Thanks: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 10 of 10
Thread: Custom vac switch for table saw
-
17th July 2018, 09:58 AM #1New Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2018
- Location
- Ipswich
- Posts
- 4
Custom vac switch for table saw
Hi everyone,
I'm hoping you can help. I picked up a second-hand Triton Workcentre 2000 in great condition. By the look of the workshop I picked it up from, the previous owner (now passed away) knew what he was doing - everything neat as a pin, shelving custom made, top-notch equipment etc.
On the workcentre are two switches - a power/kill switch for the saw, and a small white switch - see photos.
IMG_20180716_072344878.jpgIMG_20180716_072438176_LL.jpgIMG_20180716_214248798.jpg
Coming from the kill switch is a cord with "table saw power" on the plug, and directly from the white switch is a cord with "table saw vac" on the plug. This cord goes directly to the switch, and it's not connected to anything else.
I assume the previous owner had this set up so you could switch on the vac (a Ryobi wet/dry vac that came with the workcentre) whenever you turn the saw on. But I don't know how it all works.
I can't plug the cord into the vac, because the vac doesn't have powerpoint - only a power cord coming from the back.
At one stage I plugged the vac cord into the mains (via an extension cord) and blew a fuse on the mains board of my house. I don't really want to do that again!
There seems to be something missing, but I don't know what. I asked the wife of the previous owner about it, but she didn't really know much about it.
In the meantime, I'm not going to use the vac cord. But it bugs me that the owner has obviously gone to some trouble to set this up, and I don't know how to get it working.
If you have any ideas or tips, please let me know.
Thanks for your help.
-
17th July 2018 09:58 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
17th July 2018, 10:41 AM #2.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,792
I'll have a stab at what might be happening.
The clue to me is the white switch connected to two prongs on the plug.
It looks like some sort of secondary machine (maybe t was a vac) custom switching mechanism whereby the two cables on that plug are shorted by the switch.
One of the cables is ACTIVE UP to the switch which then controls ACTIVE back down the second cable.
You can test this out by - with everything unplugged - attach a continuity or ohm meter to the two prongs and toggle the switch.
By plugging it into the mains power and throwing the switch you effectively directly connected ACTIVE to NEUTRAL which is why the breaker blew,
You were lucky worse did not occur.
We see a lot of these "Ning-Nong Home Solutions" on donated machines at the mens shed. It's a wonder more people are not injured or killed by this.
I would recommend completely removing the switch, cable and plug before someone else tries to do what you did.
-
17th July 2018, 02:02 PM #3New Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2018
- Location
- Ipswich
- Posts
- 4
Thanks for your thoughts.
Judging by the workshop setup, and the quality of the previous owner's work, I wasn't inclined to pass it off as a "ning-nong home solution". More than anything, I feel like a ning-nong for not understanding it before I tried to use it!
I'm not sure what you mean by:
"One of the cables is ACTIVE UP to the switch which then controls ACTIVE back down the second cable."
The orange cable isn't attached to anything other than the switch, i.e. the switch at one end, and the plug at the other. There's no second cable attached to it.
Thanks for your help.
-
17th July 2018, 02:49 PM #4Woodworking mechanic
- Join Date
- Jan 2014
- Location
- Sydney Upper North Shore
- Posts
- 4,470
My take would be that he’s removed the On/off switch from the vacuum cleaner and connected a two wire orange shielded cable to the wires. The other end of that orange cable goes to a female socket into which plugs your orange lead plug. So the white switch on the front simply replaces the switch on the vacuum cleaner - ie. a remote switch.
OR
He could have connected it across the Vacuum cleaner switch so he could switch on the vacuum cleaner from the table saw or from the vacuum cleaner itself.Last edited by Lappa; 17th July 2018 at 02:53 PM. Reason: Additional info
-
17th July 2018, 03:13 PM #5.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,792
What I said is basically what Lappa says.
Like this.
Screen Shot 2018-07-17 at 1.59.16 pm.png
He could have removed the vac switch or left it in place - it doesn't matter which.
And to service this operation it appears a conventional 2 pin plug has been used which is a complete no-no.
A non-standard plug/socket should be used so that no one can just plug it into mains power and trip breakers or worse.
-
17th July 2018, 04:31 PM #6Woodworking mechanic
- Join Date
- Jan 2014
- Location
- Sydney Upper North Shore
- Posts
- 4,470
Swap socket and plug and BobL’s diagram is spot on. There would have been a female socket off the vac. so there were no exposed pins.
-
17th July 2018, 04:57 PM #7.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,792
-
17th July 2018, 09:58 PM #8New Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2018
- Location
- Ipswich
- Posts
- 4
Thanks BobL and Lappa. Especially for the wiring diagram.
The on/off switch on the vacuum still works as normal. And there's no female outlet coming from the vac, only the standard power cord. So I'm guessing the part I'm missing is the "added vac socket" in your diagram - a female plug coming from the vac cleaner. Is that right?
And if I were to work all this, and maybe run it off a powerboard with surge protector, would that be safe?
If not, I'm happy to leave it well alone.
-
17th July 2018, 10:31 PM #9.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,792
Sounds like it. He might have had that plug on another vac that is no longer around.
And if I were to work all this, and maybe run it off a powerboard with surge protector, would that be safe?
If not, I'm happy to leave it well alone.
I f you want to use it I'd be changing the plugs to something else , but then again the minor convenience it saves may not worth the risks.
-
18th July 2018, 12:22 PM #10New Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2018
- Location
- Ipswich
- Posts
- 4
Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.
Similar Threads
-
Advice for Restoring A Custom Jarrah Table
By wishniwozfishn in forum FINISHINGReplies: 3Last Post: 9th December 2017, 11:18 PM -
Custom computer table top with curved edges
By stebbo in forum CNC MachinesReplies: 23Last Post: 6th June 2016, 02:25 AM -
This switch ok for router table?
By inferno6688 in forum ROUTING FORUMReplies: 11Last Post: 5th June 2006, 12:01 AM -
Router table in custom stand
By finnster in forum TRITON / GMCReplies: 17Last Post: 23rd November 2002, 05:27 AM