18-06-2013, 08:02 AM
Hi,
Thanks Refugee for your suggestions. Yes the black lever is the operating lever to start/stop the motor but unfortunately it is fitted with a powerful spring so I'm thinking more on the lines of mechanical linkage with some kind of spring loaded indent. I can easily sort this out once I get rid of more pressing jobs like having a rest after installing the flood defences which tired me out.
I can now give an update regarding the original 300W DC motor. Our friend and previous owner of this Clarke Lathe recently visited us and kindly took the motor home with him to inspect it. He has now replied saying one coil has a 50% short and the other coil is open circuit.
What a good decision I made in upgrading this lathe. I knew the circuit board had failed and I also suspected the motor and other electrical items like the switches to have been affected. I could so easily have spent £130 for a new circuit board which wouldn't have got the lathe working; then I would have had to buy a new motor at cost unknown but not cheap then with these two installed there would still be no guarantee of success.
I accept these Clarke lathes are not industrial rated but even for hobby use the electrical components leave a great deal to be desired. I never expected to dial in a half inch cut as I used to whilst using my Colchester Triumph but I was applying 60 thou cuts which ultimately brought about the demise of both circuit board and motor. Reading the instructions after rather than before I was amazed a lathe manufacturer would supply an engineering lathe recommending limiting cuts to ten thou (twenty thou on diameter). I never gave this a thought because ten thou to me is scratching metal?
Anyway I destroyed the electricals and now I've upgraded; I hope to resume work on the prototype Jubilee clutch in due course and hope the new servo motor is up to taking 60 thou cuts otherwise a more powerful motor will be added?
Kind regards, Col.
Thanks Refugee for your suggestions. Yes the black lever is the operating lever to start/stop the motor but unfortunately it is fitted with a powerful spring so I'm thinking more on the lines of mechanical linkage with some kind of spring loaded indent. I can easily sort this out once I get rid of more pressing jobs like having a rest after installing the flood defences which tired me out.
I can now give an update regarding the original 300W DC motor. Our friend and previous owner of this Clarke Lathe recently visited us and kindly took the motor home with him to inspect it. He has now replied saying one coil has a 50% short and the other coil is open circuit.
What a good decision I made in upgrading this lathe. I knew the circuit board had failed and I also suspected the motor and other electrical items like the switches to have been affected. I could so easily have spent £130 for a new circuit board which wouldn't have got the lathe working; then I would have had to buy a new motor at cost unknown but not cheap then with these two installed there would still be no guarantee of success.
I accept these Clarke lathes are not industrial rated but even for hobby use the electrical components leave a great deal to be desired. I never expected to dial in a half inch cut as I used to whilst using my Colchester Triumph but I was applying 60 thou cuts which ultimately brought about the demise of both circuit board and motor. Reading the instructions after rather than before I was amazed a lathe manufacturer would supply an engineering lathe recommending limiting cuts to ten thou (twenty thou on diameter). I never gave this a thought because ten thou to me is scratching metal?
Anyway I destroyed the electricals and now I've upgraded; I hope to resume work on the prototype Jubilee clutch in due course and hope the new servo motor is up to taking 60 thou cuts otherwise a more powerful motor will be added?
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
