Little things some of us take for granted

Machines that make the foundry run.
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archaic caster
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Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 1:40 pm
Location: suffolk, Virginia

Little things some of us take for granted

Post by archaic caster »

Hey all I'm talkin about air compressors some of us use them for burners and the moulding process and many other things. Well I need some help. On craigslist there is a 5 gallon compressor for 45bucks the catch is the motor is shot supposedly and a gauge or two needs to be replaced. So what can I do. The tech specs say it's an induction motor and im clueless as to what that means. Is this even worth my time? Please help I need an answer for the guy by sat.
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Nudge
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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Little things some of us take for granted

Post by Nudge »

If it is a belt driven induction motor then it is all good because it can be changed. if it is direct drive it is not so easy and I would stay away.
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Wayne
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Joined: Tue May 31, 2011 10:27 pm
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: Little things some of us take for granted

Post by Wayne »

Tried to send this last night, but the net went down...
.................

That's just an ordinary AC motor. You need to know what HP the motor is, the shaft size and direction of rotation. AC motors available today are usually reversible and can be used on 110 volt or 220 volt service. If you get the right shaft size, you can reuse the old drive pulley. I picked up an old Sears compressor at a yard sale some years ago for a good price. A couple of years ago the motor killed itself. I was able to find a compatible motor at Harbor Freight on sale that was a perfect fit and my 50+ year old compressor still does the job.

Wayne
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GypsyTinker
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Re: Little things some of us take for granted

Post by GypsyTinker »

An induction motor is lower maintenance than just about any other electric motor. It has no electrical contacts to the rotor (the thing that spins inside and is connected to the shaft).

It "induces" the power in the rotor like a transformer induces the power in it's secondary coil. I've just learned this recently :) Some call them rotary transformers, although it is transforming electricity to rotary motion, it works very much like a transformer.

It is likely you could put just about any motor on it, but a single phase induction motor would be most versatile and low maintenance.

The HP is the key! Also rpm and rotation direction, but those can be compensated with pulley size.
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Nudge
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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Little things some of us take for granted

Post by Nudge »

Have you got a pic or a link to one?
I was thinking even if it was one with the motor and compressor as an all in one unit, it could be made into one with a belt drive it would just meen a bit more working out and mucking around.
I like to build "Stuff" using Stuff that costs Stuff All!
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