Powermatic 66 Installation Help

[JGrout]

I would speculate the knife switch was a lockout feature to keep the kids from using it unauthorized. It is after all on the back of the machine. 

the boxes underneath may well be step up transformers but it looks kinda hinky to me and those may not be what they appear.

[artistwantab]

Wow, did I pick the right group to get help from.

Thanks you everyone who replied.   Feeling like I might need an electrician also.

Hoping to identify everything so I have an idea of exactly whats needed.

Here are the pics of the panel.

Couldn't be easy or anything for a NON-Electrician. 
Says Phase 103.

   

   

   

[EricU]

I suppose it could be 3 phase, but there is no evidence of that.  I see one 220 single phase breaker and the rest are single leg breakers. I feel like it would be really weird for a 3 phase breaker panel to have 28 breakers per side.

[fredhargis]

Tom or one of the other smart guys will chime in, but I don't think that's "phase 103", I think that slashed zero is actually the symbol for "phase" so it says it's single phase- 3 wire (maybe). If true, that would put you back to needing a converter, or a new motor.

[TDKPE]

Tom or one of the other smart guys will chime in, but I don't think that's "phase 103", I think that slashed zero is actually the symbol for "phase" so it says it's single phase- 3 wire (maybe). If true, that would put you back to needing a converter, or a new motor.

Yup - 1Ø means single phase, and 3W means 3-wire for two hots and a neutral in this case.  I also don't see a 2-pole breaker in there, so it's probably a subpanel (and has an additional equipment grounding conductor for 4 conductors total), but it's hard to tell from the pics.

A phase converter, VFD, or new motor and control is in the cards here.

[Roly]

In the photo of the gray box you will see blue tape on the white conductor.  This indicates it is not a neutral but phase #3  black is #1 , red is #2 and it is 208/240v. On 480v it is brown orange yellow. I don't understand the step up/ step down transformers below unless the motor or controls were wired for a different voltage than supplied such as being supplied by 120/208 3 phase and changing it to 230v 3 phase to match the motor rating.
 The panel is single phase and should be a sub panel because there is no main breaker and you would need more than 6 moves to kill everything.     3 phase motors do not use a neutral but can use a grounded phase as in 3 phase 3 wire systems, in 4 wire systems the motor would get the 3 hot phases.  Roly

[WilliamHodge]

artistwantab ,

Your choice to get an electrician is a good one.

I have a shop full of 3 phase stuff running on a phase converter, including a Powermatic 66 and Powermatic 72. I had no idea what I was looking at in your photos. Please let us know what the knife switch on the side of the machine and the three mystery boxes were used for.

WH

[artistwantab]

Well here are some close up of the transformers.
No idea what they are for.  

Here is my thinking right now.  I think its in my best interest to just buy a motor.   I think this makes sense because I bought a USED saw and no idea how long the motor will continue to run.  Based on my research the motor also seems to be cheaper then a phase convertor. 

What are your thoughts?

   

   

[museumguy]

I am no electrician, don't pretend to be one either. Just from a woodworkers standpoint, I would get a new motor. My reason is that if you ever move the saw to your house or another location, very easy to just plug it in and go. As has been already stated, 3 hp is plenty for this saw. Again, this is just my opinion.

[TDKPE]

Those are outputting 24V, assuming the mains power is 240V.  That's commonly used for control voltage in low-voltage control systems.  But why there are three of them, and why even just one when LV controls usually have their own little transformer inside, is beyond me.  Some, thing else may have been powered by them, but I have no idea what.