I think I broke my BT3000... Help!

[Fastnhappy]

I'll try to keep this brief:

background: stock saw, 3.5 years old, literally not touched in the last 2.5 years - not even plugged in. It was kept in my garage in DC during that time. Stock blade, should still be sharp since I only build a couple small projects on it.

Story: I was ripping regular-ole 8' 4X4s on my BT3000 and it wasn't having an easy time. Not too terrible, but it seemed as if it was struggling a bit. During the second cut, the breaker tripped. I flipped the breaker, and it happened again. I ended up having to flip the breaker about 10 times, and each time it gave me less time before the breaker flipped. The last time or 2, the saw only worked for 15 sec or so before it flipped the breaker. At that point it pretty much quit working completely. I figured it was overheating since it was very hot in the place where I was using the saw and in direct sunlight.

I put the saw away, cleaned it up, and let it cool off for a day or so. Now when i turn it on, it sounds like it's trying to run, but has something stuck and so it cant spin the blade. I took it apart today and thoroughly inspected it and it doesn't have anything blocking the blade from spinning. So now it just makes a noise as if it's trying, but doesn't spin.

Did I blow the motor?

I'm at a loss here. Any info would help.

-brent

[vaking]

I think you broke the belts.
The noise is motor spinning but without belts blade will not move.
Look fo info at this site how to get to belts to check.

[pelligrini]

It might be a belt problem. I don't know a lot about motors to help you with that. I hope you were using a ripping blade. Ripping 4x4s can really strain the saw.

I've got few questions about power though. Is your saw on a dedicated circuit? Is that circuit close to your breaker panel? Are there extension cords involved? If so, what's the length & size?

Starving the saw with power is a common cause of tripping breakers, and labored cuts.

[Fastnhappy]

The one belt that i can see is not broken. It looks like the only belt I have. Are there more inside the motor housing? It doesnt sound like anything is spinning. It sounds like it's trying to spin, but cant for some reason.

I dont think I was giving the saw the power it deserved - it was run from the outlet on the back of my house - a ways from the breaker panel. It was also on an extension cord, but what i would consider a good one (one of the big fat orange ones - 3 prong on both sides). Until the breaker tripped the first time, I was also running a shop vac on the same outlet. I turned that off though, and the breaker kept tripping.

What could the power deprivation do to the saw that would make it not work now?

[crokett]

There are two belts side by side. Are you sure they are both not broken? I've broken belts before and the motor was spinning but not spinning the blade. When you say 'sounds like it is trying to run' do you mean it tries to start and then the noise quits or the noise keeps going? I ask because a motor running with no blade spinning sounds really strange.

[dbhost]

FWIW, if that saw is 3.5 years old, it is most definately not a BT3000, but rather a BT3100-1. (very close but not exactly the same). Now only reason I bring this is up to preclude any BT3000 specific motor issues if there are any. I do not know.

If the motor sounds like it is spinning up and staying spinning but the blade does not move, you most likely have broken belts. You will need to take the side panel off and check. (I guess you can check from underneath if you want...)

Starving a saw for electricity through overloading a circuit, using too small a gauge extension cord, or overloading the circuit it is on can and often does lead to an overloaded / overheated motor and labored cuts. If you try to force the cuts, the belts will overheat and break to save the motor.

If you have to use an extension cord, use as large of a gauge and short of a length as possible. And use a dedicated circuit if possible.

Now for the most important thing. send a PM to LCHIEN and ask him for the BT3K FAQ. Not sure where my copy is, and he is sort of the author / keeper of the file... A LOT of this sort of info can be had there.

Hopefully you can have the saw back up and happy shortly.

[tfischer]

Now for the most important thing. send a PM to LCHIEN and ask him for the BT3K FAQ. Not sure where my copy is, and he is sort of the author / keeper of the file... A LOT of this sort of info can be had there.

Sorry to hijack, but is there any reason that the FAQ isn't just a sticky post somewhere here on the forums?

[LCHIEN]

Sorry to hijack, but is there any reason that the FAQ isn't just a sticky post somewhere here on the forums?

there was a longish debate about that some time back.
Since it's a continuously updated document, I need to have control over the content.
There was no way for me to update it on this site directly. and it's too large for a post attachment.
So I just e-mail it on request now.

[LCHIEN]

After blowing your breaker two or three times you'd think the saw was trying to send you a message. Resetting it ten times and trying immediately despite diminishing run times smacks of desperation or dogheaded determination.

I'm not trying to be smart alecky or flame you but you gotta listen to this saw.
It's an accurate saw but not a super-heavy duty saw.
Everything has got to be right to do long thick rips. Even then, if the wood closes up around the blade it can be daunting.
Overheating destroys motors.
That's the kind of conditions that will burnout a motor, but it sounds like the belts may have gone and protected the motor in this case.
I hope everything works out OK for you.

[cgallery]

Well, if the belts (or at least one of them) is in place and the blade isn't spinning, then the motor has to have self-destructed.

[RayintheUK]

If the motor is spinning, but nothing else is, then I believe there are only two possibilities:

1) The belt that you can see may appear not to be broken, because it's in one piece, but the inner serrations may have stripped out, making it ineffective.

2) The Woodruff Key (3/16in.) on the arbor has broken. This would allow the motor to spin, but the arbor would not.

Switch off the power - unplug the saw to be safe. Carefully turn the blade by hand in both directions and report on what happens. Either the blade will turn but the motor won't, or both will turn together. If the latter happens, it sounds like you've burnt out one of the field windings. You might want to check the length and condition of the motor brushes too, while you're at it.

If the blade appears to be turning the motor, look closely at the belts. There are two, both of which are needed for correct operation. If you've only got one, then either one went West ages ago, or your recent activity shredded one but failed to break the other.

Finally, remove the blade, restore power and see what happens then. If the arbor turns without the blade but not with it, then the motor's had it, IMO.

Ray.

Ray.

[Fastnhappy]

If the belts broke, then they'd actually physically break, right? Both are still attached and have good tension. Does that mean my motor is shot?

[dbhost]

Or stripped the woodruff key on the shaft.

[RayintheUK]

If the belts broke, then they'd actually physically break, right? Both are still attached and have good tension. Does that mean my motor is shot?

I thought that my reply covered these points adequately and it required a couple of test results from you before further assistance. However, if you can't be bothered to read the reply or carry out the tests ............

Ray

[Fastnhappy]

I appologize Ray,

I posted the last question in haste - I was on my way out the door and my wife was yelling for me to get a move on. Sorry!

Now I'm back from a couple very hectic days and I'm hoping to get to the bottom of this problem.

OK... so when i turn the blade, the belts are turning, but are not turning the motor shaft. It takes a fair amount of force to turn them and I can hear them slipping across the surface of the shaft like rubber on metal. Are there teeth on the inside of the belts that are supposed to catch on the teeth of the motor shaft?

Even so, when I turn on the saw, nothing is spinning. The motor shaft is not spinning "under" the belts, and I would expect the blade to spin even if the belts were worn. Everything seems like there's something "stuck" inside the motor that's not allowing it to spin.

I have all the screws out, but I cant seem to get the motor apart. What am I doing wrong?