Garry,
I wish I had read your post several years ago. When I first purchased my Viel, I planned to use one of the three old (1930s) shop motors I inherited from my grandfather. I did not realize until I tried to install one of them that they were all too large for the Viel. Motors are classified by NEMA sizes. The quick giveaway is shaft diameter. The standard motors which fit the Viel have 1/2” shafts. My shop motors all had 5/8” shafts. (An online "nema motor sizes" search will locate a handy chart.)
So, I ordered a 1/4 hp motor from Viel. When it arrived I was surprised that it, like my old shop motors, had open vent construction. I wondered about grinding dust problems. That should have been a red flag for me.
The Penn State motor is closed construction. I believe the industry classification is "TEFC". Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled.
After conversion, I noticed that my fixed speed motor had stopped working. I took it to the local motor shop that installed the reversing switches for me. The trchnician tested it and pronounced it shorted out. I left it for the shop recycle pile. In hindsight, I wonder if it might have just needed to be blown out well and inspected like Garry's motor.
Bench grinders have enclosed motors. In the future, I will look for TEFC motors for my shop.
Thanks for posting, Garry.
Ken
I wish I had read your post several years ago. When I first purchased my Viel, I planned to use one of the three old (1930s) shop motors I inherited from my grandfather. I did not realize until I tried to install one of them that they were all too large for the Viel. Motors are classified by NEMA sizes. The quick giveaway is shaft diameter. The standard motors which fit the Viel have 1/2” shafts. My shop motors all had 5/8” shafts. (An online "nema motor sizes" search will locate a handy chart.)
So, I ordered a 1/4 hp motor from Viel. When it arrived I was surprised that it, like my old shop motors, had open vent construction. I wondered about grinding dust problems. That should have been a red flag for me.
The Penn State motor is closed construction. I believe the industry classification is "TEFC". Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled.
After conversion, I noticed that my fixed speed motor had stopped working. I took it to the local motor shop that installed the reversing switches for me. The trchnician tested it and pronounced it shorted out. I left it for the shop recycle pile. In hindsight, I wonder if it might have just needed to be blown out well and inspected like Garry's motor.
Bench grinders have enclosed motors. In the future, I will look for TEFC motors for my shop.
Thanks for posting, Garry.
Ken