Oh No! My DC motor died- I guess?

[lcm1947]

Well, you killed my idea Loring. Thank you very much. So back to the drawing board. So are there any ideas out there what we can do other then trying to order ( if they even carry ) this switch. I really would rather buy something that would last. Course I could buy like 6 of them I suppose.

[LCHIEN]

Well, you killed my idea Loring. Thank you very much. So back to the drawing board. So are there any ideas out there what we can do other then trying to order ( if they even carry ) this switch. I really would rather buy something that would last. Course I could buy like 6 of them I suppose.

well, you can try it. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I think if it doesn't last then after 50 or 100 uses it will stop working. Possibly the worst result is that the switch may get pitted and develop a few ohms resistance and then it will overheat with possible danger of fire.
I think the switches them selves are pretty inexpensive.

I read specifications for a living. If I am building a product and I use a part not specified for the application, then I am at fault. Sometimes, you call the manufacturer and ask why it can't be used for this and they'll make onespecial for you or explain why it won't work, or give you some samples to try and see. If I am building 1000's of a product, 95% reliability is not good enough I sure don't want to see 5 or 10% failure because I misused a part. But if I am building one for myself, I'll take a flyer on 95% being good enough for the convenience or cost savings.
Of course, if the 5% means burning down your house, then that's not a good bet, but for non-critical, you can afford to try.

Example: Just a scenario - You never know, it may turn out they have gold plating on the contacts, there's a manufacturing range variance of 10 microns to 50 microns. 95% have 30-50 microns but
5% have the minimum 10-20 mcirons of plating. So to prevent failure they specify a
motor rating that won't damage the thinest allowable plating. So if your luck is bad then you get a thinly plated switch first, then a second one is thcker and lasts forever.

I'm just trying to say, life is seldom black and white. Specifications never mean that all units will fail exactly at that specification point, just that they expect 100% of them to work up to that value.

[Ken Massingale]

Well, you killed my idea Loring. Thank you very much. So back to the drawing board. So are there any ideas out there what we can do other then trying to order ( if they even carry ) this switch. I really would rather buy something that would last. Course I could buy like 6 of them I suppose.

I'm not disagreeing with Loring but will pass on my experience.
I have had the switch on my HF DC in the On position for way over 2 years. I have the DC plugged into a dedicated receptacle, the power to the receptacle is controlled by a household wiring 20 amp switch that is mounted on the ceiling above where I stand at the tablesaw. When I want the DC I just reach overhead and operate the switch. I don't leave the DC on when it's not needed so the switch has seen lot's of operations, with no problems. These switches are used for fluorescent lighting, as well as incandesent, and the ballast in fluorescent fixtures is inductive, althought not as much a load as a motor surge. Stuff like this can be nit-picked to death. If you're uneasy about a household switch, go to the nearest electrical supply house and tell them you want a switch suitable for a 2 HP motor.
ken

[LCHIEN]

I'm not disagreeing with Loring but will pass on my experience.
I have had the switch on my HF DC in the On position for way over 2 years. I have the DC plugged into a dedicated receptacle, the power to the receptacle is controlled by a household wiring 20 amp switch that is mounted on the ceiling above where I stand at the tablesaw. When I want the DC I just reach overhead and operate the switch. I don't leave the DC on when it's not needed so the switch has seen lot's of operations, with no problems. These switches are used for fluorescent lighting, as well as incandesent, and the ballast in fluorescent fixtures is inductive, althought not as much a load as a motor surge. Stuff like this can be nit-picked to death. If you're uneasy about a household switch, go to the nearest electrical supply house and tell them you want a switch suitable for a 2 HP motor.
ken

I didn't really say not to use it. I was just pointing out that it wasn't spec'd to handle that, you stand a good chance for one-off applications that it may work, even if you have to try a couple.
I did say that if you were making thousands to sell, I definatley wouldn't use it. Liability, returns, etc.

[lcm1947]

Thanks Loring and Ken. I think I will try finding a switch rated for 2HP. I personally believe overkill is good so don't take many if any chances if I can help it. A chicken kind of guy if you haven't already gathered that by now. Now for the fun part. How many ways are there to mount the switch? I haven't even thought along the lines you have Ken and while it sounds like a very good way to rig it, with the way I haul the DC around to each machine it would require too much walking for me. Any other ideas? I guess I'm thinking along the lines of mounting the switch somehow to the DC.

[LCHIEN]

Thanks Loring and Ken. I think I will try finding a switch rated for 2HP. I personally believe overkill is good so don't take many if any chances if I can help it. A chicken kind of guy if you haven't already gathered that by now. Now for the fun part. How many ways are there to mount the switch? I haven't even thought along the lines you have Ken and while it sounds like a very good way to rig it, with the way I haul the DC around to each machine it would require too much walking for me. Any other ideas? I guess I'm thinking along the lines of mounting the switch somehow to the DC.

That's why mine has a wireless remote control rigged with a 30-amp motor switching capacity.

[Ken Massingale]

Now for the fun part. How many ways are there to mount the switch? I haven't even thought along the lines you have Ken and while it sounds like a very good way to rig it, with the way I haul the DC around to each machine it would require too much walking for me. Any other ideas? I guess I'm thinking along the lines of mounting the switch somehow to the DC.

Mac,
I just had a good look at my DC. The switch is mounted facing up so it's easy for dust to get into it. I would take it out and take it with me to the electrical supply and tell them you need one for a 2 hp motor, the same physical size as the original. Mounting the replacement in a new location is going to be a royal PITA. I would make sure to get a sealed switch because the HF mounting has the switch facing up, with it's opening gobbling dust. Which is, I'm betting, why they are beginning to fail.
HTH
ken

[messmaker]

I use a regular 110v switch on the DC. I leave the unit switch on, and use a wired outlet with a remote switch that is beside my tablesaw. It has been turned on many times.

[Brian G]

Thanks for the information on my query. I still have time to mull this over; getting my DC in place is my next project. It's collecting dust, but not as it's intended. The Shop-Vac has been plugging along, but now with a bandsaw and drum sander in the arsenal, it's no longer sufficient.

[just4funsies]

You won't find a regular wall switch or switched outlet rated for 2hp at 120v. There are wall switches rated for 2hp, but at 220v (they're double pole). They will still be rated only for 1hp at 120v. Ratings can be misleading sometimes, though. I think most folks on here are probably plugging their DC's into 20a rated outlets without a problem.

[JR]

Which is, I'm betting, why they are beginning to fail.

Possibly. OTOH, I disassembled the switch on mine this weekend and repaired it. it is an unmitigated POS, giving a bad name to to the bailing wire and chewing gum school of mechanical design.

That might have something to do with it, too.

JR

[lcm1947]

I got good news today from HF. They do carry the switch and it's only like $6.97 plus shipping which is more then the switch of course but for $15.00 total I'm OK with that. In case anybody else wants to order you can call 800-444-3353 and tell them you want a switch for the model 45378 DC and the switch part number is 9. Yeah just plain 9 ( nine ). Anyway, solved my problem but I am thinking about rigging it up somehow to cut down on the walking back and forth but that may be impossible since like I stated I haul the DC to the tool in use. Kind of a pain but I don't trust even this 2 HP motor to be able to do what I want a DC to do beyond 5 feet of black ribbed hose. I might consider well more if 6" diameter smooth pipe but then only using one run at a time and I use two whenever possible. Thanks for all the help and replies gentlemen.

[LCHIEN]

I got good news today from HF. They do carry the switch and it's only like $6.97 plus shipping which is more then the switch of course but for $15.00 total I'm OK with that. ...

Maybe I'm a pessimist but I would buy a second switch for $7 more

0) you already paid the shipping, the second one ships free
1) because if it broke once its a weak point and it may break again
2) because Murphy's law says if you have a spare, you then know it will never break again.

[lcm1947]

Well, Loring we think alike because that is what I did. I got two of them mainly because of shipping like you said. I figure if the next one goes out I'll have a back up and then I will rig something else up but if they last 1 1/2 like this one did then in another 3 years I'll probably be ready for a new DC anyway. I'd imagine by then they're have something a lot more effecient and I'll be ready to trade this one in if I don't do it sooner.