Hi Charlene,
You were quick going out to buy a starter. From the picture it looks like the one you bought is rated at 12 amps. This will not protect your motor. One with 4 or 5 amp rating would be better. It should be possible to fit an external emergency stop button by connecting it in series with the internal stop button. Interlocks on the chuck guard and belt cover can be added in the same way.

Note added. While looking for information on the starter in your picture I found that it does not have any thermal overload protection. The company do make thermal overload relays to go with this starter but I do not know if these fit inside the starter or inside a separate box.

Les.

Edited By Les Jones 1 on 07/10/2012 15:44:39

Hi Charlene

What Les says is quite right but the most important part of the starter is that it is NVR i.e. when the mains go off for any reason the switch trips out and the machine will not start again when the mains are restored. That way you get to keep all your fingers etc. when the power suddenly comes back and you have chosen that time to do the annual clean-up on your lathe. Protection for motor – nice- but penalty for not having it is the price of a new motor should the overload happen. Stop switch ( or to give it a more suitable name – Panic Button.) Big and easily accessible so you can't miss it when all goes pear shaped – yes good idea but you may be very careful of course! It is likely that the starter switch you have can be wired for a remote Stop button- if so just providing a big red "STOP" button in a suitable position and wiring it in might be the cheapest option unless you can change the one you have bought.

Cheers

Norman

Edited By NJH on 07/10/2012 17:55:30

hi Charlene,

The starter you have purchased should be suitable for your motor, the overload unit is an optional item and will fit inside the enclosure. Toolstation sell these starters and the overload units, their part number for the overload is 44178 to suit your motor. They also sell mushroom head buttons for remote stops. The stop button on the starter is raised and the start button is flush so a panic fumble for the stop should find it even with out looking. The siteing of the starter should be considered for ease of use and so you will not be in line with the chuck on start up , if the work should leave the chuck for any reason it could hit you. The figures quoted on your starter are the ratings of the contactor and as it is rated up to 4hp is quite ok for a smaller load. The overload is the important item for motor protection and they should be adjusted to suit your motor the unit mentioned has a range from 2.8A to 4.2A and usually they are set to the lower value when you get it out of the box. If not set to 3.7A you may have nuisance tripping. if the overload ever trips do not be tempted to turn up the overload, you either are oveloading the motor or you have a fault, turning up the setting will eventually result in smoke and be expensive.

Mike

Hi Charlene/Norman

The remote stop for knee or foot operation is a good idea, Colchester had a foot stop/brake on some lathes, very nice to use. A foot stop on a pillar drill I would consider essential especially if like me you don't always bolt the vice down, a jam up can be very difficult to let go of to hit the stop with your hand.

Mike

Hi Charlene,
Now that Mike has confirmed that the thermal overload unit fits inside the starter I think buying one from Toolstation is the best option. (I had originally assumed that you live in France from your name and the fact that you do not have a profile.) The Toolstation stop button (17283) looks ideal. Don't forget to buy cable glands for where the cable enters the starter and stop button. (Item 25329 on page 390 if you get them from toolstation.) The advantage of this unit over the Machine Mart one is that if you ever need to use it with a different size motor you just need to replace the thermal overload relay. You could just wire it up as it is for now and add the thermal overload and stop button at a later date. (I do not have thermal overloads on my lathe or drill.) It could be argued that as you will always be by the lathe that you would probably notice if the motor slowed down or stopped due to an overload.

Les.

It is a Palace of Engineering, not for working in!

No diagram inside the lid ? That's where they often put them.

failing that some decent photos and many here can work the connections out.

Usually simple, L1 and L2 for live and neutral and U &V for the motor leads.

If that doesn't work then use L1 and L3 and U & W

Well I guess that's you sorted then Charlene -and useful info to file – thanks Mike.

Kwill and Co. – "It is a Palace of Engineering, not for working in! " Well sorry – it was just a pic I took for the other thread and I used that rather than go out and take one of the starter switch.

Having managed in several rather pokey, untidy, cold and damp workshops previously and then moving to a place with a double garage I determined to make a dry and comfortable place to "play" in my retirement. I enjoyed the conversion work but, like Topsy, it growed!! If you look at the pic in my album of the other half of the garage then the usual state of my workshop is somewhere between the two!

My criteria for a workshop is that it must be pleasant to go into, it must be dry and possible to heat economically. Tools must be easily found and, for safety, the space on and around machines must be clear. My interest is in the smaller end of engineering so keeping it fairly tidy also avoids losing bits!

So Bill post your pictures  it's always interesting to see how others are set up and ideas can often be gained.

In the end though the important bit is not the workshop but what comes out of it. I make no claim to any great achievement in this area – but I do enjoy trying. ( And in some degree of comfort!)

Regards to All

Norman

Edited By NJH on 08/10/2012 14:02:57