Volunteer Project: Save The Gorton Mill? (!)

Volunteers Needed Volunteer Shop Projects
41

I am totally unqualified, but happy to help in any way you folks might need. Figure it’s a good learning experience.

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42

Did you share these the way you intended? Google is telling me I must request access.

43

I changed the permissions. Sorry about that

44

I got a call from Hamilton Elec. They are going to try to change the leads. It is pricey if we want to rewind a 2 stage motor. They will get a quote for the rewind it. Copper prices are high right now. It will take about 2 weeks for rewiring the leads. They are backed up.

45

Are they able to test the windings? I think that’s one of those either-works-or-it-doesn’t kind of things, right?

46

I called Hamilton Electric and they told me the cost is $2000 for rewinding it. I asked if they can rewind it as a single speed motor. They said that was not possible. I will start looking for a Baldor motor and a VFD.

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47

nuts. I agree that mill isn’t worth a $2k repair (to us, anyway).

48

I found a Baldor motor for $150 in the area. It is a 3 hp. It would make the machine a bit more powerful.

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49

Are you thinking of a way to retain the current mount and drive belt setup, or switch to direct-drive and use a VFD for speed control?

50

There is an idiot in me who likes the current aesthetic and wants to maintain that. I would still add a vfd to ease of use.

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51

$2k is far far more than I would have thought. If we haven’t purchased the new motor yet, maybe we should try replacing the pigtail?

Does anyone have a hi-pot tester? I’d feel better about messing with it if we could test to ensure the insulation was OK.

52

I’m going to pick up the motor this Friday the 4th. We can always test the leads. I haven’t purchased a replacement motor yet.

53

I got the motor this morning. If we can redo the leads that would be cool @mark999. I’m also going to email Louis Allis Monday to see how much it would cost for them to rewind it. I’m headed that way in a week and might entertain that as an option.

I haven’t picked up a replacement motor yet.

54

Dayton’s an option too. Lots of TFEC in this range. You may want an external fan if you want to VFD it, because at lower RPM the shaft-driven TFEC fan is weak on CFM.

Common variants are 1750rpm and 3450rpm. You want the 1750rpm for sure. I do have a 3450rpm but that would just require too much reduction.

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55

There’s leakage from the windings to ground. I’m not sure exactly how much, but the parts washer solution+windings+case have formed a battery (!)

I’m sure it’ll get better when it dries out, but don’t have much hope of it being good enough to use without a rewind.

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56

Thank you for looking at it. Let me know either way if it is possibly viable or dead?

@dannym I’m waiting on the prognosis. I would like to take you up on the offer.

57

I’m certain you can’t recover that motor without total rewinding. Motors typically die due to insulation failure inside the stator. I thought I saw one part of the windings cooked, so that’s that. It may short to adjacent windings or the iron lams but it’s not going to be the leads going in.

The motor I have is 3450, that’s starting too fast. 3hp 208v 3ph 1750 rpm TFEC are common and not too expensive

58

You may be thinking of the pics I took in post 20. If so, the part that looks cooked to me actually is the pigtail coming in.

59

Het I thought if we want to pimp it out we could add a CVT transmission like off a scooter or other small engine

60

Oh I thought you had one. I must have misread. I will start looking for motors.