The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Brushed motor, need to wire reversing switch?

So I got a nice little Dayton (Grainger) 12 rpm gear motor with a fractional hp AC motor.
I’m using it to drive the welding positioner that I’m making.
The motor is a brushed motor so it can be speed controlled by varying the voltage
with a Variac.
There are four wires to this motor, two connect to the line (L1 & L2), and the other two
are bound together. To reverse the direction, the two that were connected to the line,
are bound together and the other two are then connected to the line.
I’ve been beating my head against the wall trying to figure a simple switch for reversing
the motor. The problem comes in with the two wires, that when switched, need to tie
together when you switch the line connection.
Any lectricians or lectronics whiz kids out there that can offer a suggestion for a switch
and maybe sketch up a simple schematic to accomplish this??????
And yes.....there are..... lots of parts waiting to be spun up on this...the newest
of my shop tools.
Thanks,
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

See what you think of this, might not be the cleanest solution but I think it may work with a 4PDT switch..
Jumpers on back of switch as shown.

Have to connect some wires to that switch Grigg and see if it will work (on paper).
Actually thought of using a 4PDT switch, but brushed it aside when
I hit up all the hdw stores and couldn't find one.
Thanks
dg

Before suggesting a four pole switch I googled for them, seem available and not that expensive.

Here's the way I'd wire it to the 4-pole switch.

Mike B

Thanks Mike, Grigg's drawing works and is simple.
.
Had a chance to mentally run the wires the way you
drew them Grigg, works great. And I just finished
ordering a couple of 4PDT switches from Parts Express.
That's been buggin' me and holding up my finishing
my Welding Positioner.
Thanks again guys for your input.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

OK, I had to look up welding positioners. It's so you don't have to stand on your head welding around a pipe or other stuff. Kind of like the rotisserie I built for patching my cab. The prices I saw would drive me toward building one if I needed one.

Yep, ya got that right Kevin. The one that I've patterned mine after runs close to
three grand by the time you ship it to me.
It will hold 200 lb., will take 1 1/2' thru the spindle and use standard 3 or 4 jaw chucks
or face plates. I've made my living for many years as a welder and have used
weld positioners on many jobs. Always wanted one for home use but never could
justify the expense. The last few years I've been determined to have some of
the tools that I never could afford while I was working. I built a motorized bead roller
and English wheel last winter and added a foot shear, slip roll and slitter to the shop
this past summer. Also picked up a Ben Pearson exhaust bender which I'm in process
of restoring.
The problem is........I'm 76 and starting to feel the pain. A word of advice to any of you
youngsters out there.....don't wait till your 75 years old to equip your shop with those
tools that look appealing to you now. It's much more fun to play with that stuff when
you're a sprout.
Now I'm darn sure gonna have to live to 100 to make use of these new toys!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Maybe, I’m missing something, but with the double throw switch, you’re either running forward or reverse, no OFF.

Dayton, Square D, and others make drum switches for this very purpose.

A second switch can be on and off in the incoming power line.
The fancy switch, if only two positions no neutral, can do the reversing.

Just another thought Denny, maybe a foot pedal for the on/off. You’re wife won’t mind if you borrow it from her sewing machine I’m sure.