PM3520 question....help

Re: PM3520 question....help

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>I have yet to stop mine, no matter what the size blank or speed, and I've tried. I'm always amazed at how strong that thing is. I simply let gravity do the tensioning on the belt and tighten from there. Others suggest making it a bit lighter so that the belt will slip with a bad catch, but I can't bog that thing down nor get it to slip.

Hey Mike.....

KurtK in Indy

>Do you think it's a manufacturing quality issue??

Should I get the factory rep involved?? Arghhh.

Kurt

see what the other guys have to say first

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>I'm curious, too. Seem to be a lot of 3520 owners here. I can tell you that its easy form me to take off up to 3/4" of material in one pass, outside of bowl, on a 15" piece of wet cherry without the machine even blinking. That always amazes me. Ask Scott Stefanoski. I was showing off for him recently.

Re: PM3520 question....help

Ric Erkes

>Kurt, my belt is set so that I can push it in to about a 1/4 inch deflection. I don't have any slippage at that tension.

I can only think of 5 possibilities. Belt is too big. Belt is too loose. The motor is slowing down. The spur drive is spinning in the bowl blank. The spur drive is spinning in the shaft.

Next time it slips, open the belt cover door and determine if it is the belt or the motor. If it is not either, check your spur drive.

Since it is new, if it is the motor or too large a belt, I'd call Powermatic.

I'm sure you have thought of my ideas already, because there is not much (that I can think of) to really check.

Ric

Re: PM3520 question....help

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>Really good point Ric, it could be slippage on the drive spur. I almost never use one except to form a tenon and wouldn't have thought of that.

Re: PM3520 question....help

Doug Leite

>Kurt,

Not a PM owner, but many problems are generic.Could either of your pulleys be loose on their shafts? Check the setscrews for being loosa and/or any missing keys.

Aloha

Hawaii Turner

Re: PM3520 question....help

john dillbeck

>Mine to will stop at the slowest speeds if I load it excessive. I think if you look at the torque curve the low end will be at the low speed. I don't think I have a belt slippage problem.

Re: PM3520 question....help

Bill Dotten

>MINE STOPS FOR NOTHING. IT WILL PROBABLY KILL ME

Re: PM3520 question....help

BobP

>Kurt,

To summarize what others have said and from my own experience, it is VERY hard to bog down the PM3520A, especially when the belt is set at the slow speed.

This may sound a bit crazy but did it ALWAYS bog down and are you sure your 220 Volt service is up to spec? (That's a round-about way of saying "sure it's not running on 120 Volt"?)

If none of the other suggestions solve the problem I would definitely call PM/JET tech support.

Let us know what you learn.

BobP

Here's what I've learned......

KurtK in Indy

>Thanks, folks for all of the great replies. I spoke to the Factory guys and they said that the set screws may be loose and thus the key may be loose from the pulley. This thought was confirmed by an email I received. I have since retightened the loose set screws and realigned the pulley shaft and am happy to report we're back in business!!

Got some nice cherry blanks I want to get going on!!

Thanks, again.

Kurt

Glad it was something simple.

Ric Erkes

>Thanks for the follow up. I'll keep that one in mind.

Ric