electrical question about a small machine
user-3344055
| Posted in General Discussion on
Hi,
I have a Jet 10-20 Plus drum sander and I’m experiencing issues with the overload switch. It’s starting to pop after doing just a little light work and I looked up a replacement. Of course the switch is obsolete and unavailable. I first thought about rewiring past the switch and the found the electrical diagram didn’t match-up to how the box is laid out. Second thought was to tape the switch in to keep it from popping. Not sure if either idea is that smart. What do you all think?
t.j.
Replies
What does CS at Jet have to say? They may recco a modern replacement. It's not a wear part like a bearing, so it should have an equal by spec, even if you have to jerryrig the install.
I suspect your motor is full of dust. While this switch can fail, it is unlikely and I suspect you are overloading a dirty motor. I would definitely not recommend bypassing the switch. If it is functioning, then you risk damaging the motor.
I have that same machine. Have you lubricated the conveyor bushings? There are 4 brass bushings that support the 2 large rubber rollers that power the conveyor. They get gummy and stiff causing the little conveyor motor to work harder. I lube mine annually.
Also, how freely and smoothly does the sanding drum spin? With the machine unplugged, if I reach in and give the drum a hard spin, it will coast for 2 revolutions on its own. If yours is difficult to turn or lacks smoothness, the ball bearings in the main motor or the ball bearing at the outward end of the drum are suspect.
Sounds like you've had this tool for a while so I'm assuming you've already tried the usual things like installing fresh sandpaper on the drum, taking a lighter cut, slowing the feed rate, etc.....
Mike
Hi Mike,
Had not thought about the conveyor bushings. Great idea. The machine runs great as long as the doesn't pop. Motor's clean and drum is free. Just seems to be the switch. Since it's obsolete (can't even find it on replacement web sites) that's why I was tempted to by pass. I'll give Jet a call see what they say. Thanks for the info.
t.j.
Hey Mike,
Not sure if you're sorted yet, but one thing you could try is using an amprobe to see what amps the machine is drawing exactly. It also happens with circuit breakers that are exposed to short circuits, that they get weak and trip easily. If its drawing the right amount of current, you can definitely suspect the cutout and either replace or do something else like a slow blow fuse and eliminate the other.
Also look at the brushes. If they're worn down and not making good contact, there will be issues. Brushes are cheap, and generics work fine - all you need to insure is the dimensions match and the leads are long enough.
Hi Mike you might check your voltage with the sander running if you have other lights or load on the same circuit you could have voltage drop and a dedicated circuit might help !
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled