How would you mount this heavy motor?

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

After mulling it over a few days, I think I may have a working solution, based on what you two have said:

Hang the motor directly under the driven pulley on the cutter head. Mount it with long bolts to allow it to hang down. Put the belts on. "Lift/lower" the motor with the nut/bolt combination by tightening the nut until I achieve a good tension. Put washers/spacers between where the motor then rests and the mounting plate to prevent it from climbing the belts. It'll be a bit cumbersome to put the washers/spacers in place but I can do it one bolt at a time to make it a bit more feasible.

Thoughts?

[MstrCarpenter]

After mulling it over a few days, I think I may have a working solution, based on what you two have said:

Hang the motor directly under the driven pulley on the cutter head.  Mount it with long bolts to allow it to hang down.  Put the belts on.  "Lift/lower" the motor with the nut/bolt combination by tightening the nut until I achieve a good tension.  Put washers/spacers between where the motor then rests and the mounting plate to prevent it from climbing the belts.  It'll be a bit cumbersome to put the washers/spacers in place but I can do it one bolt at a time to make it a bit more feasible.

Thoughts?

I still can't picture the orientation of the motor, mounting plate, and the "hanging bolts"(?) in reference to the cutterhead. But if it helps, I referred to slotted washers in my post. Sometimes they're referred to as "body shims", but those are actually square with a slot for the bolt. They work too, but the shims are what we were trying to do away with because they are, as you seem to understand, a pain in the butt to deal with. Adjusting the motor up and down threaded rod on nuts and washers is a lot easier; then just lock it in place with another set of nuts and washers on top. Just be sure to include a new lock washer in the mix. If you have a mounting plate that the motor frame bolts to and the bolts won't bottom out or if the mount isn't threaded, then I think you may get the adjustment I'm referring to by feeding longer bolts up from the bottom. Some of the big motors I worked with were mounted on 7/16" threaded rod that stuck up out of a wood floor. After the belts were on and tensioned, the motors were about 1" off the floor. As the new belts stretched, the motor was moved in the slots; if more was needed, the motor was lowered.

[TDKPE]

I was envisioning something more like all thread with nuts above and below the mounting plate, to allow adjusting for tension and tightening the nut on the opposite side to lock that location. Similar to how street and parking lot light poles are mounted on anchor bolts, nutted above and below for adjusting to plumb, then locked in position with air space under the mounting flange. That, but upside down if the motor is under the support structure.

[Stwood_]

I'm thinking 2 angle irons hanging down, with a hole in each one, that a pipe or tubing slides into.
Motor base is attached to the pipe, giving it a hinge type mount.
The other end of the base, have a 5/8-3/4" all thread hanging down from machine, going through the motor base, with nuts on each side of the base.
Hang the motor on the belts, then slightly snug the lower all thread nut, taking some motor weight off the belt/belts

[ez-duzit]

Hinging the motor is OK as long as you work out the geometry to get proper tension without overloading.

Here is how I mounted the motor on a small Sears table saw so that it provided just the right tension on the belt. Notice that the entire weight of the motor does not apply force to the belt, due to the position of the hinge pin.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

I like the idea of using multiple nuts on the bolt to lock the motor on place once it's tensioned properly; thanks for that suggestion. Sounds easier than trying to put in washers, whole or slotted.

Went out to take some pics to give a better idea of what i'm working with and realized that the motor can't sit directly under the driven pulley; my DC port is in the way. Not a big deal though.

Fabrication of a hinged mount looks like it's more work than I care to attempt.

Motor mounting plate and rough location of motor shown.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

Here's what I ended up doing. Not pretty, but rugged and cheap.

[Stwood_]

Looks good. Fairly easy belt adjustment also.