Is my lathe possessed???

[customcutter]

OK, I've learned a little more. Thanks to Dave, I found out that the lead screw handle on the apron controls the forward/reverse of the spindle and lead screw (there is a reverse knob also that only reverses the lead screw it appears).

If I try to start the lathe with the handle in neutral the spindle turns for about 3 seconds and shuts down. Is this normal?

I can then lift the handle to reverse the spindle, and everything runs fine, back to neutral no problems, emergency stop but not problems shutting down.

If I lower the handle from neutral to forward after the spindle has stopped it runs in the forward direction. If I switch to neutral it continues to run. If I hit the emergency stop button it continues to run. At first I thought the contacts were stuck on the relay. Then I realized that after a while whether it was running or unplugged that the relay would release itself. The only thing I can figure is it is somehow "bleeding" voltage back off of the start capacitor on the motor or somewhere else. It does it every time, the longer I run it in forward the longer it takes for the relay to drop out, but it does reach a maximum time. The only way to stop it is to unplug it. NOT A SAFE CONDITION!

I need to find where the voltage is bleeding back from.

thanks,
Ken

[darryl]

Sounds to me like the relay is mechanically sluggish. I don't think a delay time is anything that would be built-in to an E-stop. If there's another component in the system that controls the energizing of the relay, they look there too- it could be sluggish.

[dian]

"If I switch to neutral it continues to run."

this is probably to much play in the linkage. if you move the lever a bit further, it stops, right?

[customcutter]

Sounds to me like the relay is mechanically sluggish. I don't think a delay time is anything that would be built-in to an E-stop. If there's another component in the system that controls the energizing of the relay, they look there too- it could be sluggish.

Darryl:

If I switch from neutral to forward for a few seconds, then back to neutral it continues to run for a few seconds, before stopping. If I switch back to forward for about a minute, then back to neutral it will continue to run for about a minute, before stopping. It does it everytime.

Same thing with the E-stop, the longer it runs in forward the longer it will run after the E-stop is pushed.

thanks,
Ken

[customcutter]

"If I switch to neutral it continues to run."

this is probably to much play in the linkage. if you move the lever a bit further, it stops, right?

Dian:

This wouldn't explain the E-stop button not shutting down properly.

thanks,
Ken

[lakeside53]

You should find a schematic, or, trace out the machine and draw your own.

It might have been "messed with".

[customcutter]

Darryl:

If I switch from neutral to forward for a few seconds, then back to neutral it continues to run for a few seconds, before stopping. If I switch back to forward for about a minute, then back to neutral it will continue to run for about a minute, before stopping. It does it everytime.

Same thing with the E-stop, the longer it runs in forward the longer it will run after the E-stop is pushed.

thanks,
Ken

I couldn't help myself so this AM as I was walking out the garage I played with the lathe to see what kind of curve ball it would throw at me today.

Released the E-stop, turned on the power switch, pushed the run button. She started up and ran about 3-5 seconds, then stopped like it's been doing. Still don't know if this is normal though.

Moved the lead screw lever down for forward, it ran in forward. After a few seconds, I switched back to neutral, it kept running for about 5 seconds and stopped.

Moved the lead screw lever up for reverse, and it ran in reverse. Switched back to neutral and it immediately stopped.

Moved the lead screw lever down again for forward and ran for 60 seconds. Switched back to neutral, it ran for over 5 minutes. I hit the E-stop button, after another 5 minutes I unplugged the machine.

I think Darryl is right the relay is "sluggish" or sticking, or possibly the switch activating it from the apron is sticking. I think I'll pull the 24v power from the relay and see if it shuts down immediately or hesitates.

thanks,
Ken

[Keith_W]

Hi customcutter,
Your circuit is probably a 24V supply from a Transformer that feeds through the Emergency Stop Button to a Camswitch that is connected to your Forward/Reverse Lever, there would be 2 x NO Contacts on the Camswitch that feed to two Contactors/Relays that are Interlocked that feed Power to your Motor.
Your problem could be that the Contactors/Relays are sticking due to Arcing on the Main Contacts, these may be able to be cleaned but best to replace the Contactors/Relays.
Without having a copy of your circuit or pictures of the circuit it is only a guess at what are your problems.
Regards,
Keith.

[Clevelander]

with all your experts here, it's clear that your machine is in fact possessed

[customcutter]

I went out and tried some things. I turned on the power, hit the start button, and it started up and ran for a few seconds, then stopped. I put the lead screw in forward and it started back up. Then I went around to the control box and pulled the power on the 24 volt output to the relays. It immediately shut down.

The relay is not sluggish, slow, sticking, etc. Now I know that I have a sticking switch on the forward control for the lead screw.

I'll try to tackle that problem tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who has been helping with this problem.

thanks again,
CC