Clarke CL300M lathe replacement controller

[Barry HughesParticipant @barryhughes99524]

Hello all I have a Clarke CL300M mini lathe and recently the forward/off/reverse switch internals fell apart and as a result it blew the mains fuse and tripped the house mains control panel. I ordered up a replacement and installed it but now when I attempt to start the lathe the internal fuse keeps blowing. I have confirmed the motor is ok and replaced the fuse holder but to no avail. I think the dramatic failure of the f/o/r switch has damaged the circuit board (FC250J/230V variant) can anyone recommend a replacement controller, thanks.

[GazParticipant @gaz13336]

I replaced the board on mine in 2011 with the C2 Control Board XMT2325 from arc euro trade. https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Machine-Spares/C2-Mini-Lathe-Spares/C2-182B-Main-Control-Board-XMT2325

It worked fine until last year when it really started to play up, replaced with a vfd and a 1hp motor now.

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

How “plug and play” do you want this to be ?

Many years ago I bought an incomplete mini lathe from a Chester open day – the machine was complete apart from the electrical box, so no drive or control electrics for the “350W” brushed DC motor. As a basic speed control unit I bought a DC-51 conroller from Ebay

I have had this connected to the lathe & it runs the motor, but I have not yet got it fully installed (i.e safely enclosed & switched via an NVR circuit) and obviuosly no testing under load or over any period of operation. This unit is unidirectional, so will require a direction changing switch inserting between it and the motor to get reverse running (if your original arrangement did not include this) & also would require some form of NVR circuit on the incoming mains supply.

Before buying this I had come across a series of articles here where the writer had used one of these controllers on a Clarke mini mill, described the process & subsequently had reverse engineered the circuit to work out how it worked.

This is not a recommendation, just an indication of a lower priced solution which may work for you if you understand what you are getting into. This controller is apparently at full mains potential (though, apparently, so is the original Sieg board) so fiddling around here if you don’t understand what you are doing could have serious consequences – possibly fatal.

Nigel B.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Check the motor rating, and the marking on the control board.

There are two different, non interchangeable, control boards.

Arc Euro list both, but do get the correct one!

Howard

[Grizzly bearParticipant @grizzlybear]

Hi Barry,

May I ask how have you confirmed the motor is OK?

Good luck……..

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