, a 1HP motor is less than 800 watts.   A 15 amp 110V circuit shouldn't have any problem with that.

Is there anything else on the circuit?
How long is the power cord?
Can you measure the voltage at the motor when it is running?
Does it do this with no load?   Can you disconnect some belt or gear to remove the load from the motor?

Good Luck.


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## Stephen623 (Jan 14, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> Hey @Stephen623 welcome to HM
> Was there an issue before the lathe was moved? (edit - apparently it was)
> Is it plugged into a GFI outlet or on a circuit with a GFI breaker?
> I ask only because there was another member that was having all sorts of problems because his variable speed lathe was plugged into a GFI outlet (or breaker I can't recall) and it was solved by changing to a different non-GFI outlet.
> ...


Hey David.  Thank you.  You were right this a great forum.  All the folks here have been very helpful.


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## Stephen623 (Jan 14, 2020)

_big_ said:


> Still not sure what "hear a click" is.   Is it the circuit breaker in the house?   A thermal cutout in the motor?
> 
> After its quits, how do you get it to start again?   Wait for it to cool?   Reset some circuit breaker or other cutout?
> 
> ...


Hey Big,
It seems to be a thermal cutout with the motor itself.  It’s not a circuit breaker in the house.

Yes.  There were a couple of units on the circuit. One of them, a space heater, obviously draws a lot of current and could just be the problem.  Should have thought of that but my garage is Arctic right now.  The cord is also probably too long.  The motor runs great with no load.  

I’m not sure what the voltage drop across the motor is.  I have a volt meter so I could check that.  Hopefully I won’t electrocute myself.

Thank you for your thoughts!  Stephen


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