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Killed ANOTHER motor
- Thread starter joe_m
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2011
- Messages
- 935
Either that, or a couple of boxes of magic smoke!
This one was over 50 years old, running off a 220V circuit - which was installed and tested by a professional. It's the same outlet I plug my VFD into for the Leblond (I unplug the jointer to plug in the VFD). No problems with the circuit.
The first killed motor was a small lathe that had the switch-box inline with the cord, made so it would be screwed to the side of whatever cabinet you mounted the lathe on. The switch housing was crushed early in its life and eventually sawdust made its way in and shorted out the switch.
That kind of electricity is beyond me, just 110 and simple 220 are all I will mess with. I just went through a problem with a Rouselle press where a previous owner had rewired/ replaced a starter relay. And when that electrician walked through the door, I let out a HUGE sigh of relief, knew it would be expensive, but knew it would be fixed. Of course they only quit when we need them.
I owe a few of you an apology. Maybe it's all the lead paint I ate as a kid, or maybe I have forum-dyslexia but when sssfox said "check the capacitor switch" I saw "blah blah blah switch" and said to myself "I already told you I bypassed the switch."
And when hawkeye chimed in with "sawdust...centrifugal switch..." I read "blah blah switch blah blah" and said to myself "sheesh, give it a break don't you guys read? I tried the @#% switch!"
So when wawoodman replied "Blow out the starter centrifugal switch" I was really starting to see red because it seems nobody ever reads the OP before giving their reply, so I just completely ignored it.
Then today, being bored with the new motor on the way and no chance of surfacing all that lumber strewn about the shop I sat here surfing the forums and reread it and for some reason it clicked - they're not talking about THAT switch. Of course I don't have a compressor so after dinner I threw the 50 pound motor in the car and drove to the nearest gas station where, four minutes and four quarters later I loaded up a 45 pound motor and left a 5 pound pile of sawdust, dirt and petrified spiders.
A quick wiring job with electrical tape just to give it juice and I plugged it in - it's slowly turning! The motor was sitting on the floor so I gave the pulley a push with my foot and away she went at 3450 rpm. I unplugged it and tried again and it didn't need a push with the foot - just sped right up.
I think the switch is still sticking - but now it's sticking open? After I unplug it it seems to run for a LONG time before I hear the click inside and then it quickly decelerates and comes to a stop. Maybe that will go quicker once it's belted to the jointer and there's a load on it, but at least it's running now. Tomorrow I'll try to reassemble - hopefully I remember what all I disconnected.
thanks for all the help
Joe
And when hawkeye chimed in with "sawdust...centrifugal switch..." I read "blah blah switch blah blah" and said to myself "sheesh, give it a break don't you guys read? I tried the @#% switch!"
So when wawoodman replied "Blow out the starter centrifugal switch" I was really starting to see red because it seems nobody ever reads the OP before giving their reply, so I just completely ignored it.
Then today, being bored with the new motor on the way and no chance of surfacing all that lumber strewn about the shop I sat here surfing the forums and reread it and for some reason it clicked - they're not talking about THAT switch. Of course I don't have a compressor so after dinner I threw the 50 pound motor in the car and drove to the nearest gas station where, four minutes and four quarters later I loaded up a 45 pound motor and left a 5 pound pile of sawdust, dirt and petrified spiders.
A quick wiring job with electrical tape just to give it juice and I plugged it in - it's slowly turning! The motor was sitting on the floor so I gave the pulley a push with my foot and away she went at 3450 rpm. I unplugged it and tried again and it didn't need a push with the foot - just sped right up.
I think the switch is still sticking - but now it's sticking open? After I unplug it it seems to run for a LONG time before I hear the click inside and then it quickly decelerates and comes to a stop. Maybe that will go quicker once it's belted to the jointer and there's a load on it, but at least it's running now. Tomorrow I'll try to reassemble - hopefully I remember what all I disconnected.
thanks for all the help
Joe