Atlas 10 toggle switch ideas to replace

If you decide that you want reversing capability and your lathe motor is reversible, you might want to consider this option. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SWY67F2?ref_=pe_527950_33920250_dpLink&th=1
The switches are user configurable and the 12 position switch can be configured for reversing an ac induction motor with power switching of the hot wire. The 16 position switch can be configured for reversing an ac induction motor with power switching of both line wires.

These switches are commonly used on current manufacture Asian machines and I bought the 12 position 20 amp switch for my lathe last year. I can attest to the quality.
 
Very interesting. I need to remember this link. I just added reversing to a disk sander that I purchased used with a 3 pole double throw switch. I was lucky to find it in my junk box. The Furnas switches that are selling on the web are really too expensive.
 
Lowes, HD and probably your local hardware store carry suitable toggle switches.

I have both the toggle and a reversing switch. I like having the toggle on the headstock in easy reach. And turning them both off provides an extra safety. Less chance of turning the lathe on inadvertently while I have my body/fingers in the danger area.

I had a toggle switch that hesitated - turned out that by loosening the nut a little it went back to working properly.

Edit for clarity: My toggle is a SPST switch located in the headstock casting. My reversing switch is a drum switch located on the side of the lathe cabinet.
 
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An afterthought, if I may. A 3 position toggle switch on a machine like a lathe is a dangerous proposition. A single phase AC / Induction motor only switches on the start winding necessary to reverse the motor when (near) zero speed is achieved. If the reversing switch is quickly moved from FWD to REV, the motor will continue to run in whatever mode it was started. As in, it won't reverse, it just keeps running.

This can easily mean that while intending to switch off, the motor is not switched off, but continues to run. I use a large number of 3 position switches in my hobby. I have large hands and a 3 position switch will quite often "overshoot" the center off position. It is usually something that I feel, but sometimes too late to center the switch. In my hobby, this results in a temporary short circuit on low voltage DC equipment, not a big deal. AC line voltage is another matter entirely.

I have a large (3/4 chuck) drill that I have "adapted" by adding a toggle switch to allow reversing. By using a 2 position switch in addition to the trigger, most such "accidents" are avoided. I also located the "added" reversing switch in a location that is a problem to get to. This also helps negate any "accidental" operation.

It is this "accidental overshoot" of the off position that causes problems. During normal operation, the off position is easily felt. In an "emergency" situation where overshoot will cause unintended results that problems arise. Please keep this in mind for modifications.

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Bi11Hudson said:
An afterthought, if I may. A 3 position toggle switch on a machine like a lathe is a dangerous proposition. A single phase AC / Induction motor only switches on the start winding necessary to reverse the motor when (near) zero speed is achieved. If the reversing switch is quickly moved from FWD to REV, the motor will continue to run in whatever mode it was started. As in, it won't reverse, it just keeps running.

This can easily mean that while intending to switch off, the motor is not switched off, but continues to run. I use a large number of 3 position switches in my hobby. I have large hands and a 3 position switch will quite often "overshoot" the center off position. It is usually something that I feel, but sometimes too late to center the switch. In my hobby, this results in a temporary short circuit on low voltage DC equipment, not a big deal. AC line voltage is another matter entirely.

I have a large (3/4 chuck) drill that I have "adapted" by adding a toggle switch to allow reversing. By using a 2 position switch in addition to the trigger, most such "accidents" are avoided. I also located the "added" reversing switch in a location that is a problem to get to. This also helps negate any "accidental" operation.

It is this "accidental overshoot" of the off position that causes problems. During normal operation, the off position is easily felt. In an "emergency" situation where overshoot will cause unintended results that problems arise. Please keep this in mind for modifications.

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This is why (well, one of the reasons) I use a Danfoss Cycletrol to run my lathe's 3/4hp Baldor DC motor:

s-l1600.jpg

I've got it powered off a hospital grade power bar inside the lathe cabinet and that has an on/off switch. Once turned on, you have to engage the CB on the control panel to power the panel. The "run" switch itself is a momentary on switch and 3 position, sprung loaded to the center. You have to lift the switch up to turn the motor on and you control the speed with the rheostat.

Should you get into a panic situ and slam the switch down, it only goes to the "jog" position. The Jog position only powers the motor when you hold the switch there, so slamming past the center on a panic off means you are still only going to turn the motor off, even if you do blow through the center off position.

You also have the option of hitting the CB and turning the motor off, so all you really need to do is get your hand to the top of the panel and swipe down. No matter what you hit for switches, the lathe turns off. the Cb, being a CB, is also "half sprung" to the off position, so it takes very little force to trip it. Dragging a hand over it, even if lightly, will trip it to off.

The jog position has also proven very useful in other situations where I just want to turn the spindle a slight amount without having to grab the chuck.

The cycletrol also maintains a constant rpm under load, compensating for increases (and decreases) under loads. Combined with the Baldor motor, the lathe runs dead smooth, consistent speeds and more torque than I'll ever need on my 10F.

I originally bought the cycletrol for the speed control function, but the more I use it, the more useful I find it. Was a worthwhile purchase.

Not trying to sell anyone on it, just describing how well it works for my setup. YMMV......:)
 
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A consideration to the above: Circuit breakers are a wonderful device compared to fuses. Essentially a fuse that can be reset, no "replacement" needed. They can have two different elements, thermal and magnetic. The magnetic version is a little faster but more sensitive in that it may trip arbitrarily, especially if operating near the trip limit. Some better types of breaker make use of both elements together. The speed of a reaction to an "overcurrent" situation is a factor of how much of an overcurrent is involved. For a short circuit, what in the field is called a "bolted short" , the reaction is virtually instantaneous. Far faster than it can be described. At a 10% overload where a 10 amp breaker is passing 11 amps, the reaction time may be as long as half a second. (500 mS)

A circuit breaker is a great way to protect hardware (motors, controls, etc) because it can be reset almost as quickly as it trips. However, when used as an ON/OFF switch, a breaker will degrade each time it is operated. Not by that much each time, but it is that "each time" that will build up. Tripping on an overcurrent doesn't happen that often, at most usually at startup of a new circuit. Then in the future, only on a real overcurrent.

An "overload" must be differentiated to some extent. It is a purely thermal element that protects a motor. Using thermal allowances it will permit the startup current for a few seconds before tripping. Startup current may be as high as 600%, although that is rarely seen in hobbyist applications. Usually doubled or trebled is more common. And takes as much or more time before reset is allowed. It is but little faster in a bolted short situation. Basicly protecting a motor but not the circuit.

When a breaker is used as a switch however, this frequency is increased multiple times. Thinking of it as a percentage (%), as a protective device it operates 10 times over its' lifespan. But when used as a switch it is operated at 10 times that rate. Or more. . . It will still trip magneticly on a short circuit, but the thermal element may vary from that hypothetical 10 amps to 8 to 12 amps. With a slower reaction time thrown in, it may take a couple of seconds to trip.

The bottom line is that a circuit breaker should never be used as a ON/OFF switch except in a panic situation. There should be a dedicated ON/OFF switch in the circuit. Either before or after the breaker, it really doesn't matter.


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Bi11Hudson said:
A consideration to the above; Circuit breakers are a wonderful device compared to fuses. Essentially a fuse that can be reset, no "replacement" needed. They have two different elements, thermal and magnetic. The magnetic version is a little faster but more sensitive in that it may trip arbitrarily, especially if operating near the trip limit. Some better types of breaker make use of both elements together. The speed of a reaction to an "overcurrent" situation is a factor of how much of an overcurrent is involved. For a short circuit, what in the field is called a "bolted short" , the reaction is virtually instantaneous. Far faster than it can be spoken of. At a 10% overload where a 10 amp breaker is passing 11 amps, the reaction time may be as long as half a second. (500 mS)

A circuit breaker is a great way to protect hardware (motors, controls, etc) because it can be reset almost as quickly as it trips. However, when used as an ON/OFF switch, a breaker will degrade each time it is operated. Not by that much each time, but it is that "each time" that will build up. Tripping on an overcurrent doesn't happen that often, at most usually at startup of a new circuit. Then in the future, only on a real overcurrent.

When it is used as a switch however, this frequency is increased multiple times. Thinking of it as a percentage (%), as a protective device it operates 10 times over its' lifespan. But when used as a switch it is operated at 10 times that rate. Or more. . . It will still trip magneticly on a short circuit, but the thermal element may vary from that hypothetical 10 amps to from 8 to 12 amps. With a slower reaction time thrown in, it may take a couple of seconds to trip.

The bottom line is that a circuit breaker should never be used as a ON/OFF switch except in a panic situation. There should be a dedicated ON/OFF switch in the circuit. Either before or after the breaker, it really doesn't matter.


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I don't use the breaker as an on/off switch nor did I recommend it to be used that way.

30 years in aerospace engineering and operations taught me those facts a looong time ago.

The breaker on my panel is for protection, not powering the lathe up or shutting it off.

The breaker on my panel is magnetic, so it can be used as a switch if needed. Different story if the breaker is bimetallic. Every time you pull the bimetallics, you weaken them and change the trip value the breaker will pop at. Most of the aircraft cb's are bimetallic and we only would pull them to inhibit a system, either in flight or for maintenance.

I mentioned the breaker as an emergency stop because of the way the panel is arranged on my lathe and if you were to make a panic grab, whether you hit the switch or the breaker it has the same effect.

You need to be running that type of panel on something like a cycletrol though...
 
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Try cleaning the switch with CRC QD Contact Cleaner, or something similar. You might even be able to get the switch enclosure apart to clean it. I cleaned my motor and the switch and it worked much better.
 
Re-wired the original switch, it does seem to be the toggle switch. When I flip it up all the way it won't turn on and when I move it up slightly less the machine runs properly. I just need to find a new toggle switch similar to the old one.
 
Have been using the lathe as is, now when I flip the toggle switch down to turn the lathe off it continues running?
 
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