Man!!..did i find a bargin tonight hopefully i just bought a 3 hp motor, single phase, 3450 rpm, thermally protected...but there are some things i`m not sure about..it says 230/115 volts, 12/24 amps..so does that mean i can wire it 115 volts?I don`t know much about that stuff but i couldn`t resist the price...are you ready?, this is hopefully for a grinder i`m making...are you ready...i got it for $20 bucks canadian!!!! and she looks like new!!
i need some input please tell me if it will be able to be used!!

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i keep grinding and grinding and it is still too short!!

To answer your question, YES you can wire it for 115V.

There is most likely a plate that can be removed where the wires come out of the motor. A lot of times there is a wiring diagram inside (or on the side of the motor) that shows how the wires need to be connected to get 115V or 220V operation. In the 220V setup you would need 12 amps to run the motor and in the 115V setup you would need 24 amps to run it.

Hope it works for you.

I'll give you $25. :)

Post a pic when the grinder is done.

3450 RPM might be faster than you want to run your grinder, but at the price you paid for the motor, you should have enough money left over to buy all the step pullies you need to make it variable-speed. Looks like you stepped into something good!

Hey guys- I have a similar motor that runs single-phase 3hp, speed 1760. If I run at 230v 14a, would it be more desirable than running at 115v 28a? Why? This thing has a 1" dia. shaft and will become the heart of the new Tim Allen "Binford re-wired Belt Grinder" done on the cheap by yours truly- I'm gonna use plywood & leather for everything except the wheel hubs and platen.
Thanx,
Don

Though I'm no electrician, it is my understanding that running at 230VAC is twice as efficient because of the reduced current draw. Generally better practice when you have the option.

Don is correct. Your electric bill will thank you if you run 230V. Your performance will be the same from the motor.

Thanx for the info- I shall wire it so!!!

Don,

So how is the motor running? Did it have a schematic?

Bob,
Not running yet, as I bought the wrong amperage cord for the motor, and all of my receptacles for 230VAC are from the '50's.
Should be no problem, as my understanding of 230v is that it has 2 hot leads and 1 ground, and the little schematic on the ID plate tells which 2 of the 4 leads go to the ground of the cord, and one each of the remainder to each of the hot prongs. I will be re-vamping my website this weekend, and will be posting the project tutorial. I will be mounting the motor under the bench, using step pulleys and v-belts to drive a 4', 3/4" diameter shaft running thru pillow blocks, and having drive wheels attached to run the belt grinder part (may even set up 2, one for flat grinding, one for a 10" contact wheel for hollow and slack grinding) as well as a buffer wheel or 2. 3hp should easily handle this.

Keep us posted and post lots of pics.

Well, I will probably have to order just about everything online, so it may take a few. There seems to be a scarcity of anything not carried at Home Depot or Lowes around here (help Bowie!)- can't seem to find pillow blocks (Grainger's has them at least) or large enough black iron pipe & fittings. I'll borrow my sister-in-law's digital camera for some low res pics. I'm going to register a domain name shortly for the website- I'll post here when up & running there.

Don,

Have you looked at Northern tools? Not sure of your design but they sell them. Also MSC has EVERYTHING, some is expensive but at least you can get it.

Bob, do they have a website???
Thanx

Here you go.

Northern tools:
northern-online.com (http://northern-online.com)
Good selection of tools and hardware. I bought a lot of stuff to make a hydraulic press from here. There is a couple in the Dallas area where I live.

MSC:
www.mscdirect.com/ (http://www.mscdirect.com/)
I recommend EVERYONE get this catalog. It is about 8.5 X 11 and 4 inches thick, hard bound and 450,000 items, 4480 pages not counting the index. Everything from 2-56 hex head screws to $36,375 surface grinders (page 2316). The catalog is FREE as is a CD version of it. I called the 800 number and they sent me both. If you can think of it, it is in this book. I ordered mine off their web page and it never came so I had to call them to get it.

Until you get your book, you can look on their WEB page. It is not very good for searching but my books index show the pillow blocks are located between pages 3644 and 3688. You can go to their web page and type in the page numbers (top right corner) and see the page on the screen.

This is a GREAT book, it really makes you wish you were rich.

Let me know if I can help further.

Thanx Bob- I'll be back after I deplete the bank account...

I have to agree - MSC is fantastic. They also have great customer service. And I think they make their employees memorize the whole catalog. :)

My catalog comes via UPS and the driver laughs at the size every time.

You might also look to see if there's a local distributor for them. I got friendly with the one here and it helps when you need something fast.