Brian builds a Corliss

[Sparky_NY]

Guys, I'm not an electrician. I don't know any electricians. The components in my lathe are particular to that lathe. Moving the lathe and taking it to Toronto is not my favorite thing to do, but messing around in the electrical system is something I won't do.

What about the electrician that hooked up the VFD to your bandsaw?

[J Tiers]

Guys, I'm not an electrician. I don't know any electricians. The components in my lathe are particular to that lathe. Moving the lathe and taking it to Toronto is not my favorite thing to do, but messing around in the electrical system is something I won't do.

It strikes me that you have a choice. Put up with hauling the machine to the dealer whenever it has a problem, find a local person who can help, or learn something about the innards of it and be able to fix it yourself, at worst ordering some special parts.

A fellow on another forum says that "if you cannot fix it, you do not own it". I don't think that is original to him, but there is a lot of truth to it. Being helpless makes you totally dependent on others to do things right (apparently not done in your case), to do them in a timely manner, or even to do them at all.

It's not a situation I would put up with, nor would many others here. Maybe you are just fine with it.

[sid pileski]

Do I hear a mule braying???

[brian Rupnow]

Today's topic is "How one old man moves his lathe". You can see some new timber in the picture. One vertical 2 x 6 behind the lathe, one vertical 2 x 6 in front of the mill, and two 2 x 4 r's bolted to them parallel to the floor. A pair of bed angles bolted to the top of the 2 x 4s and a rolling dolly made up from some old bearings and scrap plate. A threaded rod passes down thru the moveable dolly and connects to a plate setting below the lathe bed. The lathe is unbolted from the cabinets that support it and as the nut on the top of the threaded rod is tightened, the lathe gets lifted vertically about 2".

[brian Rupnow]

After the lathe is lifted 2", the wheeled cart is pushed in beside the lathe and with much groaning and grunting the moveable dolly is pulled over about 18" and the lathe comes with it and is lowered onto the wheeled cart. Then the top nut on the threaded rod is loosened and the lathe sets down onto the cart. Lathe is clamped with c-clamps to the cart, and pushed out the door into my office. It will set in my office until Monday, then be loaded into my pickup truck with my engine hoist and carried away to Toronto.

[reggie_obe]

Akin to the plumber taking your toilet back to "the shop" to fix it.

In a thread you started on HMEM, seems that you are the not the only one to have issues with the speed control.
https://www.homemodelenginemachinist....24923/page-10

[sid pileski]

Do you at least re-level the lathe each time you get it back?

[brian Rupnow]

And to all of you who suggested that I fix the problem myself----Do you really think I would go thru this if there was a remote chance that I might be able to fix the electrics on my lathe? In one of my previous lives I tried to fix something like this that I didn't really understand---and it didn't work---and finally when I took it to the people who really did know what they were doing, I was told that my "fixing things" burned out various components and was going to cost twice as much to replace all the crap that my "fix" caused. Old I am--Stupid I'm not!!!

[brian Rupnow]

Sid--Outside of a carpenters level, no. I have never used anything more precise than a carpenters level to "level my lathe".

[sid pileski]

Stupid your not! Stubborn you are! Plenty of people willing to help you here. The very concept of a forum.
Your never too old to learn. Your last experience probably didn’t have the collective of this forum behind you!!

Sid.

[J Tiers]

And to all of you who suggested that I fix the problem myself----Do you really think I would go thru this if there was a remote chance that I might be able to fix the electrics on my lathe? In one of my previous lives I tried to fix something like this that I didn't really understand---and it didn't work---and finally when I took it to the people who really did know what they were doing, I was told that my "fixing things" burned out various components and was going to cost twice as much to replace all the crap that my "fix" caused. Old I am--Stupid I'm not!!!

It would not be "by yourself"

There are plenty of folks who could help , and would. SOme even have the same machine, and can directly compare to yours.

Over on PM that happens all the time, and people get the stuff fixed with "remote help". Did you ask the group about that other fix? And the result was massive frying?

You sure you are not from Missouri?

Whatever you want to do, but you are way smart enough to learn.

[reggie_obe]

Stupid your not! Stubborn you are! Plenty of people willing to help you here. The very concept of a forum.
Your never too old to learn. Your last experience probably didn’t have the collective of this forum behind you!!

Sid.

Guy in the thread I linked to that has the same lathe, it was DOA out of the box. He diagnosed the issue himself and had the parts sent to him.

[Mcgyver]

And to all of you who suggested that I fix the problem myself----Do you really think I would go thru this if there was a remote chance that I might be able to fix the electrics on my lathe?

Yes. I have absolutely no doubt that you can fix the electrics on your lathe. If another human can, you can.

[brian Rupnow]

What makes you think that I'm human?

[J Tiers]

What makes you think that I'm human?

The evidence points that way. Not only human, but a good sort of human as well.

But, as you point out that is only a probability. There is a non-zero probability that we are wrong................