Cal-Hawk BS 110V to 220V conversion...

[Michael Dunn]

I know electricity very well and know how to follow simple and complex instructions as well. I just rewired my Delta 50-850 DC for 220V in 6 minutes. So I moved onto my Cal-Hawk BS. (Curse you!!!) I followed the very simple instructions as well as replacing the plug. I turned it on and the motor 'seizes'. It moves, makes noise, and stops. When I says it moves I mean it 'budges'... Barely. Obviously I immediately powered it down. Just for the heck of it it flipped the hot and neutral at the plug. Same thing.

Here's a pic...

1, 2, 3, and 4 are all labeled. The other two wires (yellow) are not. I assumed these would be 5 and 6.

So I wired 1, 3, and the neutral together. 2 and the hot together. Then 4 and the two yellows together assuming they were 5 and 6.

I know it's a good 220V outlet since I've used my WM-718 with it successfully recently.

Any thoughts? Besides buying he Rikon? It's all I think about now.

[Myk Rian]

You should put all these posts about this saw in one thread, instead of spreading them all over he place.

[Michael Dunn]

You should put all these posts about this saw in one thread, instead of spreading them all over he place.

Sorry. How can I do that now? Is it up to the moderators?

[John Lanciani]

I know electricity very well ... Just for the heck of it it flipped the hot and neutral at the plug.

Not trying to be a jerk but these two statements conflict. There is no neutral in a 240 volt 3 wire configuration. Are you sure that everything else you did was correct?

[Michael Dunn]

Not trying to be a jerk but these two statements conflict. There is no neutral in a 240 volt 3 wire configuration. Are you sure that everything else you did was correct?

I know. I meant the white wire. Force of habit, calling it neutral. I just wired it back for 110V to see if the motor was ruined and it was moving backwards. So I flipped the two yellow wires and now the direction is correct.

[Mark Bolton]

Not trying to be a jerk but these two statements conflict. There is no neutral in a 240 volt 3 wire configuration. Are you sure that everything else you did was correct?

That was my observation... The diagram is pretty clear.

[David L Morse]

Michael, assuming all of the details in your descriptions of the connections you made and the results thereof are correct the only conclusion I can come to is that the labeling on the motor does not agree with the connection diagram. If you have the time it might help if you made a few measurements:

DISCONNECT POWER FROM THE MOTOR!
Label one of the Yellow wires "A", the other "B". Make note of which of the Yellows was connected to 1&3 when the motor ran in the correct direction on 110V. Disconnect everything. Use a continuity tester or ohmmeter (preferably analog) to check all 15 combinations of wires for continuity. If it's a capacitor start motor then remove the cover and check the 12 combinations of capacitor terminals and motor leads. Post your results.

[Michael Dunn]

12 combinations? Continuity between what and what? I don't understand. There is a capacitor wired to something around the armature. Beyond that I can't see the other ends of any wires.

Am I supposed to be able to access the other ends of the wires?

[David L Morse]

12 combinations? Continuity between what and what? I don't understand. There is a capacitor wired to something around the armature. Beyond that I can't see the other ends of any wires.

Am I supposed to be able to access the other ends of the wires?
According to your OP there are six wires coming out of the motor into the junction box labeled 1,2,3 and4 with two unmarked yellow ones. In your latest pic there are three wires connected to the incoming black wire. Please mark the yellow one "A" and also record the numbers of the remaining two. Mark the other Yello as "B". Remove the wirenuts and separate all eight wires, moving the two incoming wires out of the way. Now check for continuity between the following pairs:

1-2
1-3
1-4
1-A
1-B
2-3
2-4
2-A
2-B
3-4
3-A
3-B
4-A
4-B
A-B

It looks like your capacitor has pigtails instead of terminals so if you can, see if one of it's wires goes to the junction box and identify which one. (Most likely one of the Yellow ones.) Since you have the centrifugal switch uncovered verify that it's Yellow wire goes to the capacitor and then check for continuity between the other wire on the switch and the six wires in the junction box. (Most likely the other Yellow.)

From the reversal you described and the new pics I'm betting that the yellow wires are the start winding. The problem is that according to the diagram on the motor wires 3 and 4 are the start winding. We need to identify how 1,2,3 and 4 are connected to the run windings if I'm right about the Yellows.

Be sure to record how everything is connected before taking off the wirenuts.

[Phil Thien]

Sorry. How can I do that now? Is it up to the moderators?

Don't worry about it, it is a separate issue and should be a separate thread. You're doing fine.

[Ed Edwards]

Mike Dunn,
I'm not sure how you wired the motor. from what I understand you did is:So I wired 1, 3, and the neutral together. 2 and the hot together. Then 4 and the two yellows together assuming they were 5 and 6.
1&3 to a hot
2 to the other hot
and 4, 5, & 6 together Yes??

I understood the label to wire 1 & 3 to a hot and 2, 4 5 & 6 to the other hot Yes ??? Ed

[Michael Dunn]

According to your OP there are six wires coming out of the motor into the junction box labeled 1,2,3 and4 with two unmarked yellow ones. In your latest pic there are three wires connected to the incoming black wire. Please mark the yellow one "A" and also record the numbers of the remaining two. Mark the other Yello as "B". Remove the wirenuts and separate all eight wires, moving the two incoming wires out of the way. Now check for continuity between the following pairs:

1-2
1-3
1-4
1-A
1-B
2-3
2-4
2-A
2-B
3-4
3-A
3-B
4-A
4-B
A-B

It looks like your capacitor has pigtails instead of terminals so if you can, see if one of it's wires goes to the junction box and identify which one. (Most likely one of the Yellow ones.) Since you have the centrifugal switch uncovered verify that it's Yellow wire goes to the capacitor and then check for continuity between the other wire on the switch and the six wires in the junction box. (Most likely the other Yellow.)

From the reversal you described and the new pics I'm betting that the yellow wires are the start winding. The problem is that according to the diagram on the motor wires 3 and 4 are the start winding. We need to identify how 1,2,3 and 4 are connected to the run windings if I'm right about the Yellows.

Be sure to record how everything is connected before taking off the wirenuts.

Ok. Got it. That makes sense now. Here it is.

1-2 short
1-3 open
1-4 open
1-A open
1-B open
2-3 open
2-4 open
2-A open
2-B open
3-4 short
3-A open
3-B open
4-A open
4-B open
A-B open

Yellow wire 'A' (which for proper rotation was connected to the black, or hot wire for 110V operation) is a short between both capacitor leads that connect to the centrifugal switch(?). Is that what it's called?

I hope that helps. This is starting to make some more sense. It seems that 1 and 2 are two ends of one coil and 3 and 4 are two ends of another coil. For 110V operation they were wired in parallel. For 220V they would be wired in series?

[Rich Riddle]

Mike Dunn,
I'm not sure how you wired the motor. from what I understand you did is:So I wired 1, 3, and the neutral together. 2 and the hot together. Then 4 and the two yellows together assuming they were 5 and 6.
1&3 to a hot
2 to the other hot
and 4, 5, & 6 together Yes??

I understood the label to wire 1 & 3 to a hot and 2, 4 5 & 6 to the other hot Yes ??? Ed
No. The label indicated one hot wire from power should go to wires 1 & 3 on the motor. The label indicated the other hot wire from power should go to wire 2 from the motor. The label indicted wires 4, 5, & 6 from the motor get wired together (shorted) and receive no incoming wiring from the power source.

His comments were since wires 4, 5, & 6 all shorted together and wires 1, 2, 3, & 4 were labeled, he assumed the last two wires were wires 5 & 6. Consequently, it should not have mattered which exact wire was 5 or 6 since those wires were simple connected to wire 4 in a short.

[David L Morse]

Ok. Got it. That makes sense now. Here it is.

1-2 short
1-3 open
1-4 open
1-A open
1-B open
2-3 open
2-4 open
2-A open
2-B open
3-4 short
3-A open
3-B open
4-A open
4-B open
A-B open

Yellow wire 'A' (which for proper rotation was connected to the black, or hot wire for 110V operation) is a short between both capacitor leads that connect to the centrifugal switch(?). Is that what it's called?

I hope that helps. This is starting to make some more sense. It seems that 1 and 2 are two ends of one coil and 3 and 4 are two ends of another coil. For 110V operation they were wired in parallel. For 220V they would be wired in series?

You've got the idea. Connect the incoming Black wire to 1 and A. Connect together 2, 3 and B. Connect 4 to the incoming White wire.

As you observed, that puts the coil connected to 1 & 2 in series with the one on 3 & 4. Phasing is important here, you need to keep the windings in the right order. The start winding is connected in parallel with one of the two run windings so that it still gets about 110V instead of the full 220.

[Michael Dunn]

You've got the idea. Connect the incoming Black wire to 1 and A. Connect together 2, 3 and B. Connect 4 to the incoming White wire.

As you observed, that puts the coil connected to 1 & 2 in series with the one on 3 & 4. Phasing is important here, you need to keep the windings in the right order. The start winding is connected in parallel with one of the two run windings so that it still gets about 110V instead of the full 220.

You, my friend, absolutely rock!!! I did exactly what you just said and it work. It was reversed so I flipped the yellows and now I'm all good. Thanx!!!

Same with my DC, I noticed it spins up to full speed much quicker. I likey.

[Michael Dunn]

You've got the idea. Connect the incoming Black wire to 1 and A. Connect together 2, 3 and B. Connect 4 to the incoming White wire.

As you observed, that puts the coil connected to 1 & 2 in series with the one on 3 & 4. Phasing is important here, you need to keep the windings in the right order. The start winding is connected in parallel with one of the two run windings so that it still gets about 110V instead of the full 220.

The only (non) issue is that I used to have a 110V lamp on my BS to help me see. I'll figure something else out. Actually, I just found an unused, BNIB shop light fixture I've been wanting to put up over my BS anyway.

[Michael Dunn]

Ok guys... Strange out of blue unexplainable issue here... All has been well worth this saw for the last 3 weeks or so. Today I go to make a cut and it sounded weird. So I stopped the saw. Then started it again. It's moving backward all of a sudden!!! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it has NOT been moving in reverse this entire time.

The only thing I can think of is that the other day I went to power on BS and it wouldn't turn on. So I tried another 220V tool on the same circuit. Also dead. So I went to the breaker and found a loose wire. I had made some changes when I wire my TS to an outlet in the ceiling. This required pulling another wire from the ceiling outlet (previously wired for 110v with a shared neutral with my shop lights.) So I fixed the 220V outlets and got the bandsaw working. I didn't actually need to use my BS that day so I didn't notice if it was spinning properly.

All I did was tighten the wire in my 220V breaker.

Today, upon realizing the direction had changed I switched the two yellow wires. It didn't change it. What could have caused this. What do I do?