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Switching from 230V to 115V single phase with reversing drum switch

hpmachining

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2026
Messages
27
Location
Traverse City, Michigan
Good morning. I thought I would post a link here to a question in one of my threads in the Vintage Machinery forum. I am switching the wiring from 230V single phase to 115V on a vintage Peerless electric motor on a lathe I just acquired. Details are here in this post. I think I have it figured out correctly based on the YouTube video I referenced, but would like someone more knowledgeable to check my work before I wire it up. Thank you.
 
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mm08822

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Joined
Jan 13, 2012
Messages
6,296
Location
NJ
This wiring was easier for me to map the drum switch connections to the needed motor connections:

C1 to terminal 2
C2 to terminal 3
[T1 & T2] to terminal 1
[T3 & T4] to terminal 4
L1 to terminal 6
L2 to terminal 4
Jump terminal 5 to terminal 1

vs.

C1 to terminal 3
C2 to terminal 2
[T1 & T2] to terminal 1
[T3 & T4] to terminal 4
L1 to terminal 4
L2 to terminal 6
Jump terminal 5 to terminal 1

Comparing the two schemes, both agree as far as completing the necessary circuits within the motor.

(BTW - thread title is misleading. After you convert the motor to 110v, the drum switch will be used for on/off and to change motor direction.)
 
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hpmachining

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2026
Messages
27
Location
Traverse City, Michigan
Thank you very much, @mm08822! If you have a suggestion for a better title I will edit it. If you don't mind, can you look at how it was wired for 230V when I got it? I don't have an outlet so I haven't tried it, but it seems to me that it was not wired correctly for forward and reverse, but I'm not an electrician. This is how it was wired:

T1 to terminal 3
T2 - T3 - C2 insulated
T4 to terminal 2
C1 to terminal 4
Terminal 4 jumpered to terminal 6
L1 to terminal 5
L2 to terminal 1

If I'm following this correctly, it is swapping T1(L1) and T4(L2), not C1 and C2. If that's what it's doing, won't it spin the same way in either position? I'm only asking about this for educational purposes. Thanks again!
 
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