Best footswitch, see posts 10,13,14,19,29,45,51,52

Patrice Lemée;10398158 said:
Won't work on 3 phase Sam, no?
Click to expand...

The VFD is alreads a switch & you can use it to control.
Running the VFD steady and cutting off it's output is probably bad.


http://www.twmi.com/products/controls/drives/FM50/mm_FM50_Manual_04_05.pdf

Page 17 wiring manual


I expect that by reading the diagram...test it for yourself to be sure


screw 3 connected to screw 5, with a footswitch in between- will give you pulse forward.

screw 4 connected to screw 5, with a footswitch in between- will give you pulse reverse


combine those
putting the middle pin of a spdt switch to screw 5,
the outers terminals of the spdt to 3 and 4

and your footswitch between screw 5 and that spdt switch


seems right, anybody else ?
clear as mud ?




There are written instruction on web for KBAC27D
Can't find them right now.
 
The VFD plugs into the wall - no? Is the VFD working on 110v or 220V? I'm assuming the VFD converts to 3 phase, but you are single phase at the outlet? Is that right? This may be a job for Stacy or someone else to explain. I also don't know if there is any down side to starting and stopping a VFD as often as a footswitch can.

The count's footswitch puts 110v on the ground and Stacy's design puts 3-24volts on the ground, but both could probably run your VFD. I don't know enough to say for sure, but I wanted to bump this thread in case I learn something.

Good luck.
 
Oh yea, maybe I wasn't clear enough.

the foot-switch I linked to in Busy bee is just used for the physical housing and switch inside.
If you were really handy and had steel scrap, you could make one too.

Gut out the wiring, plug and outlet. don't leave anything that will allow it to be plugged into 110 vac power.

Hook it up using the screw numbers and wiring manual I refereed to above and it's only 12 volts DC low amperage running to that foot switch.
 
OK, If you use the control and foot switch as built:

1) The foot switch controls an SSR...which is nothing but a relay. The SSR can switch any voltage. It doesn't care if it is 24VDC or 240VAC. It just turns the circuit on or off. Whatever voltage is running through the run/stop switch is going to be turned on and off. Most likely it is 5-10VDC ( see last paragraph).
2)The control voltage from the foot switch to the SSR is low voltage and is completely isolated from the circuit the SSR controls. ( see #1)
3) Many people add a remote switch to their VFD. The SSR goes where this switch would go ( and the foot switch turn the SSR on and off). In electronic terms, the Run/Stop switch and the SSR load contacts are wired in parallel, and the foot switch energizes the SSR.

The reason for the low voltage wiring to the foot switch is mainly as the Count noted - the switching is done by a device made to switch large loads many thousands of times. The secondary reason, is that if a hot piece of steel or some sharp/heavy object cuts through the cord and shorts the leads to the switch, all that will happen is the device will turn on. There will be no sparks, shock, or danger. In such an event, just pull the plug from the foot switch where it plugs into the control box.

NOTE, It is a bad thing to turn a VFD on and off by turning the power to the VFD on and off. That is why there is a separate switch for Run/stop from the main power. Controlling the 120/240VAC input to the VFD would be the wrong place to install the SSR.

Now, if the voltage through the Run/Stop switch is only a few volts DC, then you don't need the SSR at all. Just wire a foot switch in for the remote switch, and you are in business.
 
Not to knock Stacy at all I have learned a lot from his impute on this site! This is a slightly older thread and since then I have bought my own footswitch. Refer to this post.


Ed Caffrey said:
That momentary one looks like it might work, but I question the durability.

I would recommend going to ebay and looking up "Linemaster" or "Clipper Switch". I purchased a lot of them off ebay about 2 years ago, 9 in total, for $45. I have them on all my drill presses, and disc grinders.
Click to expand...

I am using one right now on my portaband saw. It is what Ed recommended exactly. If you go to Ebay and watch for one you can get a great deal. My son in law says they use this same on in the hospitals where he works and he says they are great. When you open it up it has actually two switches in one. My son in law says that is so if it does go down that it can be swapped to the other set of feeds inside the switch in the time it takes to open pull the clips and change them to the other side and close it back up, (about 60 seconds) not much down time if you are in the operating room. I love the switch and have never regretted buying it! It was brand new still in the box. It is a wide model which I like ( I don't have to look for it at all), but for some reason no one was bidding on it on ebay I got it for $10.00 bucks.
Here is the band saw it is hooked to.
Firsts001.jpg

And here is the switch itself, it sits up under the bench but with the wide treadle I never have any trouble finding it! Now I just need to get off my lazy duff and do a better hook up job. I guess I keep putting that off because I am planning on moving it to another bench, when I get around to making the other bench.
Pictures028.jpg


Check out this page:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...w=Linemaster+switch&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Here is the exact one I bought this one is too high but it gives you an idea of what they sell for!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Linemaster-...ultDomain_0&hash=item53e92187ac#ht_884wt_1344
And you can see why I like the wide treadle!
 
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Thanks for the explanation guys. I am beginning to understand the principle of it. Let me get some pics to make sure I am going the right way and also start a dedicated thread to stop hijacking this one.
 
Dixie,
That setup will work for a moderate load device, but you still have 120VAC and power cords all over the floor. Drop a bowie you are grinding, or accidentally bump a red hot blade into it, and there will be sparks.
Kick over the slack tub, and there could be a worse problem.

Power cords and recepticles do not belong running across work areas or on the floor.
Mount the recepticle box on the bench leg 16" up from the floor, and drop the cord from the saw down the bench back.
 
Stacey that porta band saw is the only thing running on it. I wouldn't put it on a heavy load. My thing was that I don't care for Harbor Freight. Every time I have bought something from them I have ended up at a later date replacing it with a quality product. So I have got to where I try to save the Harbor Freight cost and go straight to the better product. The sit up is not as bad as it looks I pulled it out for the pic. And I intend to run it different from that when I switch it over to the new bench it is going on. Thanks for the tip on the receptacle box, that is a good idea. See I told you I am always learning something from Uncle Stacy!:thumbup:
 
If anybody needs a footswitch for their grinder, Stacy's plan works like a charm. I'm at 16 months without having to change the battery, I've dumped all kinds of water and crap on it, and it won't quit.
 
Thanks for the time test.

Yes, folks, this is the safest and most powerful foot switch I can think of. It can be made from yard sale and/or ebay parts, and should be able to run any tool you want. Running on a 9V battery or a used wall plug transformer makes it totally isolated from shock worry.

For those just seeing this thread for the first time:
The reason for such a switch is to keep both hands free.
That is a big deal when grinding or working hot steel.
The second reason is that in a hot-metal shop, accidents happen. You don't want to accidentally burn or slice through a foot switch wire carrying 120 or 220 VAC.
 
I want to wire a KBAC with a footswitch, and install a toggle to disable the footswitch when unneeded. The switches are in a series with the forward/stop/reverse switch. Can anyone with a better understanding tell me if this diagram will accomplish what I want, or if I have any oversights?

ekVwlCv.jpg
 
That is the correct schematic wiring. ( with the exception that you drew a SPDT switch for the footswitch, which is only a SPST type in this case. It should be a momentary contact type of a click-on/click-off style....depending on how you plan on using it.)
 
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