My drill press keeps shorting the power circuit

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Not all the time. But often enough for it to be annoying - especially if it's night and I have to stumble around in the dark to reset the circuit breaker.It's a big, old thing that works well. It was given to me.Given I know nothing about electricity, is there any point me cleaning every connection I can find and making sure all connections etc are secure?Could it be something as simple as a loose connection that is causing it to occasionally throw the circuit breaker on the power supply?The thing is too heavy to take anywhere to get it looked at and I don't know whether there are even people who will look at a 50 year old tool.ScottYeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Can you tell us the horse power, watts or full load amps off the motor. Also what size breaker are you tripping.   Could just be an overloaded circuitDan
Reply:I'l have a look at the specs when I get home tonight, Dan.It's a dedicated circuit that goes to my shed (shop) but I'll have a look at that, too.I seem to recall getting that circuit upgraded once because my stick welder was tripping it.Thanks,ScottYeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:well If it trips the circuit, and the lights go out, I think you need to put it on its own circuit. I rented some shop space from a guy once that everything on just a few circuits, only took a couple of times stumbling around in the dark to decide to make some changes we put in a new panel and split things up, Lights on one outlets on two others etc........Syncrowave 180 SDMillermatic 250XSnap On MW 120 Econopac 50Victor O/A with some Smith Attachments 30 X 50 shop with a 400 Amps
Reply:There are really two possibilities:1. The drill press draws enough power, that when you combine it with everything else on the circuit, it trips the breaker.   But usually drill presses are 1/2 to 1 horsepower.  1 horsepower is 746 watts, which is around 6 amps at 120 volts, compared to the usual 15 amp breaker.  2. There is some kind of an intermittent short inside the drill press.   This you might be able to find if you open it up and look for black soot or missing insulation.Obviously if there is an intermittent short, putting the drill press on its own circuit will not solve the problem.RichardSculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge
Reply:Is it tripping the breaker when you first start it, or drilling heavy, what else is running on he same circuit, besides the lights?
Reply:Thanks for the responses.It's either a 1/2 hp or a 1/3hp - definitely not a full hp. I'll look tonight.I only ever have one tool on at a time - it's just me in there. So when it tripped the breaker last night, it was a single light and the drill press. Oh, and a radio.It does it instantly when I turn it on. But only sometimes.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:If it does in when you first turn the switch on and not every time it is probably as mentioned above a short inside, quite possibly  in  or at the switch.Did you just get the drill press or has been ok for a time and now just started doing this?Last edited by JPS; 04-10-2013 at 09:02 PM.
Reply:I've had it for a few years and it has always done it. Never really bothered me - except last night because I hit my head stumbling about in the dark.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:I would check the switch frist - probely been fliped 2 times past it's lifetime anywayAnd they are not to hard to replaceThe main thing is not to panic or get excited Bobcat 250, X-Treme 12VS,  MM211Meltabo, Milwaukee,Porter Cable,Dewalt,MakitaVictor O/A, Ingersoll-RandEvolution Rage2, 40 amp PlasmaLincoln 225 AC/DC
Reply:If it comes to that, there is an old guy who enthusiastically repaired a 1950s electric stove I bought recently. I bet he could do that.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Scott, you might also want to check the breaker.  Be sure to kill the power to the panel before poking around in it, for safety's sake!!Sometimes old breakers that have been tripped a number of times get "weak" and won't carry a normal load.I've had bad ones before and it seems to be the LAST thing one checks after looking at wiring, switches, tools, number of tools on the load, etc.  A new 15 or 20 amp breaker is pretty cheap.  One way to check if it's bad is to switch it with another like it on your panel, if you have more than one.If you do find that the breaker is bad, take the old one with you to get an exact replacement or equivalent.They come in different configurations depending on the panel connections.Last edited by shortfuse; 04-10-2013 at 09:41 PM.
Reply:Thanks. I'm very careful with electricity - largely because I don't understand it. I think if I did, I might be a bit more cavalier, and a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing when it comes to electricity. It's a newish - 5 years - circuit board. I had all the electrics in that building upgraded. But I'm not sure whether it's a 15 or 20 amp breaker. I'll be home in daylight today so I can have a look.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Okay, so I went home early yesterday and drilled some holes. Twenty four of them - 10mm through 8mm plate. The drill of course didn't trip the breaker once - it knew I had been talking about it.Gee, it's a good drill. I have a small chinese one for smaller stuff because it's more nimble and I can move it to where I'm working, but the big one is great for bigger holes through thicker steel.Attached are some pics.Pic 1. The first is the switchboard. My place is an odd one - ex commercial property that consists of three buildings. There is a big main board that feeds 3 sub boards. This is the subboard for the shed/studio building. It's the Residual Current Device that is tripping - occasioanlly.Pic 2. The label on the drill. So it's a 1/2 hp. I'm guessing 1970s made.Pic 3. The switch outside.Pic 4. The switch inside. Attached ImagesLast edited by scott brunsdon; 04-11-2013 at 07:27 PM.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Check the wiring inside.  When I first got mine it was doing the same thing.  There is the spindle column that moves up and down inside.  The wires had come out of the retainer clip (loose clip) and had worn through the insulation from rubbing on the column.  The wires were shorting on the spindle intermittently.  Rewired the whole thing and it works perfect, making sure to mount the wires out of the way.  I also lengthened the power cord a bit along with a new plug.
Reply:I had a look inside when I took the switch off - more out of curiousity than anything. They're pretty simple things, aren't they. The wires aren't near the spindle column, but I'll have another look in case they are near anything else. The switch itself seems fine.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Start up is generally the highest draw on an electric motor, but only for a moment. An old tired breaker might be the cause. You might look into getting a slow trip breaker, also known as a high inrush current breaker.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:I would rewire the whole thing.  It's simple, wire is cheap.  If you still have problems, it's the switch.
Reply:Here's a thought...What if I used the power point to turn the drill on and off instead of the switch on the drill?If the breaker trips, it's likely an issue with it.If the breaker doesn't trip, the problem is probably the switch.Does that make sense?Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdonHere's a thought...What if I used the power point to turn the drill on and off instead of the switch on the drill?If the breaker trips, it's likely an issue with it.If the breaker doesn't trip, the problem is probably the switch.Does that make sense?
Reply:I've got my hopes pinned on it being the switch - it it's the motor and it gets worse, it will stay busted.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:I have almost that exact DP. Does yours have start capacitor on the motor (hump on the side about 6" long)? May have a bad start cap, may have dry bearings, may have belts too tight, spindle may be in a bind. Your circuit breaker could be old and tired. Release the belt tension, an pull the drive belt off. Start it up, does it start fine? Spin the spindle and idler by hand to check for tight bearings/bushings.
Reply:Yes, it does have a hump on the side that holds a capacitor. I unscrewed the cover yesterday and saw it and thought, 'I wonder what on earth that is?' before covering it back up.I'll have a proper look at it all this weekend perhaps without pulling bits off it. This sort of thing isn't something I'm good at, so I'm not keen on mucking around with it too much. If it throws the breaker (which is reasonably new) every now and then, that's not the end of the world. If it starts doing it more often, it's a problem. If it stops working altogether, it's a bigger problem.But the old bloke who repaired that 50s stove will be who I'll call. He's one of those blokes - like many of the people here - who will get it running good as new. From the chuck, it doesn't look like it's had a hard life, so it's worth hanging onto.I'm guessing things like the spindle column could benefit with a smear of grease? Or would I wipe on some oil? Would I lubricate the chuck with WD40, or is that a 'no no'.Are there some maintenance things I can do to it while I'm poking around this weekend?Last edited by scott brunsdon; 04-12-2013 at 02:24 AM.Yeah, I carry.House keys, wallet, some change, usually a newspaper, maybe a pen.
Reply:Hmmmm . . . "Green label is for devices protected by a residual current device" . . . .Isn't that a way to say that that circuit is on a ground fault protector?  Like you put in bathrooms and such? If so, then this need not be a short - just a trivial leak to ground . . . Is there a reason you put your tools on *this* circuit and not another?  Not sure what your codes are there, but I can't say that I have heard of using ground fault on machinery in the US much . . . And considering the age of that drill press, it likely wasn't built in the era of ground fault protectors, so you might want to verify that the grounds in it are correctly terminated - no ties to any other lead, just the frame of the press . . .- Tim
Reply:Originally Posted by tadawsonHmmmm . . . "Green label is for devices protected by a residual current device" . . . .Isn't that a way to say that that circuit is on a ground fault protector?  Like you put in bathrooms and such? If so, then this need not be a short - just a trivial leak to ground . . . Is there a reason you put your tools on *this* circuit and not another?  Not sure what your codes are there, but I can't say that I have heard of using ground fault on machinery in the US much . . . And considering the age of that drill press, it likely wasn't built in the era of ground fault protectors, so you might want to verify that the grounds in it are correctly terminated - no ties to any other lead, just the frame of the press . . .- Tim