| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
Thad in AR. 
Orange Level Access
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Arkansas
Points: 9282
|
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote  Reply
 Topic: Electric motor experts
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 4:58pm |
|
I’m working on the old drillpress I bought. The motor starts slow and doesn’t have much power when it’s up to speed. It has a 2 wire romax with white black and bare ground. That makes me assume it’s hooked for 120 but the motor is big for a 120 v motor. I’m thinking it should be on 240 but it doesn’t have a tag for wiring. Should I just find another motor?
The switch is in a good size metal box. Push buttons. It has a breaker that will trip and reset after a couple minutes. It won’t run 30 seconds without tripping even with the belt off. It has a capacitor but I don’t know if it’s a run or start capacitor??
|
 |
|
Sponsored Links
|
|
|
JW in MO
Orange Level
Joined: 16 Feb 2010
Location: South KC Area
Points: 2597
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 5:35pm |
Would be odd if it were 230volt. Was the motor sitting out where mud daubers could get in it. Bad capacitor or mud dauber in the end of the motor will cause the breaker to trip as you describe. Sounds like its not getting off the start winding's. Start capacitors are normally black hard plastic material, round, and have numbers on the side with a range like 189-225mfd, followed by the numbers 110vac or 330vac, which by the way DOES NOT have any relation with incoming voltage. Run capacitors will have a fixed MFD rating like 5, 10, 15 etc.. If you have an ohm meter you can give the capacitor a quick check. I can give you instructions if you want.
There is a centrifugal switch in the end of the motor, once the start capacitor nudged it up to speed, the centrifugal switch shuts off the capacitor and the amp draw drops dramatically. A mud dauber nest will prevent the switch from moving and
|
|
Maximum use of available resources!
|
|
Thad in AR.
Orange Level Access
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Arkansas
Points: 9282
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 5:41pm |
 JW in MO wrote:
Would be odd if it were 230volt. Was the motor sitting out where mud daubers could get in it. Bad capacitor or mud dauber in the end of the motor will cause the breaker to trip as you describe. Sounds like its not getting off the start winding's. Start capacitors are normally black hard plastic material, round, and have numbers on the side with a range like 189-225mfd, followed by the numbers 110vac or 330vac, which by the way DOES NOT have any relation with incoming voltage. Run capacitors will have a fixed MFD rating like 5, 10, 15 etc.. If you have an ohm meter you can give the capacitor a quick check. I can give you instructions if you want.
There is a centrifugal switch in the end of the motor, once the start capacitor nudged it up to speed, the centrifugal switch shuts off the capacitor and the amp draw drops dramatically. A mud dauber nest will prevent the switch from moving and
|
I do have an ohm meter and would like instructions to check the capacitor. I’ll look at tha capacitor and see what it is in a bit.
|
|
JW in MO
Orange Level
Joined: 16 Feb 2010
Location: South KC Area
Points: 2597
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 5:59pm |
This test won't give the MFD rating but will check if it's open or shorted.
First unplug the drill press. Remove the cover with the capacitor. Don't touch the terminals on the capacitor until you first short them together with a screwdriver. If you do get a spark you don't need to go any further, the capacitor is good. If you don't get a spark it doesn't mean it is bad though. Remove the wires from the terminals on the capacitor, if there is only one wire on each terminal don't worry about which came from where, if there are two wires on one side mark those so they go back together when you reinstall. An analog ohm meter works best but a digital will work also, just have to look quick. Set the meter to something above the lowest setting but not the highest. Touch each terminal with one probe, (red lead on the left terminal, black lead on the right), at the same time, probably no activity on the meter this time. Now swap the leads, (black lead on the left terminal and red on the right) while looking at the meter display. An analog meter, the needle will go up a ways and back to zero. A digital meter will go up in number and return to infinity. If the meter goes up but fails to zero the cap is bad. If the meter does not go up, reverse the leads and check again, if the meter fails to go up then the capacitor is open and bad. You can check it as many times as you want, just keep reversing the leads.
I'm not a motor expert but people have paid me thinking I am. 
Edited by JW in MO - 02 Feb 2019 at 6:32pm
|
|
Maximum use of available resources!
|
|
jaybmiller
Orange Level Access
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 21547
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 6:27pm |
NEVER ever ASSUME what voltage it IS by the wiring. Idiot 'electricians' and 'HVAC pros' WILL and DO wire 240 with NMD-2 ( black and white). sigh, to me it should be NMD-3 where black and red are used for power. I've also seen 240 on regular 120 receptacles, that's 'fun'. I'd get rid of the motor and use one you KNOW is good. What's your time worth? $50 /hr..waste 2 hrs and you could have bought a new motor ! Life is way to short and get shorter the longer we live.... unless you LOVE a challenge, swap it out for a good motor.
Jay
|
|
3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
|
|
Dusty MI
Orange Level
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: Charlotte, Mi
Points: 5053
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 8:02pm |
|
How well the motor turn by hand when not turned? Perhaps the bearings are dry or gummed up.
|
|
917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express"
|
|
Thad in AR.
Orange Level Access
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Arkansas
Points: 9282
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 8:03pm |
|
Ok guys I went to the shop and started cleaning that motor up and found a tag on the end cap. It said 1/2 go 1725 rpm and 208-220voltage. I hooked it to 220 and it runs like a top.
JW I plan to keep your instructions for further use. I appreciate the lesson very much.
This old drillpress is the quietest smoothest running drill I’ve ever heard and it is tight and has very little runout. That motor is quite large for a 1/2 hp it’s made by Emerson.
|
|
wfmurray
Orange Level
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: Bostic NC
Points: 1225
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 8:15pm |
|
Should be wireing digram in motor cover.On 220 voltage neutral carries no power. Might explain bare wire.At work found 3 green wires carying 440 in conduct.That makes it interesting.
|
|
steve(ill)
Orange Level Access
Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
Points: 77975
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 9:58pm |
That motor is quite large for a 1/2 hp it’s made by Emerson. Probably large and heavy since it is an INDUSTRIAL motor... the 208 volts single phase is standard in a factory that runs 480v 3 phase power.
|
|
Like them all, but love the "B"s.
|
|
desertjoe
Orange Level Access
Joined: 23 Sep 2013
Location: New mexico
Points: 13361
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Feb 2019 at 10:02pm |
Thad in AR. wrote:
Ok guys I went to the shop and started cleaning that motor up and found a tag on the end cap. It said 1/2 go 1725 rpm and 208-220voltage. I hooked it to 220 and it runs like a top.
JW I plan to keep your instructions for further use. I appreciate the lesson very much.
This old drillpress is the quietest smoothest running drill I’ve ever heard and it is tight and has very little runout. That motor is quite large for a 1/2 hp it’s made by Emerson. |
There you go,,Thad,,,with just a little more work,,,you gots you the makins of a nice mill,,,,yeah,,!!!! Thas the main reason I'm lookin for a floor mount drill press to UMMmm,,,,, modify as a small mill,,,,,??? I doubt I'll ever come across a mill I can afford so I'm gonna amke one,,,,, 
|
|
Thad in AR.
Orange Level Access
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Arkansas
Points: 9282
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 03 Feb 2019 at 6:53am |
desertjoe wrote:
Thad in AR. wrote:
Ok guys I went to the shop and started cleaning that motor up and found a tag on the end cap. It said 1/2 go 1725 rpm and 208-220voltage. I hooked it to 220 and it runs like a top.
JW I plan to keep your instructions for further use. I appreciate the lesson very much.
This old drillpress is the quietest smoothest running drill I’ve ever heard and it is tight and has very little runout. That motor is quite large for a 1/2 hp it’s made by Emerson. |
There you go,,Thad,,,with just a little more work,,,you gots you the makins of a nice mill,,,,yeah,,!!!! Thas the main reason I'm lookin for a floor mount drill press to UMMmm,,,,, modify as a small mill,,,,,??? I doubt I'll ever come across a mill I can afford so I'm gonna amke one,,,,, |
Joe I still have that Atlas that I recently got. I cleaned it all up and put a 1 hp motor on it. It has a bit of runout. Not sure of bearings will fix it or not. Supposedly Atlas has 4 bearings in the head and might be well suited for a small mill table. It has a vibration but I believe it’s the crusty old belt I found hanging on my shop wall to try it out. The chuck is very nice on that Atlas but not Morse taper.
|
|
