Need lathe electrical help... please...

carwash · 02-10-2010, 09:48 AM

Ok... was boring and threading some links on Sunday... got about halfway done, and all of the sudden the power in the counter clockwise direction quit working. Clockwise still worked fine, but when i throw the switch down to go the other way... I got nothing, no click, nothing....

So I pull the panel in the rear, and of course there are 2 switch banks, one for each direction. I watch as a friend throws the lever for power; When in the clockwise direction, the left switch bank connects and power is sent to the gear head. When the switch is thrown in the other direction, nothing happens, the contacts don't move, and there is no power sent, etc.

But, I can manually push the switch and make the connection, and the power is sent to the head and it spins. But it won't stay connected, as soon as let force off of it, it disengages and the power stops. So power goes through it, but it can't do it on its own.

So i'm thinking maybe that one switch is bad. Honestly, both switches look absolutely horrible. The machine is a 1979 and i'm sure they are original. It was used for quite a few years in a production shop, so it has seen some hours. So does anyone have any insight into this, or can tell me where i can find switches like these. And please tell me they are not going to cost a fortune.

Is there anything else that it can be besides the switch itself? Jeff told me it could be the "field" power, not sending the power to the switch to tell it to activate. The image below shows the switches in question. The numbers on the image show the voltage on that screw, the R is when it's running and the S is when the machine is powered up but static (chuck not spinning). The right switch is the one in question. The left one still works, as horrible and burned as it looks, ha!

So, any help is appreciated... thanks in advance!!

and the machine it is powering...

94Dodge Truggy · 02-10-2010, 10:01 AM

Sounds like the switch is worn out. Hard to say without seeing and hearing n feeling though.

carwash · 02-10-2010, 10:04 AM

I would say the same thing... where can i get a switch ?

94Dodge Truggy · 02-10-2010, 10:53 AM

Take the switch to FD Lawrence electric off of beekman street in cincinnati. They should be able to find it.

carwash · 02-10-2010, 10:55 AM

was hoping to not pull it out first, wanted to swap it quick.. so i get it all right... haah/

94Dodge Truggy · 02-10-2010, 11:25 AM

Send them the pic and with your info on the switch they may be able to. A few years back I was running my surface grinder on a rush job that payed well and the damn thing started to smoke from the electrical cabinet. Transformer was pissed off. I got a box fan and tried to keep the electronics cool. When flames appeared I got an extinguisher and put the fire out. Grinder kept on running through all of it. Bad thing was that all of the numbered wire labels were gone and it was a ***** tracing wires. Stunk really bad also!

superjeep · 02-15-2010, 11:03 PM

Did you get this resolved yet ?

carwash · 02-15-2010, 11:05 PM

Nope... you volunteering your services?

superjeep · 02-15-2010, 11:40 PM

Let me see whats going on at work.

Shawn

carwash · 03-09-2010, 12:50 AM

Well, ended up being a bad contactor. Rob (yellowjacket) stopped down a couple weeks ago and did some readings on the switch and determined the field coil was bad. So i did some searching and the guys at FDLawrence did some searching, and came up with a replacement switch for me. $130 bucks, not too bad i guess.

Rob came down today and tossed it in there (cuz i'm an electrical retard) and BLAM, it works. So now that we know this switch works, imma get a second one to replace the other. It looks worse than the one that went bad.

Thanks a lot Rob, you rule.

yellowjacket · 03-10-2010, 03:35 PM

glad i could help. i wouldent just do that for just anyone. im sure youd do the same for me.
let me know when the new other one comes in, ill swap it out. but by then you might have too many jeeps in the driveway for me to even get close..... are you trying to be like roy from performance off road?

JeffK5 · 03-10-2010, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowjacket

are you trying to be like roy from performance off road?

His hero...

KargoMaster · 03-10-2010, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffK5

His hero...

Oh my....

carwash · 03-10-2010, 08:39 PM

Thanks a lot Rob...

The other switch was ordered next day and is sitting at FDL right now waiting for me. Whenever you want to throw it in, be my guest.

Yes the drive is filling up here... ever since i went fulltime, I can't seem to find any parking anywhere.

And on the Roy comments, you guys are a freakin' riot.

02-10-2010, 09:48 AM	#1
carwash pimpin' IS easy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Union, KY Posts: 3,344 Images: 605	Need lathe electrical help... please... Ok... was boring and threading some links on Sunday... got about halfway done, and all of the sudden the power in the counter clockwise direction quit working. Clockwise still worked fine, but when i throw the switch down to go the other way... I got nothing, no click, nothing.... So I pull the panel in the rear, and of course there are 2 switch banks, one for each direction. I watch as a friend throws the lever for power; When in the clockwise direction, the left switch bank connects and power is sent to the gear head. When the switch is thrown in the other direction, nothing happens, the contacts don't move, and there is no power sent, etc. But, I can manually push the switch and make the connection, and the power is sent to the head and it spins. But it won't stay connected, as soon as let force off of it, it disengages and the power stops. So power goes through it, but it can't do it on its own. So i'm thinking maybe that one switch is bad. Honestly, both switches look absolutely horrible. The machine is a 1979 and i'm sure they are original. It was used for quite a few years in a production shop, so it has seen some hours. So does anyone have any insight into this, or can tell me where i can find switches like these. And please tell me they are not going to cost a fortune. Is there anything else that it can be besides the switch itself? Jeff told me it could be the "field" power, not sending the power to the switch to tell it to activate. The image below shows the switches in question. The numbers on the image show the voltage on that screw, the R is when it's running and the S is when the machine is powered up but static (chuck not spinning). The right switch is the one in question. The left one still works, as horrible and burned as it looks, ha! So, any help is appreciated... thanks in advance!! and the machine it is powering... __________________

02-10-2010, 10:01 AM	#2
94Dodge Truggy EX-Vice President Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fairfield, Ohio Posts: 3,048	Sounds like the switch is worn out. Hard to say without seeing and hearing n feeling though. __________________

02-10-2010, 10:04 AM	#3
carwash pimpin' IS easy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Union, KY Posts: 3,344 Images: 605	I would say the same thing... where can i get a switch ? __________________

02-10-2010, 10:53 AM	#4
94Dodge Truggy EX-Vice President Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fairfield, Ohio Posts: 3,048	Take the switch to FD Lawrence electric off of beekman street in cincinnati. They should be able to find it. __________________

02-10-2010, 10:55 AM	#5
carwash pimpin' IS easy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Union, KY Posts: 3,344 Images: 605	was hoping to not pull it out first, wanted to swap it quick.. so i get it all right... haah/ __________________

02-10-2010, 11:25 AM	#6
94Dodge Truggy EX-Vice President Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fairfield, Ohio Posts: 3,048	Send them the pic and with your info on the switch they may be able to. A few years back I was running my surface grinder on a rush job that payed well and the damn thing started to smoke from the electrical cabinet. Transformer was pissed off. I got a box fan and tried to keep the electronics cool. When flames appeared I got an extinguisher and put the fire out. Grinder kept on running through all of it. Bad thing was that all of the numbered wire labels were gone and it was a ***** tracing wires. Stunk really bad also! __________________

02-15-2010, 11:03 PM	#7
superjeep Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 88	Did you get this resolved yet ?

02-15-2010, 11:05 PM	#8
carwash pimpin' IS easy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Union, KY Posts: 3,344 Images: 605	Nope... you volunteering your services? __________________

02-15-2010, 11:40 PM	#9
superjeep Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 88	Let me see whats going on at work. Shawn

03-09-2010, 12:50 AM	#10
carwash pimpin' IS easy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Union, KY Posts: 3,344 Images: 605	Well, ended up being a bad contactor. Rob (yellowjacket) stopped down a couple weeks ago and did some readings on the switch and determined the field coil was bad. So i did some searching and the guys at FDLawrence did some searching, and came up with a replacement switch for me. $130 bucks, not too bad i guess. Rob came down today and tossed it in there (cuz i'm an electrical retard) and BLAM, it works. So now that we know this switch works, imma get a second one to replace the other. It looks worse than the one that went bad. Thanks a lot Rob, you rule. __________________

03-10-2010, 03:35 PM	#11
yellowjacket barely breathing Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: alexandria, ky Posts: 889	glad i could help. i wouldent just do that for just anyone. im sure youd do the same for me. let me know when the new other one comes in, ill swap it out. but by then you might have too many jeeps in the driveway for me to even get close..... are you trying to be like roy from performance off road?

03-10-2010, 08:39 PM	#14
carwash pimpin' IS easy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Union, KY Posts: 3,344 Images: 605	Thanks a lot Rob... The other switch was ordered next day and is sitting at FDL right now waiting for me. Whenever you want to throw it in, be my guest. Yes the drive is filling up here... ever since i went fulltime, I can't seem to find any parking anywhere. And on the Roy comments, you guys are a freakin' riot. __________________

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