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[Kerry Verne]

When it stopped, I figured the bearings on my dust collector went bad. It pays to check the whole thing out.

[Canuck]

What part is that?  Man we're gonna' have to start calling you the 'unlucky' puzzlemaker

[Johan Heyns]

It's the starting capacitor.


http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_2/chpt_13/9.html

[Robert Yarger]

Usually, the simplest thing is the problem.  If the unit worked fine, but would not start the next time, it is most likely the switch.  Seems like switches burn out long before any other part of a machine.

OF course, brushes go out just as quickly on motors, but are easy to replace on most models.

The solder joint that connects the postive power supply wire to the motor coil wires is often weak and can blow at that spot (like a fuse wire).  A simple inspection will show if this is the problem, and it can just be resoldered.

If it started makeing funny grinding noises while running and then stopped, it is probably the bearings that you mentioned.  If that is the case, then you can manually twist the motor to a new position, and it should start for second and then lock up again.  IF this is the problem, I would just buy a new motor ar harborfreight.com, since changing out bearings is a really big pain, as they are usually machine pressed into there. 

OF course, it could be the capacitor, but those go out very rarely.

[Kerry Verne]

Well, I heard it making ugly noises when it spun down, so assumed the bearings. Popped them on and no change. Evidently this series comes with a crappy switch buried in the motor which I assume isn't field replacable. Grainger has the same cap for $7 though, so I think I'll buy two. (Dad is going to buy it from me when I'm done. Shop vac doesn't cut it for lathe work.)

One thing that may not have helped is that all the Grainger caps state '20 starts per hour'. I could have 40 starts an hour while tweaking things, which probably doesn't help.

[Robert Yarger]

Seems crapp to bury a switch in the motor itself.  Had a motor for my table saw that had the brushes go out.  Usually, this is a $2 part and easy to replace, but they had no brush access panels and the assembly was spot welded shut.  Guess they wanted you to buy a new one every year for $200.  Crafty marketing, but irritating to have to buy the entire part.

[Mark McCallum]

They are just insuring that we continue to live in a throw away society...

[Kerry Verne]

As the buried switch is supposed to cut the capacitor out of the loop, it would only be a short time before any replacement cap dies.

I guess I'm going to part it out on the woodworking forum. At least one person expressed interest in the impeller, and hopefully someone else wants the 5mic bag.

[Kerry Verne]

Well, due to the nature of Delta's designs, there is no relay buried in the switch, just windings.. Hopefully another cap will last another three years.

[Mark McCallum]

So which Delta collector is it?  I'm wondering if I have the same one...

[Eric Fuller]

I usually just leave the DC on all day.  It's not that loud.

[Robert Yarger]

Since switches seem to be the first thing to go on most equipment, I usually leave all of my equipment turned on, but plugged into an extesion cord or surge protector with with its own switch.  It is also nice to be able to turn on and off equipment with my foot on a switch as opposed to using my hands, such as with frequent on/off with a router project.

[Robert Yarger]

As a side note to Mark's response, that same motor with the inexcessible brushes could have also been easily replaced with an identical $60 motor.  Instead, the casing on that motor had metal attachements welded to it so that you had to buy a replacement from the company for $200+ or own a welding machine.  They made the price just low enough that it was more cost effective to buy the replacement motor than it was to buy a whole new system, but they insured that you had to buy through them.

A while back, Ford used a similar strategy by making replacment parts and bolts that could only be purchased through dealerships and specialized tools that were required to remove them.  Don't know if they still do that, but it was enough to deter me from ever buying Ford.  Go Chevy!!!!

[Kerry Verne]

Delta's AP400 model. I think they're being phased out as Lowes had a sale on them recently for under $90. I got mine after a discount for about $95 three years ago. I still need to check for shorts, but I think this is probably the root cause.

Now that I have the compressor in the attic above the garage on a 20amp line, I think I'll move my new DC up there too. I already tested to see that both could start up at the same time without popping the breaker. That would get the two loudest tools out of the shop. I can't find 5" pvc though, so I'll need something else.

[Carl Morris]

Has anyone ever heard of a dust collector catching on fire?  Seems like they're just one additional ingredient away from a spectacular demise.

Check out this cool picture of airborne sawdust burning:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/senseless_/199500133/