Newbie Question

[RGVPens]

OK...this sounds dumb, but here goes.
I'm brand new to turning, obviously, and just got a Turncrafter Commander 10VS. I stuck a 40 watt bulb in the light...nothing. I wasn't real sure about the bulb as it, and others, were here when we moved in a month ago. Today I was at WalMart and picked up a new 40 Watt LED bulb...still nothing. It looks like it's wired directly to the control box via yellow cable you plug together when plugging in the other wires at setup. I don't see a switch and "assume" it comes on when you power the lathe up via switch. Everything else works fine, on-off, speed varying.

???? Anyone got an idea?

 

[Curly]

A dumb response perhaps but from the poor pictures on the PSI site it looks like there is a little knob on the end of the lampshade. Any chance it turns on the bulb when pressed or turned?

 

[Mr Vic]

Silly question: did you turn the knob on the back of the lamp shade. The little black one. Should turn clockwise.

Curly beat me to it.

 

[monophoto]

I have a 12" Turncrafter.

I see from your previous post that you just got your lathe. Mine dates back to 2012; there has been a change in the way power is supplied from the control box to the worklight - I replaced the control box on mine recently, and had to rewire the light. But I don't know if this change has found its way into new lathes.

First, the basics: When you plug in the lathe and flip the main switch on the front of the control box), does the lathe spin? If so, then the problem is isolated to the light. If the lathe does not start, try pressing the reset button.

Then, check that the light switch is 'on' - there is a rotary switch at the back of the light cone. The lathe is designed so that the work light can be on continuously even through the lathe is not running (practical matter - so you can see what you are doing in mounting etc when the lathe is not actually spinning.) So power is supplied to both the lathe controls and the light through the main power cord), but the lathe and the work light have separate on-off switches.

Now to the wiring - as I originally received mine in 2012, power got to the light through a couple of conductors in the multi-core cable that connects to the tachometer in the headstock. As I recall (it was 2012, after all), I had to make some connections inside the headstock.

I recently (within the last couple of months)replaced the control box on my Turncrafter, and the new box is different - specifically, on the new box, power to the light is supplied via a separate cable that comes through a nipple on the side of the box (next to the reset button). There is a C13 receptacle on the end of that cable, and the box came with a separate cable with a C14 plug that had to be wired to the light inside the headstock. By the way, C13 and c14 are IEC designations for a connector with the pin configuration shown here:

- C13 is the female version (or receptacle), while c14 is the female version (the plug with exposed metal pins). This is the same pin configuration that is used on the DC output to the lathe motor.

If all else fails, call PSI and ask for Technical Support - they are very helpful. PSI is very responsive to phone calls, but they don't seem to react very well to e-mail.

Final comment - I assume that the 40W rating on the light fixture applies to incandescent lamps and is actually a thermal limitation. On that basis, there should be no problem using a brighter CFL or LED lamp since the current drawn by the bulb is less and there is far less heat given off. I used a standard spiral CFL in mine for many years, but after I broke the exposed bulb, I replaced it with an LED. This is a great application for and LED because you want bright light, but you don't want the heat that would be thrown off by in incandescent lamp.

 

[RGVPens]

Silly question: did you turn the knob on the back of the lamp shade. The little black one. Should turn clockwise.

Curly beat me to it.

I think this answers a question I had about some extra parts.

I believe the little black thing on the left is the light switch. It was laying in the box when I unpacked the lathe.
I just took the light head assembly apart...yup I think it broke off the switch in transit.

Instead of trying to glue it I think I'll just call Kenny in service Monday morning. I also saw that the housing was dented by the nut that holds the assembly into the light housing...bingo!

Mystery solved...thanks guys!

 

[Mr Vic]

Bingo!

PS Thanks for your Service!!

 

[mark james]

I am continually amazed at the excellent advice from IAP members. Well done folks.

 

[studioseven]

Gary,
I'm sorry that there was a problem with your first lathe. I don't know much about the Turncrafter's except that others on our forum use them. Like you, I purchased my first lathe from PSI except back then they didn't carry Turncrafts. Instead they had a brand called Carbatech. I still use it for applying my CA finishes. Good luck in getting this all worked out.

Seven

 

[RGVPens]

Bingo!

PS Thanks for your Service!!

Thank you.
I couldn't find a switch. When you said it should be a little black knob I looked...there's no little black knob! then I saw it laying on the table and wondered if that could be it...LOL. A couple of minutes with a screwdriver and I knew what happened!

 

[monophoto]

Did you figure out the rest of the 'extra' parts?

The knob with the long shaft, spring, washer and nut together make up the latch that keeps the access door on the left end of the headstock (below the handwheel) closed.

There is a hole immediately to the right of the door opening in the headstock casting (which gives access to the lower pulleys). The shaft on the know goes through that hole (know on the outside), and then the spring, washer and nut are mounted on the shaft in that order. The spring keeps the knob flush against the outside of the casting, and when the door is closed, the edge of the door is captured under the knob. To open the door, pull on the knob to release the door, and swing it open.

 

[RGVPens]

Did you figure out the rest of the 'extra' parts?

The knob with the long shaft, spring, washer and nut together make up the latch that keeps the access door on the left end of the headstock (below the handwheel) closed.

There is a hole immediately to the right of the door opening in the headstock casting (which gives access to the lower pulleys). The shaft on the know goes through that hole (know on the outside), and then the spring, washer and nut are mounted on the shaft in that order. The spring keeps the knob flush against the outside of the casting, and when the door is closed, the edge of the door is captured under the knob. To open the door, pull on the knob to release the door, and swing it open.

It works! I would have never thought of putting it together that way! Thanks!

 

[monophoto]

My experience with PSI's customer service and technical support folks is that they are very responsive and will promptly provide you with a replacement for the damaged switch.

The piece that is broken looks to be the plastic knob on the switch; the switch itself might be OK. That said, I think the knob, switch and lamp holder come as an assembly, and it will be necessary to replace the entire unit to fix the switch knob. What you will need is a switched lampholder similar to this item sold at Ace Hardware. It is mounted in hole at the back of the conical shade with a knurled nut.

The lamp is designed to remain on while you are working at the lathe, while the lathe itself is controlled via the switch on the front of the speed control box. I have my lathe plugged into a power strip that also serves an additional work light mounted above and to the right of the lathe, and a fan mounted overhead to blow dust down and away from me, so the switch on the power strip controls everything at the turning station including that worklight mounted on the lathe. For that reason, I don't actually use the switch and have left in permanently in the 'on' position.

If you arranted your setup like that, you wouldn't actually need to replace the switch - just use a pair of pliers to grasp the broken tiny bit of the switch knob that remains attached to the switch, turn it on, and just leave it there.