To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Tool wiring - 120v conversion

ikessky

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
119
Location
Wisconsin
I bought an old jointer from an auction. The maintenance guy that was there told me that it had been converted to 120v. I pulled the panel to wire it and found that there's no diagram or anything for how they did it. The three screws that my fingers are on were loose so I'm assuming they were used. Just looking to see if anyone has a guess at this. I'm assuming white leg on the first post and black on the second and the third is dead?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20190808_180130718.jpg
    IMG_20190808_180130718.jpg
    70.3 KB · Views: 76
  • IMG_20190808_180118391.jpg
    IMG_20190808_180118391.jpg
    85.6 KB · Views: 68
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

454ragtop

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
5,011
Location
Carver, MA
If I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing, it looks like that contactor has a 200-208 volt coil, and won't work on 115 volt.
 
OP
I

ikessky

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
119
Location
Wisconsin
Makes sense then that all three lugs are loose. I'll grab the cord off of my air compressor and hook it up.
 

454ragtop

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
5,011
Location
Carver, MA
3 hot legs and 208 volt coil usually equal 3 phase, I'd look at the motor tag before hooking anything up.
 
OP
I

ikessky

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
119
Location
Wisconsin
Motor plate shows 3 phase. I've got a four prong 240 plug in the garage. I'm no electrical engineer, but I'm assuming that what I'll need is a 4 wire plug with red, white, and black hooking up as the legs and then my green to the ground.
 

454ragtop

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
5,011
Location
Carver, MA
Yes that's correct. Didn't realize you had 3 phase power. Carry on.

On edit, 4 wire 240 volt isn't necessarily 3 phase, a lot of single phase 240 volt is 2 hot legs, a neutral, and a ground. This will not run 3 phase without a converter or VFD.
 
Last edited:

Lassen Forge

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2014
Messages
15,129
Location
The romantic hills of central Umbria, Italy,
No joke, if you hook it up to 208 and it has a 120 motor in it... Wheee!!! (make sure you have a video camera going and post the results!)

Seriously, unless you can get the maintenance guy to explain how they did what they did to make it 120, that picture (to my untrained eye) looks like it's still set up for 3ø 208.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
I

ikessky

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
119
Location
Wisconsin
Shoot, yeah I guess it is just 240v split phase isn't it.... I guess I'll have to price out converters.
 

454ragtop

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
5,011
Location
Carver, MA
How many HP is the motor? On a jointer probably better off swapping the motor unless it's something strange.
 

kngelv

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
2,226
Location
Detroit, MI
I miss those old starters with the heaters on them. Definitely not 120 nor single phase. Your home outlet is probably not three phase either.

James
 
OP
I

ikessky

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
119
Location
Wisconsin
Could there be a possibility that the motor itself was rewired to single phase and the maintenance guy misspoke about 120v?
 
OP
I

ikessky

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
119
Location
Wisconsin
Less than .001% I'd say....

Lol! Well that's that!

My FIL just showed me a converter that he had built for an old lathe in his shop. However, that was years and years ago. I'll have to hit up Google and eBay and see what I can find.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom