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Author Topic: Strong Motor Rebuild Issue Michael Voiland Expert Film Handler Posts: 219 From: Naperville, IL US Registered: Aug 2009 posted 04-29-2010 09:35 PM                     So I was following the instructions for the second time on rebuilding the alpha 3 motors for strong platters using a grainger lamb motor. This rebuilt motor is running slower then the 2 other motors on the platter even trying to retime it i have the older motors all the way up and the new motor all the way down and cant get them to run even close to the same speed. Would the diode have anything to do with this.  |  IP: Logged Richard May Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1057 From: Floral Park, NY USA Registered: Aug 2004 posted 04-29-2010 09:45 PM                     Strong specifically says to bypass the diode on the new black motors if being used on the older platters. Not sure if you rebuilt the old one.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-29-2010 10:18 PM                     There are also two other shaft spindles for that motor if you are using it on a newer platter. The best way to get things perfectly in time though is to rebuild all three motors. Mark  |  IP: Logged Michael Voiland Expert Film Handler Posts: 219 From: Naperville, IL US Registered: Aug 2009 posted 04-29-2010 10:18 PM                     Really. I will have to open the old ones up and look at it. I rebuilt one a month ago and did it the same way and we have not had an issue. This platter i converted to removable brains about 2 months ago if it gives you an idea how old it is. I was not using the strong motor but a grainger motor.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 04-30-2010 03:48 AM                     I can see bypassing the diode since that'l allow full current to the motor instead of the half wave when using the diode..  |  IP: Logged Randy Bowden Expert Film Handler Posts: 146 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 04-30-2010 01:08 PM                     Do yourself a huge favor and rebuild all three motors. Then they will time up perfectly and on the plus side you get new bearings, armature and brushes.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-30-2010 01:09 PM                     What Randy said!  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 04-30-2010 02:04 PM                        A "new" motor can be really slow, especially if you don't run it awhile (medium speed) to seat the new brushes. Sometimes this is enough. Sometimes not. I swap all 3 motors as stated above, throw out the bad motor, but keep the other 2 motors for rebuilding other platter systems. They always match. What I don't do is remove the diode. Bad choice. Louis  |  IP: Logged Michael Voiland Expert Film Handler Posts: 219 From: Naperville, IL US Registered: Aug 2009 posted 04-30-2010 07:27 PM                     This particular platter is really really old so old that the cover for the back of the motor had some rust on it. Like I said it was a fixed brain motor. I will open up the back and see if the diode has been removed from the other to. This platter is messed up as the variac has some rough points in it. I will see if i can get 2 more new motors because it would be nice to have a really reliable platter system. I also tried running the motor at half voltage for about 2 or 3 hours. Even a little bit of wd-40 in the bearing in the back. No dice. I am going to see about getting 2 more motors.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 04-30-2010 07:36 PM                     Dang, all of that rust coloring means the bearing went to crap... (I've even shot FG on bearings to bring them back to life...great stuff..!) -Monte  |  IP: Logged Michael Voiland Expert Film Handler Posts: 219 From: Naperville, IL US Registered: Aug 2009 posted 05-01-2010 01:55 AM                     This was the old motor new motor runs slow. I work tomorrow. I will look and see if the diodes have been disconnected on the other 2 motors.  |  IP: Logged Randy Bowden Expert Film Handler Posts: 146 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 05-02-2010 01:18 AM                     The one thing that I forgot to mention and often gets overlooked, is the fact that the bearings on the armature are usually pretty well worn out. If the brushes are worn down and the armature looks worn, then most likely the bearings are as well. We have been buying the armatures through a company called Hesco, but it's a special order item and takes 4 weeks to get em' in. We get the brushes through Grainger and the bearings are sourced locally. I have a field rebuild kit that includes all these items as well as a drive wheel whith new bearings and tires.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 05-02-2010 11:53 PM                     Y'all need to quit screwing around with a platter built with vacuum cleaner motors and get a used Christie AW3R. They can be found in some cases for less than the cost of one or two motors.  |  IP: Logged Michael Voiland Expert Film Handler Posts: 219 From: Naperville, IL US Registered: Aug 2009 posted 05-03-2010 12:09 AM                     You know I have had the chance to work on Christie aw3 platters and you know what i asked to go back to strong platters because the Christie platters are pitifully slow. they have this annoying shaft that sticks up in the middle of the platter and the rings suck. Good platters but a few defects that bug me.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 05-03-2010 02:47 AM                     Dang, I kill for AW3's. quote: Michael Voiland because the Christie platters are pitifully slow. they have this annoying shaft that sticks up in the middle of the platter and the rings suck "Annoying shaft that sticks up in the middle?" Wonder if you met an AW2 deck with those goofy brains? For AW3 either had solid brains or the removable brains like the ALPHAS do, but are tons better built than any ALPHA brain built..and you don't get that beehive wrap while theading...but I'll stop there. Unfortunately, that platter was way out of time and they're quite easy to retime back in, but it does take two steps in doing it correctly (if it was an AW3) But, once those two steps are accomplished, things runs like a dream and handle film so smooth.  |  IP: Logged

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