Shopsmith Forums

I think the idea of have a simple clock to let you know how many hours the shopsmith has run is a good idea. If they ever come up with a model 530 it would be nice to have that function built in.

I'm also sure that a electronics surplus store would have hour meters that could be fit in the headstock housing as mentioned by Bill. These would be mechanical units that were very common some years back and were designed to run for almost ever, so, a source of used ones could let you stick them a lot of places. If any of you sparkies are out visiting your favor site keep us in mind.

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All of this reminds me of a friend of mine who had daughter who had this bad habit of coming in late. He told her they would leave a light on for her and then when she got in she should shut off the light. He put a clock on the circuit and she would turn off the light which also stopped the clock at the time she got home.

She couldn't figure out how they kept track of the time she got home, she would try everything she could think of to keep it quiet, get dropped off a half block away, take off her shoes, come in another door, anything. The thing was she never gave a second thought to turning off the light. Things finally were resolved and some years later he showed her just how it worked... sometimes these simple solutions work really well. Younger members with younger kids keep this in mind as sooner or later your kids will become teenagers.

Ed

greitz wrote:Bill- pardon my extreme lack of electrical understanding. Is your hour meter wired in series with the power switch, or in parallel to it, or something else? I saw the pictures of the quick splice connectors in your link, but I still don't understand what wires go where. Sorry!

Gary

I am using a 110 VAC hour meter (less than $10 new) in parallel to the motor wires. The quick splice connector (3 holes) has the wire you are tapping into (motor lead) going through the outside connector holes and the wire to the meter is dead ended on the other side of the connector (no stripping of insulation). There is a metal piece with 2 slots for cutting the insulation on both wires being used. You use pliers to force the metal piece over both wires making the connection. I used 16 ga wire to the meter and the motor wires are 14 ga. There is a specific quick splice connector to use depending on the wire sizes being used. You need 2 quick splice connectors, one for each motor wire. I did not connect the hour meter wires near or to the ON/OFF switch as the Speed Control quadrant and/or Control Sheave would interfere with or hit the wires. I have used these quick splice connectors for years without any problems. They are excellant for automotive electrical systems too.

greitz wrote:OOPS! JPG and Ed, you were absolutely right, the clock (hour meter) works fine with just the DC3300 when you REMEMBER TO TURN ON THE DC! That foot switch is a blessing, but sometimes I wish it was easier to tell if it is on or off just by looking.

Bill- pardon my extreme lack of electrical understanding. Is your hour meter wired in series with the power switch, or in parallel to it, or something else? I saw the pictures of the quick splice connectors in your link, but I still don't understand what wires go where. Sorry!

Gary

Parallel with the motor! That way it runs only when the motor runs.

You can now sleep in late Bill.

Bill- thanks for the excellent explanation, it's even clear to a rookie like me!

JPG and Ed- thanks for your help also. I'm really slow at lathe work, and I've been wondering if I've got the SS motor running lots longer than I think, and consequently not doing maintenance often enough. So I just wanted an easy way to verify that.

Gary

Bill:

Where do you find the hour meters for $ 10?

It is a great price. I could not find anything below $20.

Thanks

eartigas wrote:Bill:

Where do you find the hour meters for $ 10?

It is a great price. I could not find anything below $20.

Thanks

I brought 2 batches of 6 units each on Ebay (hour meter) last year. I had to look for a month or two to find new hour meters. I got round 2 1/8" OD meter bodies that was less than 1" deep so the wires would not touch anything inside the headstock. This was the only one I could find today on Ebay Item number: 180365157007 for 5 hour meters but not sure about the depth or if they will fit. They are available every so often.

McMaster.com has item 1878T42 for $21, which looks like it will work.

Ken