Help! C&P motor issues, press not turning

Last night I was printing an order on my big C&Pwhen it slowed its usual pace, and now it wont move much at all when I turn the motor on. At first I thought a part was sticking, but now I feel like the motor won’t turn it over. I am not sure what to do! The motor still turns on like it is working, but then it just doesn’t get cranking like it normally would. Thanks for any help you can provide!–

Hello,Are you belt driven or direct drive? Either way, check all the parts that connect. My presses are direct drive, and if there’s so much as a piece of masking tape on the flywheel, it’ll throw off the whole operation and it won’t spin. There’s also a chance that the brushes on the motor are worn and aren’t touching the copper wheel inside the motor (I know, my layman’s terms are atrocious). These aren’t actually brushes, per se, but a solid chunk that is held in place and must connect to the copper wheel on the inside. Sometimes when they’re worn you can adjust whatever mechanism is holding them in place to lower them a bit. I used to have this problem a lot, and I recall a bit of sparking when adjusting the brushes, but they’ve been good to go for some time now. Take a look and see if you have these in the motor (sometimes you have to lift up a cap, but they’re generally towards the outside edge). Motors need oil, too, so make sure you’re on top of that. Oh, and both of mine have an arm that comes up and out and is directly connected to my speed control. Because it’s just out in the open, it can get banged into by an errant knee (ouch), and then it completely throws off the speed control so that even when you’ve turned it up, it’s not enough. Kind of a Duh! moment, but it just happened to us last week after having an open house… someone must have bumped it out of place. In that case, you just have to move it by hand to a different position and readjust your speed control Motors are also motors, so if you can’t figure it out, you can probably find a small shop to take it to or that might come by to check it out.Hope that helps!Jen

Any chance my C&P may be acting up because it is trying to operate in 40 degree farenheit conditions?

Hi! Thanks for the response…I am still having trouble with this. Spent all day trying to trouble shoot. I am belt-driven. I took the whole thing apart today, and the part that seems to be a problem is that the belt is loose–not tight around the motor and the wheel. Not sure how to get the slac out of it. Tried EVERYTHING!!

maybe! do you have a space heater? try it!also – you might want to consider a treadle. when i bought my C&P, it didn’t have a treadle or a motor. but my friend rich polinski of frontroompress.com made me a very beautiful treadle. he’s a cabinetmaker. it came out so lovely. anyway, a treadle is good to have just in case your motor dies and you have a deadline.

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