Drill Press Motor Issue (Fixed)

[rcarmac]

I used my drill press on Tuesday without any issue. I went out tonight and the motor was struggling to spin. I can hear the motor trying. I turned the chuck with my hand several times to try and help the motor and then finally it started spinning. I turned it off and tried it a couple times. It’s like it is struggling and slow to get up to speed, but it finally does. However I don’t think it is getting up to full speed. Maybe like 85%-90%.
Does the motor need to be replaced

 

[bowman]

Not knowing more, it could be a starting capacitor, it could be worn brushes.

 

[bob vaughan]

I think few drill presses have brush motors. The only one I've run across is my Servo 7000 drill press. Those brushes are easy to replace and available.

If it is a capacitor motor, then it is usually either like Neal said, the capacitor or more likely the centrifugal switch that controls the current to the capacitor. The centrifugal switch is inside the motor.

Remove the capacitor housing and give it a sniff. If it smells like burned electrical insulation, the there's a problem with the capacitor and it needs to be replaced. A bad centrifugal switch can also cause a capacitor to burn out.

Sounds like a motor tear-down situation.

Is the motor USA-made? If so, what make and model.

 

[rcarmac]

I think few drill presses have brush motors. The only one I've run across is my Servo 7000 drill press. Those brushes are easy to replace and available.

If it is a capacitor motor, then it is usually either like Neal said, the capacitor or more likely the centrifugal switch that controls the current to the capacitor. The centrifugal switch is inside the motor.

Remove the capacitor housing and give it a sniff. If it smells like burned electrical insulation, the there's a problem with the capacitor and it needs to be replaced. A bad centrifugal switch can also cause a capacitor to burn out.

Sounds like a motor tear-down situation.

Is the motor USA-made? If so, what make and model.

It’s an old Rockwell motor, 1/2hp.

 

[Oka]

I swapped out my 1970's motor for a 1.5 hp 230 3 ph with a vfd. ... Going that route costs about 2-300 bucks depending on how you do it.

To keep a similar type motor you could get a 1 hp or 3/4 hp replacement no problem. Just remember the drill motor is a 1725 and the frame is either a 56 frame "C" base or "J" base. Be advised the base is only the location or bolt hole attachment pattern/layout. I would likely look at the 1 hp as those motors tend to be more common and cheaper.

If you want to diagnose the motor, then pull it off the machine, test the bearings, then the armature and then the stator. That will tell you pretty much what is what.

 

[Michael Mathews]

It could be the capacitor but it could also be the contacts of the centrifugal switch! The switch opens at some RPM to disengage the capacitor. If the contacts are corroded or burnt, then the capacitor won't be seen in the circuit and the motor will have a hard time starting to rotate.

 

[bob vaughan]

It’s an old Rockwell motor, 1/2hp.

That information is a good start in eliminating a multitude of possibilities, but more defining information is necessary.
Rockwell Delta, like most machinery makers, never made their own motors so who made the motor and the stock number of the motor will be helpful.
Example below shows a 62-110 stock number motor, one made by Doerr and the other made by Marathon. The maker's name is shown at the bottom of the tag.

 

[rcarmac]

It’s just strange it was working fine 3 days ago

 

[rcarmac]

The motor also seems to have a new squeak

 

[rcarmac]

 

[pop-pop]

Capacitors always get blamed but are the least likely fault. Switch contacts and governor mechanism are many times more frequently the fault for split-phase motor non-start.

 

[Charlie]

The motor also seems to have a new squeak

If it's a new squeak, I put my money on the centrifugal switch!

 

[bob vaughan]

To me, that's a newer motor they put economy model 15" drill presses. It's probably from the late 1970s.
Since it is a straight 48 frame, replacement should be rather simple since that's the path of least resistance.
Emerson-made motors were not my favorite to work on but they were simple enough to get apart. I found that a lot of them had a very loud 60 cycle hum to them.

 

[mighty_fine_sawdust]

your results may vary but I would say it's never good to keep power applied to something that seems to be struggling to come up to rated speed. I'm surprised you haven't tripped a breaker so that must mean there's not a lot of current going to the motor. But it could also be the breaker should have tripped but didn't.

 

[bob vaughan]

Here's a quick sample of corroded switch contacts and the remedy I use. I hope others will post better photos. No two switch configurations are the same, but they all work similar with capacitor start fractional horsepower motor.

 

[junquecol]

I don't think that motor used a start cap, induction start/induction run, as DP's don't start under load.

 

[bob vaughan]

I don't think that motor used a start cap, induction start/induction run, as DP's don't start under load.

You're exactly right. No capacitor blister. I was so used to drill presses having cap start motors that I hadn't considered what they might put on the economy model.

 

[junquecol]

See those little black plastic caps. They are oil ports. Bearings are probably dry and need oiling. Go to hardware store and pick up a "Zoom Spout" oiller, as they are are made to oil electric motors. Remove motor from DP, and with oil ports facing upward, add some oil. Allow for it to soak in overnight before remounting motor. Should cure problem of squeak on start up, plus allow motor to come up to speed quicker.

 

[rcarmac]

I oiled both the front the and the back oil ports. Hooked it back up and tested it out. It seemed to run fine, no squeaks. But I didn’t get the motor pull lined up like I wanted. So I turned it off, adjusted the motor location and turned it back on. I hear the motor starting and running but the motor shaft is just not even trying to turn at all

 

[bowman]

Did the shaft key shear off/ fall out?