The Tale of Two Motors
By Tom
Once Again I got super busy and neglected to post anything on the blog. Sorry about that one, I already got chastised, so please give me some slack!
I had a bit of a problem a month ago when I was working in the loft. I turned the sewing machine on and was promptly distracted by some customers. While outside on the deck talking to them one of the boys came out of the shop and delivered this little gem: "I think your sewing machine is on fire!" Sure enough smoke was billowing from the motor and the air was filled with the acrid stench of electrical melt-down. Doh! I gingerly reached for the off switch hoping I would not be electrocuted in the process. Damn piece of junk - it was only used for about 25 years! So motorless things ground to a halt in the loft.
The old motor is retired!
Strangely industrial sewing machine parts are hard to come by on Maui. If we were on the mainland I could have got a replacement the same day, but here there is a lot of water between you and your parts. I ordered another motor the next day from California and was promised it in 7-10 days. Two weeks later I still had no motor and I was starting to freak out (not in the good dacrony way). I discovered the motor had been sent parcel post, which according to the Post Office could take as long as 6 weeks! In a panic I had another motor Fedexed over. Naturally 2 days later the parcel post motor showed up and the day after that the Fedexed one! In theory it should have been a straight exchange requiring nothing more than 3 bolts and a plug to be changed. Unfortunately the new clutch-motor was slightly different and the fan belt that drives the head was slightly too short. The only auto-parts store open late was of course out of the size I needed. What else could go wrong?! The next day I got the fan belt and finished the installation. I pressed the power button and success! Finally back in business, now I just had to deal with the giant stack of sails that had piled up.
The new clutch-motor is finally installed!
I have to say that the new clutch-motor is so much better and smoother in operation than the old one. I had promised Ben Severne I would have a new motor for the next time he was on Maui and needed to re-cut some sails. The Severne boys had not been impressed with the performance last time. Now I realise what a beast the old one was - I was just used to it. They will have nothing to complain about now!
So if anyone on Maui wants a nice 110/220v 1740rpm 1/2 hp clutch-motor I have one for sale!
Once Again I got super busy and neglected to post anything on the blog. Sorry about that one, I already got chastised, so please give me some slack!
I had a bit of a problem a month ago when I was working in the loft. I turned the sewing machine on and was promptly distracted by some customers. While outside on the deck talking to them one of the boys came out of the shop and delivered this little gem: "I think your sewing machine is on fire!" Sure enough smoke was billowing from the motor and the air was filled with the acrid stench of electrical melt-down. Doh! I gingerly reached for the off switch hoping I would not be electrocuted in the process. Damn piece of junk - it was only used for about 25 years! So motorless things ground to a halt in the loft.
The old motor is retired!
Strangely industrial sewing machine parts are hard to come by on Maui. If we were on the mainland I could have got a replacement the same day, but here there is a lot of water between you and your parts. I ordered another motor the next day from California and was promised it in 7-10 days. Two weeks later I still had no motor and I was starting to freak out (not in the good dacrony way). I discovered the motor had been sent parcel post, which according to the Post Office could take as long as 6 weeks! In a panic I had another motor Fedexed over. Naturally 2 days later the parcel post motor showed up and the day after that the Fedexed one! In theory it should have been a straight exchange requiring nothing more than 3 bolts and a plug to be changed. Unfortunately the new clutch-motor was slightly different and the fan belt that drives the head was slightly too short. The only auto-parts store open late was of course out of the size I needed. What else could go wrong?! The next day I got the fan belt and finished the installation. I pressed the power button and success! Finally back in business, now I just had to deal with the giant stack of sails that had piled up.
The new clutch-motor is finally installed!
I have to say that the new clutch-motor is so much better and smoother in operation than the old one. I had promised Ben Severne I would have a new motor for the next time he was on Maui and needed to re-cut some sails. The Severne boys had not been impressed with the performance last time. Now I realise what a beast the old one was - I was just used to it. They will have nothing to complain about now!
So if anyone on Maui wants a nice 110/220v 1740rpm 1/2 hp clutch-motor I have one for sale!
posted by Jeffrey, Glenn and Tom at
11/13/2008 12:06:00 PM
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