Harbor Freight motor burn out question

[jimlee]

Hope everyone is doing well out there.

I have managed to burn out the motor on my venerable HF 34706 12x33 Wood lathe that everyone first gets when deciding if they want to do wood turning. I definitely do but
I am not ready for putting out the $1500+ to get my ultimate dream machine...the Grizzly G0766.
Has anyone out there either replaced this motor with a different one or gone to the trouble of rebuilding the original?
My ideal for right now would be to rig up a more powerful motor as I am all setup on this lathe while I wait until the
moment for purchasing my above mentioned dream machine. I do not see any reset button on the motor and I have
to admit to abusing it with my 3" Forstner bitting.

If all else fails I might just end up buying another of the same HF 34706 and just switching motors. It would cost about the same as getting a decent new motor.

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

 

[Dwight R Rutherford]

There should be a small electric motor repair shop nearby. I would take your motor to them and get an estimate for repairs before I considered anything else. If it's not repairable they can guide you for a replacement cost. Then you can decide what to do.

 

[Richard Coers]

Google motor replacement on that lathe, there's a lot of discussions on burning it up. I can't help but smile at what you call your ultimate dream machine. My personal opinion is you are setting the bar pretty low! Like I said,my opinion.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Jim, the most common cause of a motor not running besides a faulty ON-OFF switch is a bad start/run capacitor which is typically just a few dollars. Have you verified that power is actually getting to the motor? If you are certain that power is getting to the motor, can you hear or feel it humming when the switch is turned on? (Can you name the tune it is humming?

If the motor hums that means that the run windings aren't burned out. That leaves the start winding, the centrifugal switch, or the capacitor. If the start winding is burned out, you're screwed, but that is a rare failure mode. A centrifugal switch can usually be easily fixed -- typically it will be a broken spring or loose flyweight. If it's the capacitor then a new one will have you back in business. There is no mistaking burned out windings as the smell of ozone and burned insulation and smoke will be too obvious to miss.

Some small motors don't have a centrifugal switch so the capacitor served as both a start capacitor and as a run capacitor which is a different type than a start only capacitor. Motors of this type typically run very hot.

Forget about taking the motor to a repair shop because they won't mess with a cheap motor like that if the windings are bad

 

[odie]

I can't help but smile at what you call your ultimate dream machine. My personal opinion is you are setting the bar pretty low! Like I said,my opinion.

I thought exactly the same thing.......

If you are serious about woodturning, then don't set your sights so low.

ko

 

[odie]

My knee-jerk reaction this morning probably is the same as many other turners. Grizzly has a reputation for sub-standard quality, and I feel the same......but, I checked the site and looked at the GO766, and it looks decent for the money.......if nothing goes wrong.

I purchased a 16" bandsaw, and a 20" planer back around 1990, and haven't purchased anything from Grizzly since then. My opinion on these two machines is they get the job done, but the quality isn't as good as I'd have liked to see......take that for what it's worth. Grizzly may have improved their products some.....but, still.....their main push is to be the lowest price on everything they sell.

The Grizzly customer service was good.....they really did try to please, but that only goes so far. It's not about customer service, and all about what you get for the money.

Things made in China, or in that portion of the world, have seen a steady improvement over the years......so, things may not be as bad as MY knee-jerk reaction to anything imported by Grizzly.

ko

 

[Bill Boehme]

There a lot of turners on Sawmill Creek who have bought that lathe an are very pleased with it. The motor, if you look at its specs can't possibly be 3 HP, but like Sears, they make some exaggerated claims. If you are willing to accept that little exaggeration then in all other respects it's a decent lathe, especially for the price.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

My knee-jerk reaction this morning probably is the same as many other turners. Grizzly has a reputation for sub-standard quality, and I feel the same......but, I checked the site and looked at the GO766, and it looks decent for the money.......if nothing goes wrong.

Things made in China, or in that portion of the world, have seen a steady improvement over the years......so, things may not be as bad as MY knee-jerk reaction to anything imported by Grizzly.

ko

You know that PM, Jet and most of the lower priced big name machinery is made in China. The thing is that thier factories are capable of making products right along with the top. They are willing to lower that quality (meeting specs) for the customer if so speced. Lowering specs will also create a lower price and drive sales better in some markets. What has happened is either the company has a bad rep or sometime they decide they want better and specify higher standards. So you can see it is not always the fault of the country of origin. I do believe there are bad manufactures there just like anywhere so that also contributes.

 

[robo hippy]

A 3 inch forstner bit will put enough strain on the motor that it will tax a 3 hp 3 phase motor. Really! That is a lot of metal to put into a chunk of spinning wood, especially if it is at too high of a speed (those should run at no more than 500 max). Low gear ratio, and sharpness figure in here also. If nothing else, get the specs for the motor and talk to a tool repair place if you know a good one, and talk to an electric motor place too. You may be able to get a much better motor.

Just for curiosity sake, why were you using a 3 inch forstner bit? For that kind of size, you can do it much faster with hand tools.

robo hippy

 

[Steve Drinkut]

I think my G0766 is great

Some of us will never be able to afford a Powermatic or Robust lathe. It was a stretch for this retired old man on social security and a state pension to get this Grizzly. But it is heavy, powerful and everything I think all ever need in a large lathe. I turn for enjoyment and not to sell at flea markets or show off any artsy stuff.

 

[jimlee]

Thanks for all the responses. No hum so I am pretty sure it is burned out. I am going to see if I can get a replacement motor for a reasonable cost.
I have had the lathe for a few years and am mostly doing hollowing and have genuinely beat up this little engine that could until it could not.
I am confused on Robo Hippys comment on using the 3" Forstner bit. I was using it to hollow. I have a twist drill that is about an inch I think that is much less of a strain but I obviously over did it on this setup. When you say I can do it much easier with hand tools I guess you mean using a hollowing setup and/or a plain old bowl gouge. I am beginning to see that light but for some reason I have been thinking that drilling an easier way to start off the hollowing process. Perhaps it is but on a much smaller scale ....like a 1" twist drill bit....which is what we were using in a class I took. I think I have learned that bigger (3") is not necessarily better (than 1"). If I sharpened the Forstner bit it wasn't so bad but boring through oak can dull it very quickly

If I cannot get a reasonably priced replacement, and I should find out Monday, then I will probably be getting a Grizzly G0698 from a local seller.
When my ship comes in I will get my Powermatic.

Thanks to all for the good information per usual

Jim Lee

 

[hockenbery]

Thanks for all the responses. No hum so I am pretty sure it is burned out. I am going to see if I can get a replacement motor for a reasonable cost. I have had the lathe for a few years and am mostly doing hollowing and have genuinely beat up this little engine that could until it could not. I am confused on Robo Hippys comment on using the 3" Forstner bit. I was using it to hollow. I have a twist drill that is about an inch I think that is much less of a strain but I obviously over did it on this setup. When you say I can do it much easier with hand tools I guess you mean using a hollowing setup and/or a plain old bowl gouge. I am beginning to see that light but for some reason I have been thinking that drilling an easier way to start off the hollowing process. Perhaps it is but on a much smaller scale ....like a 1" twist drill bit....which is what we were using in a class I took. I think I have learned that bigger (3") is not necessarily better (than 1"). If I sharpened the Forstner bit it wasn't so bad but boring through oak can dull it very quickly If I cannot get a reasonably priced replacement, and I should find out Monday, then I will probably be getting a Grizzly G0698 from a local seller. When my ship comes in I will get my Powermatic. Thanks to all for the good information per usual Jim Lee

I will second the suggestion to take the motor to a local shop. The shop near us did a total diagnostic on a motor declared it working fine and said "no charge"
In addition they have lots of used motors that might suit you just fine.

I drill a hole to depth on hollow forms with a twist drill. Bits with lead points leave a hole in the bottom.
I use either a 3/8" bit with a vice grip handle or a 1" bit with a Mores taper end.

Goblets And end grain boxes I drill with a 3/8" spindle gouge.

I don't drill bowls. Some people do.

Al

 

[odie]

Just for curiosity sake, why were you using a 3 inch forstner bit? For that kind of size, you can do it much faster with hand tools.

robo hippy

Don't know why the OP was using one, but every once in awhile, I use a 3" Forstner bit to create a flat spot on an uneven surface suitable to mount a faceplate. I usually do it on a drill press, though. I'd be willing to bet the OP was hollowing out a turning on the lathe. Assuming that was the case, using the lathe is probably the best method to keep the hole as straight as possible with the exterior surface.

ko

 

[Bill Boehme]

I did some online searching and didn't find any drill speed charts that went up to 3", but for a 2" Forstner bit the recommendations were mostly in the 200 - 250 RPM range. In making an eyeball extrapolation from the chart data, I would say that a speed of 100 - 150 RPM would be about "right " for a 3" bit. This is way outside of the minimum speed of the HF lathe.

I agree with Robo that using turning tools is much faster than the Forstner bit. I'll also bet that the Forstner bit is very dull. Does the bit get hot? Has the bit turned blue or brown? Does it require a lot of force to bore a hole?

Drill a starting hole that is no larger than one inch diameter and then use turning tools to finish the job.

 

[robo hippy]

I don't know how to 'measure' how much stress you would be putting on the lathe by using a 3 inch forstner bit, but if you think about it, that is 3 inches of metal, and then add in the teeth, that are all cutting at one time. Even when using my heavy scrapers on wet madrone, which cuts like butter, I seldom ever have more than 1 inch wide shavings coming off. It stalls the lathe, and it is a 3 hp lathe. Most gouges, you will not get more than 1 inch wide shavings either. When hollowing, especially into end grain, they use smaller cutters because you can cut faster with less effort. Not difficult to make home made hollowing tools. An allen wrench, cut off, ground to a hollowing profile, and inserted into a drilled out round rod works.

robo hippy

 

[Joe Greiner]

Forstner Bits

Here's my opinion on Forstner bits: http://www.woodworkforums.com/f13/forstner-bits-44107

Some exotic Forstner-style bits have interrupted bottom chisels which are supposed to work better in end grain, but they're not cheap.

Joe Greiner

 

[Walt Ahlgrim]

Is there a manual reset button to push on this motor?

Is there a manual reset button to push on this motor?

In my opinion if the motor were “burnt out†meaning the coils of wire in the motor had over heated and are damaged beyond use. You will know because the reset button on the motor would have popped out and the motor would have been smoking hot .Even after a burnt motor cools off, a burnt motor smells like burned pop corn forever.

Since your motor is not tripping the breaker or overload, the problem is likely the on off switch or the overload inside the motor.

Walt