A potters wheel need to repair - Newbie help with electrics.

Thread Starter

threlfaw

Joined Nov 2, 2018
7
Hi, not sure if I'm in the right place and please let me know where i should be if wrong.

My wife has recently acquired a potters wheel that is in need of repair.
I know nothing about electrics but she is expecting me to be able to repair it.

So, my problem is how can I do this without any knowledge of electrics, I'm hoping you guys can help me.
I am led to believe that the on/off switch needs replacing and on checking there isn't one on there any more.

I've taken the sides off to have a look further and there are a number of wires running from the motor and something else, possible speed control?
Would it be best to send in some photos or a diagram of the wiring?

Thanks in advance.

Will
 

ArakelTheDragon

Joined Nov 18, 2016
1,362
I love this
My wife has recently acquired a potters wheel that is in need of repair.
I know nothing about electrics but she is expecting me to be able to repair it.
I want a wife too....

We will gladly help you if we can (at least me). Please do not disconnect anything before we know whats going on.

Edit:
Lets start with my standard approaches.
1. How did it get damaged, do you know anything?
2. From where did you get it (or your wife in this case)?
3. What have you tried until now?
4. Does it even start?
5. Do you know how to use a multicet?
6. Do you know what is "+" and "-"?
7. Do you know that electricity can kill you even if its 5VDC?
 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
First...I would suggest not starting with "pfft...you bought it... YOU fix it" or similar statements.

But yes.. Pictures from multiple angles would certainly help.. And not of your wife.. We are talking about pictures of the pottery wheel (its motor,etc...) here.. :p
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,788
Welcome to AAC!
My wife has recently acquired a potters wheel that is in need of repair.
I know nothing about electrics but she is expecting me to be able to repair it.
What is the problem? Why does she think you can repair something that you know nothing about? Do you realize that you could burn your house down or get someone hurt/killed if you mess with line voltages and screw something up?
I've taken the sides off to have a look further and there are a number of wires running from the motor and something else, possible speed control?
Would it be best to send in some photos or a diagram of the wiring?
Post photos, wiring diagram, and model number.

What problem are you trying to fix?
 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
Welcome to AAC!
What is the problem? Why does she think you can repair something that you know nothing about? Do you realize that you could burn your house down or get someone hurt/killed if you mess with line voltages and screw something up?
Maybe she is sleeping with someone else and this is her master plan to get him out of the picture?
She didn't just increase your life insurance policy by any chance did she?
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,061
There are certainly a lot of inappropriate comments here, most of them not adequately addressing the problem, whatever that problem may be.

To start at the beginning, what appears to be damaged on the potters wheel assembly?

BUT does it have a nameplate label that indicates the power requirements and possibly a brand? At that point you may be able to do an on-line search and possibly get some information about how the thing is supposed to function. Knowing just what a device is supposed to do is quite useful in determining where there is a specific problem.
Where it came from is not really important unless it has been underwater, in which case it may be hopeless. Or if parts are missing but may be still with the previous owner.
 

Thread Starter

threlfaw

Joined Nov 2, 2018
7
B52C501C-9A8B-41C0-BB7C-FA627EC2C46D.jpeg F6E48514-B6D8-4E9F-B00B-853CB54CDAAE.jpeg C02FB5E3-CC19-4790-AB95-88A9D1362C80.jpeg BDA9C666-2EE1-4EC5-B9DC-B499E9730749.jpeg D5200FA6-4AB8-489D-B609-FB4764EEB9A5.jpeg I’m 44EAF40C-2AA6-4EA2-BF5D-7DF0F77FBD53.jpeg 27BE59DB-E6F8-42C0-A8CD-938665453AE5.jpeg 9AFD3C6A-0D59-4803-AB51-BFDD8ED4577A.jpeg Hi all, sorry it’s taken me a while to reply, been a busy week.
I finally got round to taking a few pictures of the wheel and will ppst them here. I’ve even drawn a bit of a diagram of the wiring but go easy as I know nothing about electrics!!

Just for a bit of history, the wheel was given to my wife from a friend who had it sat in her garage as a home to Spiders. It used to work but needed a new stop/start button.
On the side of the wheel is a red light, a green and red button that I have taken you for as it isn’t wired and a hole for the main stop/star button.
4311EEAD-51C5-4C08-9414-5108F416257C.jpeg
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,061
I routinely repair things that I have never seen before and may not have any information about them. The method is to understand what it is and how it should go together, and then note how it is actually working. The difference is where the problem lies and what must be corrected. AND, don't make those comments about the guy's wife. It is both dangerous and foolhardy. The first step is to identify the individual parts, and then figure out what they are supposed to do, versus what they are actually doing, and then that describes where the problem is. This evening I repaired an antenna rotator using that method.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,576
You need to expose the motor in order to find the type used, it looks like UK origin?
Looks like someone has been in it already, there is what appears to be aux contacts from a contactor?
Possibly start relay missing.
What is the manuf. name on the yellow cover?
Max.
 

LesJones

Joined Jan 8, 2017
4,174
I suspect the yellow box contains a speed controller. (This is based on what looks like a linkage from what looks like a foot pedle to a potentiometer.) What is inside the yellow box ? If the motor is a three phase AC motor then the box probably contains a VFD and a potentiometer. If the motor is a DC motor then there will be a speed controller board. If the motor is a siries wound (Universal.) motor the the yellow box will probably just contain a phase angle control board. (This is unlikely as it would give very poor speed regulation. other things to check on the motor are. Does it have brushes ? How many wires (Excluding the earth.) connect to the motor ? These two questions will hepl to identify the type of motor.

Les.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,061
It is not clear to me just what type the motor is, more photos should verify that. The diagram was entirely adequate, telling us that the package was mains powered and did indeed have some sort of speed control that includes both a variable command and an end of motion switch, which may be either shut-off at minimum or direct drive at max. Some over-all pictures could help with that part. The important numbers on the motor plate are unreadable in the picture, so we need some help there. And there may be, I hope, some additional information on that yellow box, such as a model number or a power rating.
There is still hope for this project.
 

Thread Starter

threlfaw

Joined Nov 2, 2018
7
Thanks for all your responses.
After speaking to the person that supplied it i am told that the motor works just fine.
The only think that needs replacing is the on/off button.
When looking at the wiring, i dont have a clue what how that would be wired up.

Can anyone explain what all the small plastic boxes are that the wires connect to?
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,576
Can anyone explain what all the small plastic boxes are that the wires connect to?
So presumably there is/was no speed control?
Personally I would scrap the existing controls, stop/start etc and replace with a more modern, easier to set up circuit.
The best thing would try and get someone local that can steer you in the right direction and help hooking it up with you.
Max.
 

Thread Starter

threlfaw

Joined Nov 2, 2018
7
So presumably there is/was no speed control?
Personally I would scrap the existing controls, stop/start etc and replace with a more modern, easier to set up circuit.
The best thing would try and get someone local that can steer you in the right direction and help hooking it up with you.
Max.
The speed is governed by the foot pedal which intern pushes a level attached to the Yellow Box, so i guess that controls the motor speed.
 
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