ROTEX RM-1 Rebuild (kind of)

[brino]

That is BEAUTIFUL work!
-brino

 

[aztoyman]

I worked on the electrical today. Got pulled off the project a few times but still got something accomplished.

I cleaned up the Cutler Hammer switch. Took a lot of time. Ran the wiring back through the conduit, replaced the power cord and installed the outlet on the back of the cabinet that the vertical head plugs into.

The motor for the horizontal shaft was really crusty. The seller said it used to run hot and I found out why. The ventilation was pretty plugged up. I got the motor information off the tag and expect to replace it.

Just for the heck of it I pulled it apart and did my best to clean it. I used what I have. I washed it out with orange citrus cleaner and rinsed with water. Blew it dry with compressed air. Used electrical contact cleaner as well. I'll put it together tomorrow and see if I get lucky.

 

[aztoyman]

Well I have good news and bad news. The good is that the motor works great. It didn't at first. It turned slow and got hot.

I had marked all wires before I disconnected anything AND I took pics just in case. The wires at the motor didn't look right when I first picked up the machine and apparently weren't. That's why the seller had a hot running motor. I reconnected it as it should have been and it spun right up. Forward and reverse work. I just don't know if I have that correct. When I push forward....IS it going forward? I don't know what normal forward rotation is. If not I just have to switch the two wires.

 

[aztoyman]

The bad news is I damaged the motor pulley on the vertical head. It was seized on the shaft. No room to get on it. I pulled the motor apart and left the armature stuck in the pulley. The pulley was still inside the housing. I was able to put a small steel wedge in and drive the pulley off little by little. I only dinged up a non critical area of the pulley. Then I saw it. Awe man.

The top of the pulley must have been banging around inside the housing enough that it broke the heck out of the small end. DANG IT.

It's cast aluminum "I think". Not magnetic. Maybe TIG it and turn it in the lathe? I can try putting the TIG torch on the pieces to see how it does. Any suggestions?

First pic is dings from the wedge. I thought I was good. Second pic shows otherwise.

 

[aztoyman]

Another pic. Tight quarters. I probably could have drilled a hole in the housing opposite the shaft so I could use a drift to get it apart. Too late now.

 

[brino]

Any suggestions?

Yes.
Leave the pulley as is, for now.
Finish your cleaning/rebuild without the additional gear ranges.
In the back of your mind keep mulling this over. New pulley? Is it really aluminum, or zamak, or other?, if Al then TIG repair?
Perhaps with some practice on similar sections of aluminum you can build-up confidence in this path.

Best of luck.
We are routing for you!

-brino

 

[aztoyman]

How do I find out what it's made of?

I am definitely going to keep plugging away. Got a camping trip in a couple days so probably next week before I get back on it.

Thanks for the encouragement and likes from all.

 

[aztoyman]

Hmmm.....what if I chuck it up in the lathe, turn that section of pulley off and just put another 1.5" pulley on the end of the shaft?

 

[Steve-F]

^^^^^^^
This

 

[Weldingrod1]

Shrink fit a replacement pair of pulleys on after turning off the top two, (leaving a stub of the 2nd pulley). Or shrink in a top.pulley that has a tail that lines the main pulley bore.

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