Looking at some lathes and mills on auction

[SidecarFlip]

Gary...

Where you been? I haven't seen you post latlely?

I do have an imbalance on the legs and had a real electrician out last week. He has to come back and analyize th current flow. Had no issue with my DIY wiring. Thinks it's in the utiluty drop to the satelite meter outside the shop but I won't know until he gets into it.

Interestingly, when my rotary screw compressor cold starts, I have a pronounced current drop that shows in all lighting fixtures throughout the shop but don't effect any drive. Hot cycles are no issue and I amprobed the legs and compared the incoming amps to the nameplate rating and it's fine.

He thinks my utility plumbing needs to be a heavier gage but we shall see. Maybe my 'pipe' is too small.......

I keep adding loads. Gotta quit sometime.

At least it don't glow.......

 

[Trickymissfit]

Gary...

Where you been? I haven't seen you post latlely?

I do have an imbalance on the legs and had a real electrician out last week. He has to come back and analyize th current flow. Had no issue with my DIY wiring. Thinks it's in the utiluty drop to the satelite meter outside the shop but I won't know until he gets into it.

Interestingly, when my rotary screw compressor cold starts, I have a pronounced current drop that shows in all lighting fixtures throughout the shop but don't effect any drive. Hot cycles are no issue and I amprobed the legs and compared the incoming amps to the nameplate rating and it's fine.

He thinks my utility plumbing needs to be a heavier gage but we shall see. Maybe my 'pipe' is too small.......

I keep adding loads. Gotta quit sometime.

At least it don't glow.......

that's kind of the same issues I've always heard about. Many farmers have gone to a dedicated three phase in their barns over this around here. All three legs must come out similar, or you'll make the motor rebuild guys a lot of money. If it gets real bad you can actually watch the motor turn cherry red right before the fire starts. I've seen that melt down a couple times over the last forty years. I wonder if part of the problem is the power transformer outside not being big enough?
gary

 

[SidecarFlip]

Could be. Typically utilitity companies around here are hesitant to upgrade/replace aging cans because they probably contain PCB laden oil, which means costly remdiation

The can on the pole out front predates me, it was here 40 years ago. When I had them add a drop to the shop, I thought they would replace it because my amp draw tripled. They just pulled the fuseable links and called it good. I think the transmission voltage on the pole incoming to the can is 14,000 but I could be wrong. I remember being told what it was but my memory is aged, like me.

I keep watching it, maybe I can blow it off the pole and spew PCB's all over....

The can is discolored, could be from overload or age, I don't know which. Paint is an option on electrical appratus in these parts.

..and one wonders why the electrical grid has issues....

Of course they had no issue replacing our residential meter with a 'smart' meter to monitor our consumption. At least didn't occur with my shop meter but thn I pay a commercial (higher) rate.

I guess if my (union) electrician comes to the conclusion that it's the can, maybe th utility will quit kicking the can down the road.....

BTW, none of the motors are running hot on any machine and I sure haven't let the smoke out of any other than maybe a cheap Harbor Freight drill motor but thats predictable....

I don't use big power on the farm because we don't have livestock, other than my wife's cats.... We are dirt farmers. Big power is diesel power.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Could be. Typically utilitity companies around here are hesitant to upgrade/replace aging cans because they probably contain PCB laden oil, which means costly remdiation

The can on the pole out front predates me, it was here 40 years ago. When I had them add a drop to the shop, I thought they would replace it because my amp draw tripled. They just pulled the fuseable links and called it good. I think the transmission voltage on the pole incoming to the can is 14,000 but I could be wrong. I remember being told what it was but my memory is aged, like me.

I keep watching it, maybe I can blow it off the pole and spew PCB's all over....

The can is discolored, could be from overload or age, I don't know which. Paint is an option on electrical appratus in these parts.

..and one wonders why the electrical grid has issues....

Of course they had no issue replacing our residential meter with a 'smart' meter to monitor our consumption. At least didn't occur with my shop meter but thn I pay a commercial (higher) rate.

I guess if my (union) electrician comes to the conclusion that it's the can, maybe th utility will quit kicking the can down the road.....

BTW, none of the motors are running hot on any machine and I sure haven't let the smoke out of any other than maybe a cheap Harbor Freight drill motor but thats predictable....

I don't use big power on the farm because we don't have livestock, other than my wife's cats.... We are dirt farmers. Big power is diesel power.

I know I'm going to start a ****ing match like most have never seen, or will even understand, but here goes.

* you can pretty much divide all electricians into one of three catagories, and the ones that proficiently over lap these catagories are a rare find. You have electricians that deal with high voltage (not 440 three phase, but 4140 and higher). Then you have the typical construction electrician who is typically a wire puller and conduit bender. This is more difficult than it looks, so it's not a knock on them. Then we have what I refer to as trouble shooters, which can also be subdivided into a couple other catagories. Few of these folks are very good with logic, and are pretty much locked into magnetic circuts (what you are dealing with). But once the wires are landed at the main disconnect things change from there on.

No I not in love with electricity, and would pprobably make a good Amish person. But most of my life I was fortunate to be surrounded with very good electricians to work with. (believe me I've been around some serious duds) The typical electrician you get out of the hall downtown is a wire puller, as that tends to be 80% of their work. Then we get the power & light company guys that really never go past rthe main disconnect on the outside of the structure. These guys typically have no serious idea about cold motor startups and balancing legs of a circut (many don't even know that you do it). It's kinda hard to find one that can work on the otherside of the main disconnect, and do it well these days. Thirty years ago an electrician that could read a logic print was an uncommon find, but now it's becomming the opposite as they have trouble with magnetics. I learned to read logic gates back in 1979, and my boss told me to never let an electrician know I could read the prints. But what my boss didn't understand was that they were almost identical to air logic, and I was fairly good at pneumatics. I soon learned to pick out who I wanted to work with me on certain kinds of machinery, and would often let the machine set till the right guy showed up. I think this is where your at right now. I could tell you horror storys, but I won't.
gary