As I've mentioned elsewhere around here, I'm nearing the end of an 18-24-month-long project to expand and remodel my shop. It's been such a lengthy project because I had to do some other major remodeling in the other, recreation and entertainment half of the basement to provide some storage to compensate for some space my shop was going to take over, and that too led to more than I'd planned like a new ceiling, new lighting etc. In addition, the LOML kept encouraging me to take the shop remodel to the next level which has been both a blessing and a curse. The shop is a "public" area in that you have to go through the shop to reach the laundry, and when we entertain in our basement rec room the guests have to go through the shop to reach a half-bath, so she's concerned with how the shop looks to those not in love with machinery and workspaces. Fortunately I'm a very anal-retentive neatnik, but it has been very cramped and crowded space for a very long time.
She asked "What are you going to do with the floor?" (old, nasty, ugly, stained 50-year-old asbestos-vinyl tile), to which I replied "nothing" and she said "Let me re-phrase that - you ARE doing something with the floor, aren't you??", so I spent an additional 6 weeks or so cutting and laying interlocking PVC tile on weekends and evenings. It's really, really nice, but I'm really getting tired of this project and am anxious to get back to making stuff instead of working on the darn shop!
Anyway, last weekend was to be a major milestone. The Oneida 3-HP dust collector that has been stacked in ENORMOUS boxes in the rec room since February was finally going to get assembled and installed!!! The ducting was going to take a little more time, but at the very least I could drag a 4" vacuum hose around the shop and use more of my equipment without choking on the dust.
As usual, I'm working by myself (the LOML has arthritis and no gripping strength), and the motor that sits on top of the cyclone units weighs about 85 lbs. I managed to jury-rig some pulleys and ropes to lift it most of the way off the floor up between the joists so I could get the rest of the assembly underneath it. I get everything bolted together, sealed up, got the drum sentry hooked up, the motor starter mounted and everything plugged into the dedicated 220v circuit I installed for it.
I hit the power switch, it starts to spin up, but within about a second I hear a "GRONK!!" from the motor and it stops...
What the hell??
After crawling up into the joists and looking at everything, I finally notice that the motor (a good Leeson) is rotated 180* from where it was when I lifted everything into place - HUH?? I get both hands on it, and sure enough I can rotate the motor housing within the end-bell that is fastened to the mounting plate atop the blower housing. I think that some wiring got pulled loose inside when it rotated.
Marcy said that I looked like someone just killed my dog as I was standing there staring at the assembled but dysfunctional unit.
I contacted Oneida, and they are as puzzled about what the heck is wrong with this motor as I am, but are sending me a new motor and impeller assembly. Now I have to COMPLETELY dis-assemble the entire magilla, pack up the motor assembly in the box they're sending me to return it, and re-assemble everything. I'm recruiting my 24-year-old son and one of his buddies to come over and help me muscle this thing apart and back together again. I was lucky I didn't injure myself doing it by myself the first time, and I don't want to push my luck!!
I was hoping at one time to have my shop back in full operation by September. Right now, I'll be happy if I get it together by Halloween!! In the meantime, I keep pulling the Tele project off the shelf and admiring the shaped but unsanded body, and the radiused and slotted neck, then put it back on the shelf and think to myself "real soon now..."
