Drill Press Puzzler!!

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MDWine

MDWine

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Location
Manassas Park, Virginia, USA.
I don't know what happened...

The previous night I drilled 6 blanks, everything was fine.
Last night, I was demonstrating how to trim a blank, everything was just fine.
I let John take the helm, to trim a blank.
He turned off the DP to inspect the work, and it wouldn't turn back on!

It's weird, the light is on the drill press, so there is power. I push the green ON button... Nada... zip... nothing

I can't find a breaker in the DP anywhere, I'm guessing the switch suddenly died? It's only a year old, a Delta DP350 variable speed (I really love this little DP!!)...

What are YOUR thoughts???
 
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This is freaky!!! The same exact thing happened to me with my DP350 about a month ago. I had an electrician friend look at it and sure enough it was the switch. He had an old spare one from something else that he put on for me, but Delta is sending me a new one. This happened literally 2 years to the day from when I ordered the thing. And he looked at it that night, after their customer service was closed. Luckily, it hadn't shipped until about a week later, and so the warranty covered it. You should be fine b/c it's a 2 year warranty. But I'd go ahead and call them and get replacement parts and hopefully you know someone who can replace it. I have to find someone since I've moved inbetween and don't know any electricians here yet. If you need the phone number or the part numbers- I have those from the instruction manual, so you'll know exactly what to ask for.
 
It could be a very simple solution. I had the same problem with my Grizzly lathe. The answer came from a woodworking forum I belong to. My motor is a very common TEFC. Meaning Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled. Under the cover where the fan is, there is a centrifugal switch. It can get dirty with dust and not work. Ergo, no go. Very simple matter to take the cover off and hit the switch with air if you have a compressor set up. I didn't so just used a brush then WD-40. Worked fine. Another possibility could be the capacitor failing. That's the thing about the size of a flashlight on the motor. You can remove it and have tested. But, do check the switch first. Mine hasn't given problems since I cleaned it. That makes me think that it was dirty with machining remains from when originally manufactured.
 
Originally posted by carverken
<br />Sorry for your luck. I hope you and John (the bowl man) got to turn some things anyway...
Click to expand...

That cracks me up!
Yes, we did get one blank trimmed, and got it turned. We used the Shella friction stuff, but I didn't think much of the finish (you know me)... John was tickled, but I was not! [:D] (we needed a one night finish!)

I'm calling Delta for a switch, methinks... (I hope!)
 
IT WAS THE SWITCH!

I'm very happy! The DP is back in operation.
I bought an extra switch, just in case!

You can all rest easy now, I know it's been worrying you! [:p]
Well, I can! [:o)]
 
Originally posted by MDWine
<br />IT WAS THE SWITCH!

I'm very happy! The DP is back in operation.
I bought an extra switch, just in case!

You can all rest easy now, I know it's been worrying you! [:p]
Well, I can! [:o)]
Click to expand...

Wow, I'm quite proud of myself- it's not too often that I get to be one to know something on here!!! [:D][:D]
 
Just thought I'd add - mine did the exact same thing! I think mine's a bit older - 3-1/2 years maybe? However, I don't use it all that much. Worked fine for one use, turned it off, put a new blank in, and nothing. Fiddled with it a bit and it came back on - that worked 3 or 4 times, then it was just completely dead. I replaced the switch with one from Rat Shack - it's not pretty, but it wasn't $23 either!!!
 
Originally posted by blake_l
<br /> I replaced the switch with one from Rat Shack - it's not pretty, but it wasn't $23 either!!!
Click to expand...


Yeah, I think I'll look around a bit and find a less expensive source... you'd figure I shouldn't need it for a long time tho! [;)]
 
Originally posted by MDWine
<br />I don't know what happened...

The previous night I drilled 6 blanks, everything was fine.
Last night, I was demonstrating how to trim a blank, everything was just fine.
I let John take the helm, to trim a blank.
He turned off the DP to inspect the work, and it wouldn't turn back on!

It's weird, the light is on the drill press, so there is power. I push the green ON button... Nada... zip... nothing

I can't find a breaker in the DP anywhere, I'm guessing the switch suddenly died? It's only a year old, a Delta DP350 variable speed (I really love this little DP!!)...

What are YOUR thoughts???
Click to expand...

I have 3 of these DP-350's. (Can you tell I like them?). The switch on those is about the cheapest thing Delta could find to put in there. I have replaced all mine with a heavier duty direct replacement from Willy's Electronics. A pic of the switch is below and a link to the site as well. Go there and search on Lighted Neon Red Rocker and you should get two hits. I think you want the 30-867.

http://shop.willyselectronics.com/


30-867_DP-350_Switch.jpg
 
Using my Drill Press.
The first thing I did was strip it and replace the bearings,this smartened up the accuracy immediately.I fitted a one HP 240 volt single phase totally enclosed motor,then fitted a new chuck and stem with a 3/8 screw thread in the stem,fitted a draw bar through the head after running a morse taper reamer to make the connection clean and certain.
I had experienced chuck drop out,quite unpleasant.Now when I drill blanks mostly I do them in batches of a hundred or more and leave the drill run since motor initial starting current measures up to 40 odd amps briefly on switch on and most motors are designed only for so many start stops per hour. I get about 400 t0 600 blanks per drill for 40 cents figure this is dirt cheap,never change the speed for various timbers,dont have burn or blowout.I use an XY axis vice with separately fitted jaws that have three vees vertical and one main vee horizontal that I use to ream the blanks after glueing and squaring the ends on a disk sander.Our timbers can match your toughest so I drill them all without any problem unless I get tired and missjudge the odd one.
The reason switches and centrifugal swithes fail is the arcing both ways,after one switch failing and one previous under powered motor failing on the centrifugal switch for which no replacement is available in this country these were some of my solutions.
I use car and a repeatable technique to insert and remove blanks to keep safe.
As an electrician by trade I collected motors excess to needs for years so when I was bitten by the pen bug have been able to modify and make many machines from scratch.
When I fitted the first lathe with a three phase 415 volt motor using a 2 1/2 hp motor I measured the starting current after fitting a variable speed control to it using single phase,because they soft start there is no surge at switch on and the motor starts single phase 7.5 amps runs 7.5 amps,very impressed.
My next venture will be my 18 inch bandsaw with a 4 hp single phase motor a converted meat saw with no rubber rims,the initial surge worries me so I made some pens for a mate of mine (Slimlines) and he gave me two variable speed controllers from his mushroom farm when he converted the air con system,incidentally the band saw blades really last well without tires so I will not bother ever fitting them,it has a huge throat opening and is built like a brick wall,weighs half a ton.
Peter
 
Originally posted by Rifleman1776
<br />
Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA
<br />
<br />Very simple matter to take the cover off and hit the switch with air if you have a compressor set up. I didn't so just used a brush then WD-40. Worked fine.
Click to expand...


PLEASE!!!!

NEVER use WD-40 like this!

EVER!
Click to expand...


Ron, asking again. Why would you say that?
Click to expand...

WD-40 is a magnet for fine wood dust
 
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