Surface grinder electrical help

Michael Black

Michael Black

Joined
Jun 29, 2014
Messages
446
So I've never messed around with any electric motor stuff before, so please bear with my ignorance. My only electrical experience is running basic outlets in my old barn.

I was very generously given a Boyar Schultz surface grinder by another member on this forum (Thanks Corey!!) and unfortunately due to moving it's been a giant paperweight for months. Anyway, finally getting around to tuning it up and getting it running for the first time and I need to switch it from 220v to 110v. Here are a couple pics of the wiring on the motor. The 2nd terminal up from the bottom is labeled as L-2, and you can see in the pic which terminal is L-1.
xhFHqjJ.jpg

aBrGK1U.jpg

xhFHqjJ

aBrGK1U


In addition to knowing which terminal goes where in the new configuration, I also am assuming I need to install all new wire for it, since the old wire is all cracked and disintegrating. What sort of wire should I use for that?

Thanks!
 
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You'll definitely want to replace the wires. If the rest of the cable is in decent shape, you can just cut a few inches off the end and re-strip everything.
If the whole cable is bad, I'd replace it with some SOOW cable. 14 gauge will be plenty. 14/3 SOOW should run you about a dollar per foot.

Is there no diagram on the inside of the cover plate?
 
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knife to a gunfight said:
You'll definitely want to replace the wires. If the rest of the cable is in decent shape, you can just cut a few inches off the end and re-strip everything.
If the whole cable is bad, I'd replace it with some SOOW cable. 14 gauge will be plenty. 14/3 SOOW should run you about a dollar per foot.

Is there no diagram on the inside of the cover plate?
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Nope, no diagram unfortunately. Roger on the wire, thanks.

I guess your diagram doesn't really clarify things for me either. Is the one on the left the 110V configuration? Is "Link A" the same thing as L-1?

A 220V electrical cable has 4 wires (Black and Red being hot, White being neutral and Green being ground), right, and 110 only has 3 (lose the red)? So does my current setup have an extra connection that I won't need in the new one?
 
So I'm guessing something like this? Where the blue arrow is rerouting the wire coming off the inside of the motor from the bottom terminal to the top? And removing the bar that connects L1 and L2?
sdied90.jpg
 
Michael Black said:
So I'm guessing something like this? Where the blue arrow is rerouting the wire coming off the inside of the motor from the bottom terminal to the top? And removing the bar that connects L1 and L2?
sdied90.jpg
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If you look under where you wrote black, there is a "jumper" you have to take it off, hopefully there are two and put one from where you labeled ground and black, and put the other one on the screw you didn't label and the one labeled white. Your cord wires, 120 volts will land where you have grd and white. L1-black(hot) on your cord, L-2 white(neutral) on your cord. I hope that makes sense
 
Left side is low voltage/115v, yes.

Basically, looks like the top and bottom terminals on the right side are your L1 and L2, which currently is connected to 2 hots for 220v. Keep the top one as a hot (not GND), make the bottom a common (WHT), and take the “link” out of the middle two. (Currently, A and B are linked together in the middle). Looks like link A will now tie into T5, and Link B will go to J10.

Your ground (GND) will go directly into the chassis. You can use one of the cover plate screws, or there may be another independent screw in the bottom of the peckerhead that I can’t see.
 
kmf600 said:
If you look under where you wrote black, there is a "jumper" you have to take it off, hopefully there are two and put one from where you labeled ground and black, and put the other one on the screw you didn't label and the one labeled white. Your cord wires, 120 volts will land where you have grd and white. L1-black(hot) on your cord, L-2 white(neutral) on your cord. I hope that makes sense
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
Michael Black said:
You guys both rock!

So is this what you're describing for the power in side of things?
yneoVuy.jpg


Then this for adjusting the jumper?
ShGLSbq.jpg


If so, the only thing I don't see is what to do with this wire.
6v2QhP9.jpg
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I like how you have everything labeled, it looks good. That black wire in the back I would leave, it's hard to see in the picture, but it almost looks like bare copper going through the motor housing. Does it land on the terminal that you're going to land your white wire?
 
kmf600 said:
I like how you have everything labeled, it looks good. That black wire in the back I would leave, it's hard to see in the picture, but it almost looks like bare copper going through the motor housing. Does it land on the terminal that you're going to land your white wire?
Click to expand...

It does have insulation on most of it, and yes that's correct. I'll just leave it then. Time to get some wire and start working on it! Thanks again, I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
Michael Black said:
It does have insulation on most of it, and yes that's correct. I'll just leave it then. Time to get some wire and start working on it! Thanks again, I'll let you know how it turns out.
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I'm not sure how much I like that bare wire, the black one in the back, but if it ran ok before, it should be ok. You can tell the difference in that wire's insulation and the insulation on your cord that is degrading and falling off. Sorry I can't help more with that black wire. But if you're on a 20 amp breaker, it should trip instantly. I'd give it a shot.
 
They make liquid electrical tape if you need to add a little extra protection on some cracked or exposed conductors. It's can get a little messy, but it's better than nothing at times.
 
Drew Riley said:
They make liquid electrical tape if you need to add a little extra protection on some cracked or exposed conductors. It's can get a little messy, but it's better than nothing at times.
Click to expand...

The wires coming off the motor itself are actually in good condition. It was just the power cord that was cracked.

Well it worked! At least it fired up just fine without tripping the breaker and ran smoothly for about 10 seconds before I turned it off, because I need to check the spindle oil before I run it more than that.

Now the next question is the switch: So far I just wired it directly to a plug so I could keep it simple, but I need to wire it through the switch now.

First pic is the wires between the motor and the switch.
3WHeo37.jpg


Second pic is the wires from the outlet to the switch.
A6xUNt4.jpg


Is it as simple as just replacing the wires in the first pic with new ones and same thing on the second pic, but without a red wire?
 
The switch to the motor should be the same. The outlet to the switch, you want to remove the red wire, that was your second phase/hot, and land your white/neutral on that terminal.
 
kmf600 said:
The switch to the motor should be the same. The outlet to the switch, you want to remove the red wire, that was your second phase/hot, and land your white/neutral on that terminal.
Click to expand...

Update: Wired it up as discussed and when I went to run it longer than about 10 seconds (which is as long as I've had it running so far) in order to dress the wheel, I started to smell some burning and saw a little bit of smoke so I immediately shut it off. Opened up the back of the motor again and everything looks the same as when I wired it up with no signs of arcing and I didn't feel anything warm on the motor. Thoughts?
 
Can you tell what area is the smoke coming from?

I've been following along on this thread but not commented because you were getting good advice from Drew and others.
 
Ken H> said:
Can you tell what area is the smoke coming from?

I've been following along on this thread but not commented because you were getting good advice from Drew and others.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not. When I have it sitting on its stand to run it, the motor is up against the wall and I can't see it clearly.
 
Sometimes you can smell the smoke stronger in one section. The only thing I can think to try over the internet is, run the motor again, the way you had it before, without the switch, and see what happens.
 
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