New toy! - Wiring questions

[jaegar]

I got a new grinder, a 6x48 industrial-type! My uncle had it laying around and didn't need it so he gave it to me. He hasn't used it, he inherited it, so I hafta figure out how to make it work:

It's a delta, but I have no clue how old it is.

I don't know much about wiring, so there are several questions. First, on the back of the motor, it seems that it is able to do 220 or 110. How do I switch it from one to the other? I ask because I don't have 220 out at my shop, and I need it to run on 110. Here is what the plug looks like:

It doesn't have any wires connected to the third prong though...
I also took a picture of the wires connected to the motor:

The Red text indicates the wires that go to the cord. The blue is a wire that I dunno what it is. Any ideas? As you can see it just goes out of the motor, connects to another wire, then goes back in.
Here is another picture without text that is a little clearer:

I actually have already taken the plug off and substituted it for a standard 2 prong, instead of the slanted ones. When I plug it in, nothing happens, no noise, nothing. Does this have to do with a wiring problem, or do you think the motor is shot?
I'm thinking if the motor is shot I'll buy a new one from harbor freight. (This current one is 1/2 HP)
I'm planning on running 2 1/2" x 48" on the edge, just because they are cheaper, and easier to find. What do yall think of that idea? Would the 6" even work for knifemaking? I'm thinking it will, but just need some getting used to.

Thanks a bunch for the help.
~Brian

 

[Matt Shade]

Don't plug it in again until you get this sorted out!
At best, you'll let all the majic smoke out. You could end up hurt or with major electrical problems.

That angled prong plug would have been 220V. The fact that there was only 2 wires attached could mean two things. Someone had done a "freestlye" wireing job on the outlet it went into and had it hooked up for 120V. Or it was 220V and the ground wire was not attached.
Neither one is safe. Ungrounded equipment could get you killed. Having the wrong plug could lead someone to plugging it into the wrong service and frying something.
You can't just put a 3 prong plug on at random either. The normal 3 prong 120V plug will have a hot, common, and ground wire. The 220V would have had 2 hots and a ground.
I'm guessing that since it won't run, you've got one of the original hots hooked up as the common on your plug. Now you need to switch it over at the motor so that its hooked up for 120V. If there is a wiring diagram on the motor casing somewhere it will show you how to do it. If not, you'll have to get advice from somebody that knows more than me becuase I don't recognize much of anything there to feel safe giving you advice on hooking it up.

 

[jaegar]

Yeah, I knew I shouldn't have touched it Oh well, at least no adverse results.
Nope, no diagram, that's why I asked. I usually can figure out the simple diagrams, but with no diagram, this one has me stumped.
Thanks Matt!
~Brian

 

[jaegar]

You can just put a 3 prong plug on at random either. The normal 3 prong 120V plug will have a hot, common, and ground wire. The 220V would have had 2 hots and a ground.
I'm guessing that since it won't run, you've got one of the original hots hooked up as the common on your plug. Now you need to switch it over at the motor so that its hooked up for 120V.

Any help on which is the hot, and which is the common back over at the plug, or was that why you were suggesting the diagram?
Thanks again.
~Brian

 

[Matt Shade]

With the plug it had they both should have been hot. One of them has to be taken loose at the motor and moved somewhere else to make it standard 120V, which would have 1 hot, 1 common, and 1 ground. Thats what you need the diagram for

 

[jaegar]

OK, thanks. I'll look some more and see if there is some more info on the motor...I don't think so though.
~Brian

 

[jaegar]

All out of ideas huh? bummer. I'll try taking it in to ace or someplace like that, see what they say. Oh...i'll get that extra info off the motor too.
Thanks for the help though, it gave me a start.
~Brian