I picked up an old drillpress at a yard sale and need some help with the wiring on it. I am quite sure it is presently wired wrong. It runs the way it’s set up now but, after running for less than a minute it started to let the magic smoke out. The photo labeled drillpress shows the nameplate on the front of the drillpress itself. The photo labeled motor shows the data plate on the motor. The photo labeled wireing shows how it is presently wired at the motor. The photo labeled circuit shows the complete wireing from the plug to the motor. It has a 220 plug on it and the way the switches are wired leads me to believe it is wired for 220. I tried it on 110 and it didn’t run at all that way.
Right now there are 4 wires coming out of the motor. A black wire labeled #2, a gray wire labeled #4, a red wire labeled #1, and a yellow wire labeled #3.
The black #2 and the gray #4 are connected to one hot side of the 220 and the red #1 and yellow #3 are connected to the other.
I do not believe this is correct and if not can someone enlighten me as to how it should be? I am hoping someone out there has one of these pieces of junk and can look at it. I would be willing to change it to a 110 setup. At this point if I am going to use this puppy for anything I am pretty much locked in to using this motor. I discovered the pully has been welded to the motor shaft. Guess it must have come loose for the previous owner.
Rich
The Professional Termite
Edited 7/23/2008 11:17 pm ET by trialnut
Replies
I'm with you. Looks like the motor is wired for 110. That light should not be in the ground circuit. The third wire should be run directly to the chassis. It was probably built before the extra ground wire was commonly used in wiring. No doubt, a real motor man will come on shortly and help us out. Your motor may be ruined though.
Rich, there should be another wiring diagram somewhere on the motor showing how to configure those four wires. Did you look the motor over good for that information? Sometimes it is inside the cover that you took off to show the wires, sometime on the motor plate.
Keith
I looked all over and there is no diagram. I am thinking that it is wired for 110 at the motor and the switches are wired wrong. Presently both switches have to be on for it to run and they are seperate switches. I think the hot should run to the top switch and have a jumper down to the lower switch. Then the top switch should run to the motor and the bottom switch operate the light. The neutral should connect to both the motor and the light and the ground to the casting. Does this sound right to you? I have attched another diagram with this hookup.
I am going to try it with this arrangement. I think the plug is what threw me off plus the switch wireing would have required both switches to be on even for it to run on 110. I am now thinking somebody had a different motor on it and changed it back quickly just to put it in the sale.
Rich
The Professional Termite
Edited 7/24/2008 10:50 am ET by trialnut
I don't know why anybody would want to bother with wiring a drill press on 220. The motor HP is usually to small to need to bother.
Keith
Good news, I rewired it to the last diagram I posted and it now runs without smoking. woo hoo
Bad news, this has to be the most gutless 1/2 HP I have ever seen. More like 1/8 HP. I have managed to drill a couple dozen 5/16" holes thru some 1/8" steel but it takes a tender touch to keep the drill cutting without bogging the motor and stalling it. Still, it beats drilling them with a hand drill.
Thanks to all for your input.
RichThe Professional Termite
You are probably right in the seller getting it ready for sale and your last diagram is just how I would have tried it. But now power, huh? I bet you could find a better motor on the curb from an old washer on appliance pickup day.
Tinkerer
I think you may be right, I'll start curb shopping. Must be the horses in Taiwan are minitures. My suspicions proved to be right. Previous owner said it never had any power even when new so he finaly put a 2HP 220 motor on it. The whole thing has been abused too much. I had to do several repairs. All I wanted it for was a beater to set up next to the welding area. Thinking now maybe it wasn't worth the 40 bucks I paid for it. Oh well, scrap prices are going up.
RichThe Professional Termite
Trialnut,
When you let the "magic smoke" out of the motor you may well have trashed it.
That smoke was the motor coil insulation burning off. So the coils could be partially shorted. The motor torque would be way down.
If the motor's right, 1/2 HP should punch through the material you mention like Larry Craig through a men's room wall.
I'd find me a good motor and give it another spin.
north
Perhaps then this motor lacked a proper coat of varnish on the wires to start with. Previous original owner said it never had any power even when new out of the box, that is why he changed it. Not discounting what you are saying as it certainly could be worse now. The problem with changing the motor is I would need to find a different pulley also as when the one on it came loose he welded it to the shaft. I do need to look closer at that because I think the pulley is aluminum and the shaft of course is steel. Either some magic welding going on or the pulley has a steel sleeve in the center.
Bottom line is I am not going to put a whole lot of money into fixing this thang as it was junk the day it was built and has not improved any since. The $40 I paid for it plus the new plug and new belt likely has put my investment up to what it cost new. I will use it the way it is untill it dies, then scrap it.
Rich The Professional Termite
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