warco lathes.

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Steve,

uploading pictures is not as straightforward as most forums, have a read of this thread it explains how to do it.

Graeme

[BowberParticipant @bowber]

You were right, it is 3 phase, it's the fan that's single phase.

They must have decided to run the fan separately to cool the motor better when it is turning slowly.

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

Do the Warco mini lathes take a 10mm tool ? I thought most small lathes of this size took an 8mm tool ?

[David lawrence 3Participant @davidlawrence3]

Hi, my Warco minilathe takes a 8mm tool and is a good small lathe, just upgraded it after 12 years to bigger warco lathe which is fine but I will the small lathe for odd special jobs.

[Raymond AndersonParticipant @raymondanderson34407]

Gareth, Bought a Warco GH750 in either 2000 or 2001 and the only thing I did to it was to remove the original single phase motor and replaced it with a Eurotherm vfd [now made by Parker SSD ] and a three phase 3hp Siemens motor. The lathe is still accurate to this day never any problems. The only thing I have ever had "go " on me was the halogen worklight bulb, and that must have been after a good few years. This model is not made now

cheers.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

For nearly thirteen years, have used a clone of the Warco BH600, and the only problem has been of my own making. It came fitted with the option of a VFD; which is invaluable, (for someone as lazy as me).

Originally, the worklight consumed Halogen lamps much too frequently. Thinking that the cause was probably excess temperatures; stripped out the "reflector" and filled a couple of diametrically opposed slots in the rim. Since then, lamp failure is almost unknown. So, if lamps keep burning out, try improving ventilation of the lamp housing.

Howard

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The BH600 is available as the Chester Craftsman. If you wanted a Warco just paint it green.

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

I have a Warco 240MV purchased march 2016

I have a problem that is getting worse & having no idea about electrics I am becoming concerned.

When I press the start button there is the usual loud click & often nothing happens. I then press the stop button ( Not the large main cut off one) & then the green button & the lathe normally starts. However, I now have to repeat the process up to 3 times to get the lathe to start, so something is developing into a fault. I always turn the speed down before starting & wind the cutter back so less load before starting. I assume that is correct !!

In addition the lathe will suddenly stop dead for a second, then start when i am turning.As an example, it did this yesterday when I was boring a hole in steel with a carbide boring bar at 925 RPM so i do not believe that i was loading the machine unduly

Has anyone had this issue & can they point me in the likely direction for rectification

Thanks

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

Sam,

Firstly, check for loose wires and fuses…Unlikely but needs eliminating.

I'd go for the motor, check the brushes are in good condition and are free in their holders.

If that doesnt improve things, then I would connect a domestic 40 watt light bulb across the mains wiring connected to the speed control board, use this as a monitor. The bulb should light and stay lit all the time unless there is an issue with the nvr switch.

After these steps a more in depth investigation is required. Keep us posted on your progress.

[Dave SpicerParticipant @davespicer27262]

Sam,

Does your machine have the Delta inverter drive with the 3 phase AC motor. I have the identical fault, been ongoing now for about 6 months. The problem is totally random, starting at different RPM makes no difference, it will either go or not.

I have contacted Warco about this but no remedy has been found.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

I have a Warco 240MV purchased march 2016

New or second hand? If new it must be still under warranty or only just outside? Contact Warco should be route to go. They should know the typical faults, either way.

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by Dave Spicer on 18/03/2017 09:37:38:

Sam,

Does your machine have the Delta inverter drive with the 3 phase AC motor. I have the identical fault, been ongoing now for about 6 months. The problem is totally random, starting at different RPM makes no difference, it will either go or not.

I have contacted Warco about this but no remedy has been found.

 

No idea. It was new when i bought it.. I undid the front panel & waggled some wiring & the fault has stopped— for now it would appear !!!

Cannot read the label on the back as the lathe is bolted down & against a wall.

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 18/03/2017 15:23:32

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by not done it yet on 18/03/2017 12:42:55:

I have a Warco 240MV purchased march 2016

New or second hand? If new it must be still under warranty or only just outside? Contact Warco should be route to go. They should know the typical faults, either way.

That is the obvious action — bit like RTFM i suppose.

Will call them Monday, although this afternoon fault has stopped so it seems to be one of those awkward ones

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by John Rudd on 18/03/2017 08:34:21:

Sam,

Firstly, check for loose wires and fuses…Unlikely but needs eliminating.

I'd go for the motor, check the brushes are in good condition and are free in their holders.

If that doesnt improve things, then I would connect a domestic 40 watt light bulb across the mains wiring connected to the speed control board, use this as a monitor. The bulb should light and stay lit all the time unless there is an issue with the nvr switch.

After these steps a more in depth investigation is required. Keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks John

I was OK up to " 40 watt light bulb" then you lost me— so it will be a call to Warco on Monday

 

Actually the real problem is that when i installed the lathe I placed 4 pieces of 225mm catnic lintol down first & leveled & bolted  them down including fixings at the back by the wall. I then lifted the lathe on its Warco bench onto these to give me a 225mm higher lathe. So it is not just a case of undoing a couple of bolts & easing it forward as I have to hire an engine hoist to get it off the catnics just to open a back panel. So it all gets a little messy.

I did the same with the mill & it really helps with my back as everything is so much higher for working.

Trouble is that getting any  panels off will be expensive to start with before I even get to look inside

Sam L

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 18/03/2017 15:42:40

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Instead of hiring a crane to get it down get a pallet or two and some ply topping to make a temporary floor in front to slide it onto.

[Antony PowellParticipant @antonypowell28169]

I'm also not a happy bunny with Warco for similar reasons as Rik Shaw…

I bought a new lathe from warco based on the old BH600 I owned which was a good machine

Lathe 1, GH1236, Finally delivered after 12 weeks (was told they lost it) with large amounts of paint falling off, rusty, bolts missing, panels bent and won't fit, threaded holes without threads in them, general poor quality – RETURNED

Lathe 2, Dropped and smashed during delivery by Warco staff – RETURNED

Lathe 3, After little use following ill health it has melted all the wiring and circuit boards – warco inform me that they only cover parts after 6 months so I have to pay to have it inspected and repaired. they will provide parts only !! Not what you expect from a so called good company with an excellent reputation

Currently awaiting said parts !!!

Tony

[Antony PowellParticipant @antonypowell28169]

10 days on and a new motor and circuit board are here but no wiring, even though i said all the wires were melted they want me to use the old harness…… not acceptable !!!

any conversation starts with a big sigh !! 

they don't return calls !!

now waiting for a reply again

Tony

Edited By Antony Powell on 24/04/2017 16:05:33

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

So you had a motor and a speed board fail on you and the whole kit managed to melt the wiring to boot?

Sounds to me like the machine is incorrectly fused!

I strongly recommend you reduce the value of the fuse in the plug when you come to switch on….

[Antony PowellParticipant @antonypowell28169]

Hi john

13 amp plug 13 amp fuse as supplied new

I am sure anything lower would blow on startup

The whole power cable earth along with other earthing wires inside the circuit board box have all got so hot the insulation has melted & Burnt

no fuses blew and no trips went on the machine

something has obviously shorted the mains directly to ground

The main circuit breaker in the garage tripped out and cut the power were it not for this I could have been electrocuted or had my garage burn down

It's now gone 5pm and my call hasn't been returned again !!

Tony

Edited By Antony Powell on 24/04/2017 17:03:53

Edited By Antony Powell on 24/04/2017 17:07:26

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Tony,
Did the fuse in the plug not blow ? Were you doing any arc welding near the lathe at the time (Or just before) the fault occured ? It seems like the fault current was greater than the current that would blow a 13 amp plug fuse so I was wondering if there was some other source of a very large current such as some welding that was being done had picked it's earth return up from the lathe rather than the earth cable from the welder.

Les.

 

Edited By Les Jones 1 on 24/04/2017 18:24:49

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Tony's description of the fault is quite worrying. Fuses are designed to blow before wires melt. I'm finding it hard to imagine a fault in the lathe capable of causing those symptoms. As Les suggests, is something else involved?

Is it possible that the garage is wired incorrectly? If Live and Neutral were reversed in the socket, then the fuse in the plug would be out-of-circuit. Or some kind of earth fault? Might be worth investing in a mains tester.

Given the amount of damage I'd have a look at the wiring inside the socket; it could be burnt too.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 24/04/2017 18:24:43

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

personally I’d call in a professional electrician tho the suggestion that L + N are reversed at feed to the socket might just about explain it – I’m guessing there are no RCBs in the garage or in the house feed to garage or socket feeding lathe – if there are then call in the professionals ASAP as one of these should have switched power off within milliseconds; but for the earth wire in a modern power cable to melt the insulation requires significant current beyond the 13A limit

Edited By Frances IoM on 24/04/2017 19:18:32

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

The 13 amp fuse is there to protect the mains lead from the socket outlet to the appliance, if the appliance has internal wires with a smaller cross sectional area then they will get hotter than the cables/wires supplying that current and could then burn through their insulation if subjected to a current greater than they can handle but still be below 13 amp.

It is also possible that the machines internal protection failed to cut out the current before things started to melt, once melting/burning perhaps they did kick in, in this scenario, the domestic wiring would not see any overload or short, however it is also not unknown for well regarded brands of consumer unit to have a faulty RCD now and again.

I would certainly echo the suggestion by Frances and get a sparky in to test everything and give it a clean bill of health.

Sadly this does tend to show how hollow the claims of 'off the shelf spares' which are made be the importes of Chinese stuff.

[Antony PowellParticipant @antonypowell28169]

Hi All

In response to the Questions posed…

As I said no fuses or trips on the lathe either blew or tripped out

The RCD on the garage ring main tripped out and shut off the power

No welding had been done in the garage for over a month prior to the fault ocurring

All circuits within the garage are A1, no damage and no faults found, I've had it all checked

Garage was newly wired only three years ago all new complete install it was derelict without power prior to my purchase of the property, all work done by Qualified & Experienced tradesmen using top quality materials.

All other tools & machinery continues to work fine after the incident

The electrician was not impressed with the quality of the machines internal wiring !!

Cables bent double and crammed up tightly against the METAL casing , Trapped & Untidy routing of cables,

just for starters

It has also been noted that the new circuit board has different components fitted compared to the old one

 

I'm not impressed with the attitude of Warco they don't seem to be overly interested, they don't return calls' they don't seem to do anything quickly, when they answer the telephone the way the do, I can't see me dealing with them in the future….I was sold this Lathe with a full 12 month warranty, which is now parts only after six months

I agree with Ian's general sentiment of "cheap foreign imports"

This is really starting to bug me now I paid almost £3000 for a lathe i can't use and nobody's in any hurry to get it fixed and they expect me to either pay for the labour to have it repaired or do it myself.

Not Impressed by either the quality of either machine or service in the slightest !!!

Tony

 

 

 

 

Edited By Antony Powell on 24/04/2017 21:55:47

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Tony.

I wonder if you have considered contacting your local Trading Standards Office for advice?

The number should be available online or via your Local Council or Citizens Advice Bureau.

V8.

[Author]

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