Surface Grinder Electrical Problems (RESOLVED)

Crap...I'm not sure what your amp draw will be though...it's listed in the name plate 2.6 at 3 phase and that heater is actually underrated for that. It will probably be higher on the single phase side. I'll have to math that up.
 
I think it'll be around 4 amps and the heaters are listed at 2.76 for single phase and 2.47 for 3phase use.
You can try it... otherwise you'll need the C419a or GE part # CR123C419A if it's a GE switch.
Best option would be like others noted, a 20 amp 2 pole switch available at blowes or home despot.

ETA: the motor may not pull its full listed amperage until under a heavy load so for testing purposes it may be fine just letting it run. An amp meter on one of the single phase sides would be insightful while it's running.
 
Okay, I'll keep that in mind. If you watch AVE on youTube, it's "Homeless Despot". To each their own :p
 
Check the coils on the motor aren't short.
You can check right at the switch if those wires go direct back to the motor. Check resistance between lugs A/B, B/C and A/C.
 
Sorry for the late reply, didn't get around to trying it out until now. Long story short, I think it fried my converter. There were flashes and smoke coming from the converter :eek: I think I'm going to have to get a VFD???
 
Wow. At this point, it probably would be a good idea to check if the motor is wired correctly, and does not have some other fault, before hooking up any other power source. Perhaps it is indeed wired for 440 volt, and trying to deal with that several times messed your converter up.
It is likely enough that your converter was already at fault though, with those crazy voltages it was putting out. Perhaps being asked to directly start that motor one last time was the last nail in its coffin.
If you get a VFD, you'll pay a lot less for one with an open frame, i.e. not NEMA-4 enclosed. I've done just fine with that option, it is important to keep it up and away from the dust of your grinding, or build it an enclosure.
It really shouldn't be too hard to scoot that thing out from the wall. I have a 5000 lb. lathe, a 2200 lb. mill and a 3000 lb. surface grinder, all of which I have scooted into place and can move at will with a large prybar/pinch bar such as this one. You can find one at a hardware store, or even second hand most places. I found an old digging type bar, and re-forged a pinch point onto it. You just pry, and pivot- after finding the best spot, balance-wise, to do so.
http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/t...22HNFt2Kbr5lFY84n5p-YJlwI8yaLiKUJkRoCgbLw_wcB
 
Salem Straub said:
Wow. At this point, it probably would be a good idea to check if the motor is wired correctly, and does not have some other fault, before hooking up any other power source. Perhaps it is indeed wired for 440 volt, and trying to deal with that several times messed your converter up.
It is likely enough that your converter was already at fault though, with those crazy voltages it was putting out. Perhaps being asked to directly start that motor one last time was the last nail in its coffin.
If you get a VFD, you'll pay a lot less for one with an open frame, i.e. not NEMA-4 enclosed. I've done just fine with that option, it is important to keep it up and away from the dust of your grinding, or build it an enclosure.
It really shouldn't be too hard to scoot that thing out from the wall. I have a 5000 lb. lathe, a 2200 lb. mill and a 3000 lb. surface grinder, all of which I have scooted into place and can move at will with a large prybar/pinch bar such as this one. You can find one at a hardware store, or even second hand most places. I found an old digging type bar, and re-forged a pinch point onto it. You just pry, and pivot- after finding the best spot, balance-wise, to do so.
http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/t...22HNFt2Kbr5lFY84n5p-YJlwI8yaLiKUJkRoCgbLw_wcB
Click to expand...


I use something similar to move up to nearly 2000lb machines as well:
View attachment 672141

It's a 4ft wrecking bar, and you should be able to find one at any big box hardware for about $20-$25. If the base is too tall to get a good pivot/purches, just put a piece of plywood or a 2x4 under the bar to get the correct clearance.

If you have a few bucks to spend, or know someone with a set, a pair of machine dollies/trucks/skates are nice to have, but depending on how your base is shaped, a 2 or 3 steel pipes work nicely as well. You really shouldn't need more than a 4ft wrecking bar though. Just keep your fingers and toes far away. ;)

As for VFDs, I use one from ebay. You can get a chinese VFD for about $100 that will work just fine. Just keep it in an enclosure, as it will be open frame. The manuals are a little hard to follow if you're not familiar with VFDs, but once you set a handful of parameters, you'll be good to go.
 
knife to a gunfight said:
As for VFDs, I use one from ebay. You can get a chinese VFD for about $100 that will work just fine. Just keep it in an enclosure, as it will be open frame. The manuals are a little hard to follow if you're not familiar with VFDs, but once you set a handful of parameters, you'll be good to go.
Click to expand...

+1 for that. Here's a link though, to a 1hp TECOFM50, which is a common proven drive with good product support and comprehensible literature. Only $130 from factorymation, which is also a good company that has helped me out in the past. For $37 more you could get a 2 hp model and use it to power all manner of tools, including a mill, lathe, belt grinder, as you get those things. I have the 3hp model and it's been very good to me.

http://www.factorymation.com/FM50-101-C
 
where do the black wires with the brass tags on them go? these look like motor leads to me. What are the numbers stamped into the tags and what order are they connected in?
 
Thanks for the input guys, it's really appreciated. I apologize for the late reply, I wasn't home today and I couldn't access Bladeforums. I'll work on moving the grinder tomorrow and see what I can find. It looks like I'll be going with a VFD, but I'll have to save up some money first. I'm not sure if I like the idea of the grinder running on a static converter seeing as it cuts the power output by a third and is supposedly detrimental to the health of the motor in the long run.

Bill, those black wires with the brass bands are going to the motor. I wouldn't be surprised if changing the voltage on the motor was a matter of switching those around, but I may be wrong. I'll see what I can do tomorrow.
 
No, But I'm good friends with the people who gave it to me and I trust them completely.
 
xXBackyardCrafterXx said:
Bill, those black wires with the brass bands are going to the motor. I wouldn't be surprised if changing the voltage on the motor was a matter of switching those around, but I may be wrong. I'll see what I can do tomorrow.
Click to expand...

that was my point in asking. check the motor plate and the wires. see if they are connected in the low voltage or high voltage configuration.
 
I got it open and there was nothing there. All I could see was the rear end of the spindle and the windings on the motor. I can't seem to find any wiring diagrams on google either, even with part numbers.
 
Looking at the pics again, Bill may be right. Each of those brass tags on the black wires likely have a number between 1 and 9 stamped onto them. If you can find all 9 wires, then you probably don't have to open up the motor after all, as they are all accessible from the outside.

Now, if you can tell us what each number on each tag says, and how they are tied together, we can tell you what configuration your motor is wired to, assuming those are all the motor leads and they are tagged correctly.
 
Alright, here are the wires bound together-
T4-T6-T5
T8-T2
T3-T9
T7-T1
 
Well, I'll stand corrected. Looks like you're already wired for low voltage (220VAC) wye configuration. I would have guessed 480VAC.

Your three phases (L1, L2, L3) will be tied in some order to the 3 pairs (T8/T2, T3/T9, and T7/T1). Order really doesn't matter, but if you find that the rotation is wrong, you can switch any of the phases with any of the pairs.
The bundle of T4/T5/T6 can be left as is, and there shouldn't be any additional wired connected to those three. If I'm not mistaken, you look to be set up that way.

Assuming the motor is in good working order, you may have had a bad SPC, or some how fried it in the process. A VFD should straighten things out for you, though it'll take a little bit of initial programming. Most VFDs have at least several dozen programmable parameters, but you'll likely only need to set about a dozen or so, most of which will simply mirror the nameplate of the motor, and how quickly you want the machine to start or stop.
 
Looking at the pics again, I notice that they have each of the pairs crimped onto a single ring terminal. You might want to cut and re-strip each lead then twist and re-crimp a new ring on each wire, or at least just make sure that there aren't any breaks in the strands as they sit currently. That could explain some of the problems you were describing if you have an poor connection. Personally, I don't like crimping more than one wire into a connector, as they're really not designed that way, but if done carefully, it can work.
 
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