Shop evolution.....expanded grinding capabilities coming soon. WIP pics.

Thanks guys,
Rob's instructions look like they're only for 1.5 hp and above. The first VFD I'm setting up is the 24D for the disc sander and 1hp motor. I assume it's pretty much the same except for some jumper settings. Been looking through the VFD manual and Rob's site. Need to figure out a shopping list for home depot so I can get what I need to wire this one up. A proper power cord, some connectors, not much else right? Just make sure the wires from the motor are connected in the right configuration........I worked all day and had a job interview on top of that, so my head's already worn out and now I'm looking at a maze of wires wondering where to start :) Feel free to offer up advice fellas! :D The 24D seems to be set up the way Rob suggests except for switching the voltage jumper to 115V instead of 230. Guess I need some cable glands as well.....
 
Sweet Jon,

Keep the progress coming! BTW, green buckets have always collected more dust than my others.
 
I'm working on it Erik! Just got back from home depot......wandered the electrical department for an hour......didn't find everything I need.

They only had the grey flex line in fifty foot lengths. Didn't want to spend $40 for 8 inches, but I'll figure something out. May have to check out an electrical supply house. Also, could not find any "cable glands" as Rob refers to them on his website. Looked through a butt load of fittings but nothing that matched so I'll have to find some of those as well.

I did get all my wire and connectors and some 14 gauge power cord for the disc grinder so it wasn't a total wast of time.
 
I believe cable glands were discussed and someone recently said they weren't at HD but Lowes did have them.
 
Looking good Jonny! I expect to see some properly "BIG" knives when you get that disc up and rollin. :cool:
 
Brian Ayres said:
I believe cable glands were discussed and someone recently said they weren't at HD but Lowes did have them.
Click to expand...

Thanks Brian,
I found a source, just not sure about which size, I'll be using 1/2" flex conduit so I think the 1/2" cable glands should be good as long at the body is thick enough to give a decent fit in the 7/8' holes in the VFD. The next size up is 3/4" cable glands and they say they are made for conduit that is between .512" and .709" thick so I think they might be a bit too big for the 1/2" conduit. Maybe I'll take a road trip to Lowe's...
 
^ Those aren't cable glands they are for liquid tight conduit Jon. Why are you using flex conduit? Cable glands allow you to run the appropriate cable without conduit form the wall to the VFD and the VFD to the motor. The clamp around the cable not the conduit.

Do you have a Graybar or Grainger nearby? Unless I am missing something in the previous post; you are making this more difficult than it really is.
 
JonnyMac, you may want to use SO cable instead. SO is the NEC designation for the heavy black jacketed flexible cable run into heavy machinery from disconnects, and large NEMA plugs.

Flexible conduit isn't all that necessary unless you prefer it.

"SO" cable uses compression fittings, and sometimes wire reinforced compression fittings (these work like chinese finger traps, and hold the cable in the connector to avoid pull out from overhead power sources).

What you linked is a relatively newer liquidtight conenction, and requires a seperate ground to be installed with the conductors. The older flexible liquidtight tubing has a metal jacket that I think covers you on the code and safety required ground up to 20 amps before you need a seperate ground conductor.

I think SO cable will prove to be the easiest for your installation. That little motor can use "14-3" efficiently. (14 is the AWG designator, and the 3 is the number of conductors inside the black jacket, two power lines and a ground for single phase 120 and 208-240, or a 12-4 or 14-4 for 3 phase power (I assume you have single phase in your shop).
 
Last edited:
ron_m80 said:
I think SO cable will prove to be the easiest for your installation. That little motor can use "14-3" efficiently. (14 is the AWG designator, and the 3 is the number of conductors inside the black jacket, two power lines and a ground for single phase 120 and 208-240, or a 12-4 or 14-4 for 3 phase power (I assume you have single phase in your shop).
Click to expand...

I used SO cable for my VFD to motor runs...
Ron, he will need 12-4 or 14-4 as he is using the wiring for a single phase in, three phase out VFD to the three phase motors to allow variable speed.
 
Hey guys, just got home from a long shift. Thanks for all of the input. After some research and talking with an old electrician friend of mine today I realized that you guys are right, I was making it more complicated than need be. He also suggested SO cable for the connections. I'll pick up some 12-4 SO and the proper cable glands and I should be good to go.

One question for those who have wired up a 24D for 1hp. On Rob's site and other places where I've looked at the model 27D's wired up, it's easy to see that there are two ground lugs, one on each side. One for the incoming power on the right and one for the motor wires on the left. On the model 24D, there is one open on the right for incoming power, but the one on the left already has a ground wire connected to it. Is it okay to connect the ground wire from the motor box to this one as well?

Here is a pic of the 27D wired up from Rob's site. I'll get a pic up of the inside of the 24D in a minute:

http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/kmg1pics/VS-KMG-7.jpg
 
jonnymac44 said:
Hey guys, just got home from a long shift. Thanks for all of the input. After some research and talking with an old electrician friend of mine today I realized that you guys are right, I was making it more complicated than need be. He also suggested SO cable for the connections. I'll pick up some 12-4 SO and the proper cable glands and I should be good to go.

One question for those who have wired up a 24D for 1hp. On Rob's site and other places where I've looked at the model 27D's wired up, it's easy to see that there are two ground lugs, one on each side. One for the incoming power on the right and one for the motor wires on the left. On the model 24D, there is one open on the right for incoming power, but the one on the left already has a ground wire connected to it. Is it okay to connect the ground wire from the motor box to this one as well?

Here is a pic of the 27D wired up from Rob's site. I'll get a pic up of the inside of the 24D in a minute:

http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/kmg1pics/VS-KMG-7.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes
They are all physically and electrically connected to the case, you can put both into the same screw if it's convenient.


The wire I used, is that same black SO - or "Cabtire"
looks like an and extension cable and just uses a simple cable gland in and out.

The 1/2" on the cable gland and holes in the VFD are really 1/2"NPT - National Pipe Thread so the 1/2" is not a literal measurement.
http://www.fairburyfastener.com/xdims_pipe_threads.htm



Rob recommends for the 2 HP KBAC27D the wire size of 14-3 from outlet to VFD, 16-4 VFD to motor.
That should be more than good enough on your smaller 1HP unit also.
From outlet to vfd, Black live, white neutral, green ground.
From VFD to motor, 3 wires from VFD to motor - any order, and ground.



12 gauge wire is not only more expensive, it will be harder to install - especially inside the boxes where you want to make a curve in a tight space.
and the outer insulation is much larger - harder to fit inside the glands.

I lke using rings instead of just putting the wire under the screw
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NglW2vX3L.jpg
 
Thanks numbers, I was wondering if the 12 gauge stuff would be a little thick for the connections inside the VFD boxes. It's all starting to make a more sense.

I'm a handy guy but electric stuff is definitely my weak spot. I believe I'm over thinking things :o Think I've got a pretty good idea of what I need to do at this point.

Thanks!
 
Woo Hoo! Spent some time this afternoon and wired up the disc sander and the KBAC 24D. Got the proper status lights on the first try and everything runs smoothly. Only hiccup is that the motor runs counter clockwise when the VFD is switched to forward and clockwise when in the reverse position. Cant remember which wires need to be switched but I'll figure that out. Really happy with how it's turned out. I'll get a couple pics up in a bit.

Thanks for all the input everyone!
 
jonnymac44 said:
Woo Hoo! Spent some time this afternoon and wired up the disc sander and the KBAC 24D. Got the proper status lights on the first try and everything runs smoothly.

Only hiccup is that the motor runs counter clockwise when the VFD is switched to forward and clockwise when in the reverse position.
Cant remember which wires need to be switched but I'll figure that out.
Click to expand...

Just swap any 2 wires for the motor

It's easiest to do inside the VFD
 
None of them need to be switched Jonny.

If you don't like the direction it's running, toggle the switch the other way....

That's why you have a switch.

;)
 
LOL, I thought about that brian ;) Guess my OCD was coming out a bit on this project!

EDIT: One last question, the motor runs smoothly and the VFD works well, but there is some noise I haven't heard on my other motors. It's not what i would call LOUD, but there is a higher pitched humming when the disc is running, almost like a high pitched cricket chirping. This is the first VFD I've hooked up so it may be totally normal and I'm just not used to it.
 
jonnymac44 said:
LOL, I thought about that brian ;) Guess my OCD was coming out a bit on this project!

EDIT: One last question, the motor runs smoothly and the VFD works well, but there is some noise I haven't heard on my other motors. It's not what i would call LOUD, but there is a higher pitched humming when the disc is running, almost like a high pitched cricket chirping. This is the first VFD I've hooked up so it may be totally normal and I'm just not used to it.
Click to expand...

More loud music and skip the hearing protection while forging.

Once you lose your high end hearing you won't hear that anymore.
 
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