Help with Harbor Freight switch.

[Qmavam]

Note to self, always take pictures, and then take better pictures.
The FWD/OFF/REV switch on my HF 33686 Milling Machine stopped working most of the time, intermittently worked.
So I took it apart, I did find two sets of contacts that were burned and pitted, but were far from the worst I have seen.
I cleaned them up. Now that I have torn it all apart, I'm questioning whether the switch even had a problem, because after several
assemble and check of rotation, cams and switch pointer, all of the sudden I turned the switch and the shaft dd not turn. Then the screw
to tighten the clamp around the shaft becomes obvious.
This leads me to believe that the original problem was the knob rotating around the six sided shaft feeling like a detent, and not switch contacts.
I run the machine on 120Vac.
Now I'm trying to reassemble the 4 section switch with 12 springs and 16 separate contacts that need to be put into place.
And then the cams also need to be installed properly, however, I think they are all in the same orientation, so that may be easy.
AC---Hot and Neutral come in on two connections and on the opposite side are 4 connections that go to the motor.
I can probably do this* if someone can give me a drawing with 4 wires from a motor wired for 120Vac showing how
forward and reverse are implemented. Even if it uses 2-SPDT switches to show the wiring.
Can someone make or find a drawing of such.

**Assumes parts don't go flying more times than I can find them. Already lost a spring but the junk draw had one.
I've searced the carpet for a part 5 times already.

 

[Inferno]

Note to self, always take pictures, and then take better pictures.
The FWD/OFF/REV switch on my HF 33686 Milling Machine stopped working most of the time, intermittently worked.
So I took it apart, I did find two sets of contacts that were burned and pitted, but were far from the worst I have seen.
I cleaned them up. Now that I have torn it all apart, I'm questioning whether the switch even had a problem, because after several
assemble and check of rotation, cams and switch pointer, all of the sudden I turned the switch and the shaft dd not turn. Then the screw
to tighten the clamp around the shaft becomes obvious.
This leads me to believe that the original problem was the knob rotating around the six sided shaft feeling like a detent, and not switch contacts.
I run the machine on 120Vac.
Now I'm trying to reassemble the 4 section switch with 12 springs and 16 separate contacts that need to be put into place.
And then the cams also need to be installed properly, however, I think they are all in the same orientation, so that may be easy.
AC---Hot and Neutral come in on two connections and on the opposite side are 4 connections that go to the motor.
I can probably do this* if someone can give me a drawing with 4 wires from a motor wired for 120Vac showing how
forward and reverse are implemented. Even if it uses 2-SPDT switches to show the wiring.
Can someone make or find a drawing of such.

**Assumes parts don't go flying more times than I can find them. Already lost a spring but the junk draw had one.
I've searced the carpet for a part 5 times already.

Pictures of the switch (even now) would help people help you.
If the input is AC. Then the motor has to be wired for AC reversible.

 

[Ultradog MN]

If it were me I would quit searching for the spring and start searching for a place to buy better machinery.

 

[Qmavam]

Of course you can always beat down HF. I paid $100 for the machine and have had much use out of it.
I have a 12x20 shed with al my shelves and storage, plus the lathe and a drill press. A bench holding a grinder,
belt sander, and bandsaw. For what I do, I have a lot.
So, how about being helpful rather than bad mouthing what I have.
Mikek

 

[Inferno]

If it were me I would quit searching for the spring and start searching for a place to buy better machinery.

For a second there I thought I was in the Practical Machinist forum.
Don't be hating on the machines. This is a hobby forum.

It's not about the machine, it's about the user.

 

[markba633csi]

Oh hating on machines is ok- just not members
If you can post a pic we might be able to get your switch back together
Otherwise you could pick up a "Baomain" 16 terminal switch from Amazon- they aren't too hard to wire up and they're cheap
I can do a sketch for you
If the motor is more than 1 horse you really should run it on 220/240v
120v hookups for these things eat switches fast and often result in less power at the motor plus sluggish performance
Edit: 16 terminal switch not 12- my mistake

 

[markba633csi]

Do you have the two blue wires plus a brown and a white? There are several versions of this machine
Usually when you have to start fixing switches you are scraping the bottom of the barrel but
I'm a certified penny-pincher and proud of it

 

[silence dogood]

Type in on the net Harbor Freight 33686 mill pdf. That will show your wiring diagram for the motor. Perhaps you can get it back together and working. Personally, I would not trust the old switch. Hey, just noticed that markba633csi just wrote in. I like his answer, let him take over from here.

 

[Qmavam]

It's been fine in my shed on 120V for at least a year, and 25 years before that where I worked.
But, I am a bit surprised, as it says it is a 2HP motor and I have a 100ft run of wire out to my shed.
But it has worked fine.

>Otherwise you could pick up a "Baomain" 12 terminal switch from Amazon- they aren't too hard to wire up and they're cheap
I ordered a Baomain about an hour ago, but the delivery is 4 to 7 weeks out.

>If you can post a pic we might be able to get your switch back together.
I'll post a few.

>I can do a sketch for you.
Thanks.

I have pictures and a drawing of how the switch is wired to power and the 4 wires to the motor.
I also have a drawing of the jumpers on the switch itself.
So, I need to put the switch back together and make the cams connect the proper contacts together in FWD and REV.
I expect a few iterations, before we actually under one and other.
Mikek
ribing what I don't have, I decided to jump back up here and ask, there are 4 wires to the motor,
does power to one pair make the motor go forward and one pair make the motor go in reverse?
Or is it more complicated than that and we are reversing phase of a winding in the motor?
What I don't have is when the switch is in the FWD position, what contacts should be making connections.
And the same in reverse.
Mikek

 

[Qmavam]

Do you have the two blue wires plus a brown and a white? There are several versions of this machine

I have two browns and two Blues :-/ But I have pictures were all the wires go.
My problem is reassembling the switch to get the proper contacts to close
in each position, (FWD/REV).

Usually when you have to start fixing switches you are scraping the bottom of the barrel but
I'm a certified penny-pincher and proud of it

I've pinched pennies for 40 years, Because of that I have no need to, but frugal habits die hard. I try to fix rather than buy new.
But I like to say why throw it away when you can fix it.