wood lathe problems

[bobbycrich]

I have a problem hoping people on can give me some help & advice. I bought a sealey SM1308 wood lathe towards the end of April 2015 all was fine until October when the lathe wouldn't start I found the micro switch had burnt out don't know why but I got a replacement from where I purchased lathe at no cost as still under warranty that duly fitted so I carried on with my turning, then in January this year when to my lathe turned power on & got an electric shock when I put my hand on the body of the lathe as I was standing on a wooden duck board the shock wasn't to bad it turned out the micro switch was at fault as I purchased one from the electrical store instead of going back to the manufacturer. Then in march the motor burnt itself out due to the capacitor packing up, waited 2 weeks for a replacement motor fitted that last monday week which was fine for a couple of hours when the lathe stopped working again this time I put it down to the belt being worn because the belt was frayed waited a week for the new belt to come it arrived this morning so I duly fitted that turned power on Nothing happened all I got was a clicking noise, so I rang supplier up who told me it sounded like the capacitor he told me to remove belt which I had done already spin the main wheel then switch machine on motor should spin which it did so turned it of as motor was giving off smelly fumes the supplier said the capacitor was faulty & said he would get in touch with sealey then ring me back which he did he said sealey don't do capacitors but would get one a washing machine repair shop. so I came off the phone to look on the internet for washing machine repairs also tried to get some info on sale of goods act but not much info there as machine is over 6 months old. So I am hoping you guys can give me some advice where to go next as I am getting frustrated now as I have promised to make some items for upcoming family birthdays. Thanks in anticipation

 

[CHJ]

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Electric-Motor ... 7675.l2563

 

[Dave Brookes]

I have looked at reviews on the Internet and they are nearly all negative, particularly wrt the motor and associated electrics. It doesn't appear to like being switched on and off regularly! I would certainly get any further repairs done by a qualified electrician (unless you are) as it sounds a bit risky. Can't offer any more save bin it and start again with a different make.
If you were closer, you would be welcome to use my workshop to make the things you need.

Dave

 

[AJB Temple]

Bobby. Sale of Goods Act has been replaced by Consumer Rights Act in October 2015 but your purchase was prior and disputes will be dealt with under the old law, which is less favourable. Fundamentally though under both laws the goods must be fit for purpose and yours appear to have failed on that count and you should have rejected them really asap. Your post is confusing as you said you got a replacement (switch?) from where you purchased the lathe, and then also said you purchased the micro switch elsewhere and fitted it yourself: this will not help your cause as it will be easy to argue that you contributed to the subsequent faults.

In your shoes I would still try to reject the lathe as being fundamentally defective and request a full refund. Supplier will refuse that probably but you should insist on them repairing it to your satisfaction or replacing it (not necessarily with a new one - they do not have to do that). Return the lathe and be polite but very firm. If necessary use on-line small claims court to pursue a refund: this is easy and user friendly. Citizens advice bureau can help you if you need that.

 

[bobbycrich]

Sorry AJB Temple it should have read I changed the connectors on the wires to the micro switch which came with the original switch were damaged so I replaced them which I bought from the electrical shop sorry for the confusion.

 

[bobbycrich]

Thanks for the offer Dave yes you are a bit to far away for me. Thanks anyway

 

[woodpig]

Provided the rest of the lathe suits your needs then the electrical side of things should be repairable at modest cost provided the motor itself isn't faulty. Sadly NVR switches and capacitors commonly need replacing but new ones aren't expensive. I've recently had to replace the capacitor on one of my machines and now the switch looks like it's on the way out so you're not alone although in my case the machine is a few years old.

 

[bobbycrich]

Thanks for the info Woodpig I have managed to source a capacitor quite local to where I live 2 in fact from a washing repair man at £15 each so will get them & a spare

 

[woodpig]

Cheapest place is probably on the net but I wanted to see exactly what I was buying so I got mine from Maplin. Good idea on the washing machine repair man though. The main thing is safety, replacing a switch or capacitor is simple enough in most cases but if you've got any doubts get someone else to check your work before you plug it in! Hope you get it sorted.

 

[bobbycrich]

used to assemble generators for a living many many years ago so pretty competent on that side of things but thanks for the advice

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

The repeat problems relating to the switch and indeed electrical things generally are often dust related as the underlying cause. I've had various electrical components go wrong, burn out and generally mis-behave when in the presence of lots of woodworking dust and of course a lathe is top of the list for creating fine dust when sanding.

My procedure now is to use an air line to blow all the main areas around the motor when I finish a particularly dusty session. I make sure I have lung protection as it makes a mess but it keeps the motor/switches/inverter clear of dust.

 

[bobbycrich]

Thanks for the advice Bob I never think about blowing the dust out of the motor the only thing I do is as I have the other half`s spare cylinder hoover I hoover everything else up around the lathe as its quite a powerful hoover it does the job quite well, what I could use is the airbed electric pump & put it on blow that should be enough to get rid of the dust in the motor, will let you know how I get on.

 

[woodpig]

It's always best to vacuum stuff out if you can as blowing it can force the dust further into crevices.

Having said that my wet and dry vac has a blow function so after I've finished cleaning up with the vac proper I sometimes give a light blow over the equipment and then put the air cleaner on 2hr timer and go indoors.