vince pitelka on fri 6 apr 01
solutions?
> I don't think you have a lemon. There are 3 things that drive these
> wheels: motor, speed control(pedal), and rectifier. Everything else is
> just mechanical. Belts and bearings. If you want to know, a rectifier
> changes your a/c current to d/c current. The variable speed motor on your
> wheel runs on d/c but maybe you already knew that?
Craig -
You are a technician, so you already know this, but the functioning of a
perfectly good motor, speed control, and/or rectifier is only as good as the
electrical connections between each of them. When I worked as a mechanic
for the City of Arcata this was the most common cause of electrical failure.
The first thing I always checked was the integrity of wire terminal
connections.
In the case of pottery wheels, this is a primary place where human error can
intervene. It is certainly true that we occasionally encounter faulty
motor, speed control, or rectifier, but those components are manufactured in
relatively automated industrial circumstances with consistent quality
control. We would hope the same would always be true with wheel
manufacturers, but the reality is that the crimping of wire terminals is
often done by relatively unskilled labor of variable strength and
inclination. Even the best wheel manufacturers occasionally have
disgruntled employees who do shoddy work.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
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