Thread: Planer problem?

...who ya gonna call... GHOSTBUSTERS

Single phase 240VAC? Original lead and plug?

You may want to check that the machine's switch is breaking the active wire and not the neutral. It's possible that the lead, plug, switch or even the power point has been wired "backwards." It happens all too often.

Not normally a problem, except that the wiring inside the machine is 'live' all the time in such a case... and as such it's the first thing I would check.

You can buy little testers like night-lights with LEDs for safely checking that power-points are wired correctly. Once you're certain the power point is right, it's just a matter unplugging the machine and tracing it's wiring to ensure everything is as it should be.

As per Skew, if the power is cross wired so the unit is switching neutral instead of active, then there is a possibility of leakage from the active to earth exciting windings without allowing enough current to start/run the motor.

Also disconnect from mains, and check inside the switch module housing, it's possible that a combination of dust and moisture may be providing a leakage path across the switch contacts, not enough current to allow the motor to start or run but enough to excite the windings in the motor.

I have had the thing for about a year and the problem just started. Dirty switch seems likely. Will investigate.

Woodworking machines also get the switches filled up with sawdust and with some moisture in the mix problems arise. My old babdsaw used to need the switch compartment cleaned out about every 6 months.
Regards
John

Just another possibility.

May also have an electric brake. Usually they're on a timer circuit which may have gone U/S.

For some reason I was thinking Jointer rather than thicky when I made my first response. The significant difference is that jointers are almost always induction (brushless) motors, while a lot of the hobby market thickys use brushed (universal) motors, while the more rigid heavy duty industrial machines use induction motors.

I think the primary elements of choice are motor cost and available speed, universal motors are always cheaper and can be engineered to run at a required speed, frequently are an open frame unit enclosed within the covers of the parent machine and subject to dust ingress etc., where induction motors have basically three speed bands (960, 1450 and 2850 RPM) for single phase and need to have a transmission to adapt to the required cutter head speed, are generally totally enclosed and cooled by an external fan mounted at the rear of the shaft, and are more complex and expensive.

Likely potential motor issues will vary with motor type, but as before, it should be a reasonable assumption that once the switch is off, no power leaves the switch housing so the electrics should be isolated. In your case this is obviously not the case and this needs
investigation ASAP, preferably by a person with decent electrical background if more than a dust blowout is required.