Record CL4

[Froggy]

Hi I've just received this message from a friend local to me in France and wondered if any one can help :
'The control box on my Lathe has shorted out. The lathe is one that I inherited from my father-in-law. The lathe is made by Record Power and is a CL4 , I have been in touch with Record Power and the say they can help but, I will have to buy new control box which they say comes with a new motor at a cost £600, to £700.
I have also been in touch with a firm that say they can build me a new control box and motor but that will also cost about £600.
I was wondering if you know of anyone that could have a look at it for me or if there is anyone you know that sells reconditioned control boxes.'
Obviously I don't expect anyone to come out to France (although that might be a cheaper option!) but if anyone has a second hand control box or any advice that would help etc. We would be grateful.

 

[Lazurus]

Try Hadock converters they do upgrades so may be cheaper for better.......

 

[Froggy]

Thanks Lazarus.

 

[Sideways]

A little digging tells me :
The record CL4 has a 1 horsepower induction motor (0.75kW)
It's a 3phase, 4 pole, 1400rpm type
It operates off 220V "delta wound".
The mounting flange is a B14 and the spindle is 19mm dia.

This looks like a perfectly generic motor.
Record have had someone put the variable speed drive electronics in a sealed box and screw it on the top of the motor terminal box.

A general purpose variable speed drive could power this motor perfectly well but someone would have to remove the old control box, put a new electronic drive in a dustproof enclosure (not on top of the motor), wire it up and make a remote control box to put the knobs and switches somewhere accessible.

By the time they had run around sorting a one off like this, anyone being paid a sensible wage would charge you at least £500 of which about £220 would be for the parts.

Buying something off the shelf means you benefit from someone having sorted everything out in advance, plus a guarantee. You're replacing a perfectly good motor for no reason except that it's better value because you don't need to solve any of the hook up issues all over again.

With a Haydock retrofit kit you might get a better quality / more powerful motor. The one that record fit (according to a screenshot of the nameplate in a youtube video) doesn't appear to be anything special but it would be prudent to measure the motor spindle length just to be sure.

Kudos to Record for putting their electronics in a properly sealed box. Axminster, Powermatic and many others don't. They take an off the shelf variable speed drive not designed for dusty environments, screw it to the back of the lathe and add a cheap folded metal shield that keeps fingers off the terminals - minimum compliance - and lets the built in fan move some air. Suggestion - if you have a compressor, blow these out regularly but carefully.

 

[Honest John]

I have bought from Haydock before and like their quality. I recently had a conversation with them on a completely different subject, but he did say to me that they used to provide the electronics for Record Power laths for many years, before RP started talking liberties with pricing and started outsourcing in the Far East. This being the case, it is highly likely that Haydock made the unit on your lathe that has failed, and it would be a good idea to call them.

 

[Froggy]

Thanks Sideways and John, but my friend has already contacted Haydock's and this is what he said to me
'I have already spoken to Haydock converters, they seemed very helpful and they sold me a front cover for the control box, which at the time was all I needed. When the front cover came there was no wiring diagram and it looked as if it was wired differently, so I contacted them again and he emailed a diagram after I had sent him some photos. I wired as per diagram and that is when it shorted out, and now of course it’s kaput. I then went back to Haydock and he said I would need a new control box and motor which of course they could supply at approx. £600.'
But I will pass your helpful comments on to him.