Shopsmith Forums

Went to use the lathe today 5/27/15 , turned on the main power at the head and all I got was a flickering of light on the little screen the unit is dead. Has any one had this problem ? Will try to call customer service 5/28/15. Last used the lathe about a week ago without any issues.
Purchased the unit 12/13/13. Thank you Jerry

I assume you checked the power. It was plugged in tight. Also assume you flipped the circuit breaker.

If you got a DIY headstock you can probably check the wiring, but if not, a call to SS is the answer.

Best wishes!

Have a heavy duty 4 outlet extension cord mounted to front of machine for power to equipment so that I don't have to crawl under to plug in various items, will double check that the extension cord is fully pushed into the base socket.
I did try a small light that worked but the Head takes a lot more power then a small Led spot light. Thank you for the heads up on checking the base plug. Jerry

Jerry
I had a similar problem when I bought my factory assembled PP. I turned it on and got a green light on the display but no letters or numbers and the machine did not boot up. I left it sit for 24 hours and then it booted up OK and has done so for the past 5 years. Don't know what caused the glitch and probably never will.
If you feel confident enough you may want to open it up and make sure all of the electrical connectors are full seated.
Also I have a 0 to 15 amp analog ammeter and the PP pulls almost no current at idle (that is the spindle not turning but the system is booted up). When the spindle is turning at 3450 RPM and only the saw blade as a load the meter indicated about 3 amp load. The PP is a VERY efficient system.
Bill V

I wonder what happens when you put a load on the motor; something like cutting 2" thick oak. Unless they have come up with a way to get "something for nothing", we are missing some detail.

Horse power is required and I don't believe we get much horse power at 3amps and 110vac.

http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/power/watt-to-hp.htm

dusty wrote:I wonder what happens when you put a load on the motor; something like cutting 2" thick oak. Unless they have come up with a way to get "something for nothing", we are missing some detail.

Horse power is required and I don't believe we get much horse power at 3amps and 110vac.

http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/power/watt-to-hp.htm

Correct, with a load the amps increase, there is no something for nothing. It is just does better at not wasting the power, using what it needs.

Thank you for your rapid marketing response but I am still left wondering.

To get 1 1/2 hp (or more) requires some additional current (to make the hp formula work). Now this may no longer be true with the new DVR motor technology and maybe that is why I am left wondering.

Many new users have expressed how much they like the new PowerPro and how it is so much more quiet and consumes less power. I believe all of that but as stated earlier "I am still left wondering (not doubting)" --- How?

dusty wrote:Thank you for your rapid marketing response but I am still left wondering.

To get 1 1/2 hp (or more) requires some additional current (to make the hp formula work). Now this may no longer be true with the new DVR motor technology and maybe that is why I am left wondering.

Many new users have expressed how much they like the new PowerPro and how it is so much more quiet and consumes less power. I believe all of that but as stated earlier "I am still left wondering (now doubting)" --- How?

What is to doubt? That works out to less than 11 amperes at 1 3/4 hp. Seldom is that full load needed. Typical/average loads would be far less.

Yes that calculation ignores efficiency, but serves as an estimate. The DVR will be more efficient since it only consumes electrical power when delivering mechanical horsepower.

Remember it is pulsed power. That in itself implies less than steady state power consumption(albeit some very large peaks(pulses)).

The quiet comes from the minimalization of moving parts(no clunking sheaves and whirring caused by those meshing faces).

Now a loaded question. How come doubling the supply voltage only increases the hp to 2?

Dusty
Yes you are correct, but the system only draws extra current when it is put under load. That is the beauty of the whole system.
Teknatool used to have a video on their website of a side to side comparison of a conventional lathe and one of their DVR lathes. At the end of the test the watthour meter showed a savings of 50% in the power consumption. A conventional induction motor that powers my bandsaw draws 12 amps under no load and more under load. It is the "no load" power consumption where the savings are realized. The microprocessor and the RPM monitoring senses the load and makes the proper adjustments to speed and torque constant.
JPG; I think that the power dissipation limits of the power supply components have a little bit to do with the voltage ratings vs power. ( more likely an engineering decision).
Bill V

wa2crk wrote:Dusty
Yes you are correct, but the system only draws extra current when it is put under load. That is the beauty of the whole system.
Teknatool used to have a video on their website of a side to side comparison of a conventional lathe and one of their DVR lathes. At the end of the test the watthour meter showed a savings of 50% in the power consumption. A conventional induction motor that powers my bandsaw draws 12 amps under no load and more under load. It is the "no load" power consumption where the savings are realized. The microprocessor and the RPM monitoring senses the load and makes the proper adjustments to speed and torque constant.
JPG; I think that the power dissipation limits of the power supply components have a little bit to do with the voltage ratings vs power. ( more likely an engineering decision).
Bill V

The operative word being "extra"; this is true of all electrical circuits. When the load increases, the current increases. Actually, in this discussion I consider "load" and "current" to be synonymous.

The bottom line: The PowerPro (DVR) is more efficient than other similarly sized motors of conventional design. I buy all of that. I just don't understand the apparent contradictions when one applies the mathematical formulas to the PowerPro characteristics.

If the definition of horse power remains applicable to the dvr, then it consumes 745.699872 watts of power whenever it is delivering 1 horse power. If delivering 1hp of energy, it is drawing 6.2 amperes of current if operating on 120vac. I don't care which motor technology is at play.

745.699872hp/120 vac = 6.212989 amperes.

Tell me where I am wrong!