Drill Press electrical question...

[StevenPaul]

Hello Y'all!

Don't know if this goes in this forum, but I'll be using this rig to "build it yourself" on some other projects. My wife bought and 3 teenagers got(lifted) this drill press from a yard sale for $75. It's a beast! It can run on 440. I don't know what voltage the previous owners had it on. I eventually want to run it at 220/230 in my shop that we will be building later but for now, I need it as 110/120. Can someone help me on how to wire this thing? It's got some schmatics in the cover but I can't make heads or tales of them. I know some about basic house wiring (I just finished wiring my "temp" shop) but this thing is confusing. It says something about taking a wire from L2 to L3 if going single phase. Check the pictures out and if ya can help, awesome! if not, where can I go to get some help?

thanks in advance!
Steve

 

[DieselPower]

Anytime you wire a motor that can be run on single or multi-phase current you will have to hook some wires together. I can't really make out the data plate in the picture but from what you describe all you should have to do is put leg's L2 and L3 together for single phase operation.

Does it specifically list 110/120 on the data plate? If not then it can not be run on it.

Some clear pictures of the data plate would help. Try to support the camera on a tripod or something solid so it doesn't blur and instead of using the camera's built in flash use a stationary light source. Then take the picture from a angle that you don't see any reflections when you view your cameras view screen.

Is that a Wilton drill press? It kind of looks like a Wilton I currently have in my shop that I'm installing new spindle bushings in for a friend.

 

[Egon]

You best be getting an electrician to check it out. It may be 3 phase.

 

[StevenPaul]

Thanks Diesel,

and I will try and get a better picture, but it says on the housing Buffalo Forge I think, I'll have to double check again. I know its Buffalo something. And as for the 110, I think it has the wiring schmatic for a single phase 2 or 3 wire. Does this sound right? Once again, I'll check again, but I thought that with a single phase 2 or 3 wire was ok for 110/120.

Steve

 

[3RRL]

Changing from 3Ø to single phase means instead of 4 wires ... (3 hot wires and one neutral/ground) you have 3 wires ... (2 hot wires and 1 neutral or ground). You need to connect those two wires (L2 & L3) to switch. However, that means it still needs to run on 220v single phase. I'm not sure, but I don't think you can get that 220v 3Ø motor to run on 110v though. It would lose too much power to run the drill press effectively IMO.

 

[StevenPaul]

Ok, this is what "it" says, for single phase 2 wire,

L1 to L1, L2 to L3 then on the lower part it says T1 to T1, T3 to T2. I've drawn some green arrows in the pictures.

Am I understading you right 3RRL that its still 220 with this configuration? I mean it does make sense what you say about not being able to power the beast with the 110. Also with two black wires and one red, how would you hook up the plug going into the outlet, I don't see any ground wire. I'm obviously not going to hard wire it....yet. I've got a 220v 3 wire outlet for my welder and it has a ground/neutral wire. So what would be the ground for this drill press with the 2 black and 1 red wire?

Also in the cover with the schmatics, it does have some replacement parts that list a 120 system, but I think I'd have to replace magnet coils, contacts, and whatever else, which ain't gonna happen. Going 220 is much easier.

I meant to ask too, is $75 a good deal on these older drill presses?

thanks again,
Steve

 

[sandman2234]

I may be wrong, but let me toss something in.
The pictures you are taking are of a switch, not the motor plate. You should have a plate on the motor that tells you the voltage and phase of the motor and what it will run on.
If it will run on 440, I would be willing to bet it is 440/3phase. It might also be a multi voltage motor, being 208/220/440 which is pretty common, and will run on any of those voltages, but still needs to be 3phase.
I haven't seen it all, but I haven't seen a 120/208/240/277/440 although they may make them. I have seen lights that had that multiple voltages, but that isn't a motor. There are usually 9 wires inside a dual voltage motor that need to be hooked up to the 3 incoming wires in the right order to change voltage. Good thing is, they have pretty much standardized that configuration, so it is easy to figure out.
Anyway, If it is 3phase and has 220 available on it, all is not lost. A static convertor can be had for about the same price as you paid for the drill press, or a little less and it will allow you to run it. I run my Bridgeport off one, simply because that was what came with it. Rotary converters are better, but more expensive.
David from jax

 

[Farwell]

Sandman,
I agree that the motor data plate is what needs to be looked at instead of the switch data plate.

 

[J_J]

StevenPaul,

Although some good advice has been given, consider this. Sometimes it is better to start fresh and new. By that, I mean take that motor off and install a new 1 or 2 hp 220v motor, which you can do your self. The old motor might be bad, the electricians hourly rate has to be considered. Just match the shaft size to take advantage of the multiple speed pulleys. Try Surplus Hydraulics. They carry electrical stuff also.

 

[3RRL]

Ok, this is what "it" says, for single phase 2 wire,

L1 to L1, L2 to L3 then on the lower part it says T1 to T1, T3 to T2. I've drawn some green arrows in the pictures.

Am I understading you right 3RRL that its still 220 with this configuration? I mean it does make sense what you say about not being able to power the beast with the 110. Also with two black wires and one red, how would you hook up the plug going into the outlet, I don't see any ground wire. I'm obviously not going to hard wire it....yet. I've got a 220v 3 wire outlet for my welder and it has a ground/neutral wire. So what would be the ground for this drill press with the 2 black and 1 red wire?

Also in the cover with the schmatics, it does have some replacement parts that list a 120 system, but I think I'd have to replace magnet coils, contacts, and whatever else, which ain't gonna happen. Going 220 is much easier.

I meant to ask too, is $75 a good deal on these older drill presses?

thanks again,
Steve

Yes, I think it will still be 220v but it will run on single phase 220v now.
Bear with me now...

Normally the L's are input from the power source and the T's are output to your motor. So, L1 and L2 are the two hot lines input for single phase 220v. Find which are those line on that switch.
L3 is a hot line coming from a 3Ø electrical source, so that's why L2 & L3 are being put together (L3 is no longer a hot lead in).

Output for 3Ø is T1, T2 & T3. T1 and T2 come from input L1 & L2 and now that it's going to be single phase, you don't need out put T3 anymore. That's why T3 is being put with L2.

Anyway, the wires that are connected to L1 and L2 are the hot wires for your 220v single phase plug. The ground and neutral can be combined to go to the ground on your single phase plug. Then you can use a single phase 220v plug that way and try it.

Disclaimer:
I am not a licensed electrician and don't profess to be one. I am passing along knowledge that has helped me with my single and 3 phase electrical wiring for my personal shop.
Somebody else please confirm what I said is correct so Steven doesn't burn up his motor.