I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?

i

On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?

i
On those motors it is not uncommon for a brush to stick a little,
which causes it to heat up, and the brush spring looses tension. Then
the brush has even less pressure on the commutator, so it starts to
arc, and pretty soon the brush has burned off - and the spring is
totally toasted. The other brush can be totally OK.

On 2015-10-16, wrote:
On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?

i
On those motors it is not uncommon for a brush to stick a little,
which causes it to heat up, and the brush spring looses tension. Then
the brush has even less pressure on the commutator, so it starts to
arc, and pretty soon the brush has burned off - and the spring is
totally toasted. The other brush can be totally OK.

OK, this is great. I bought replacements from the mfgr, cannot wait
for them to arrive.

On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

That's something you'll never see come out of China. (Well, 400 pound
people OR heavy duty treadmills.


Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?

A loose connection on the back end can cause that. It usually burns
up the wire's insulation. I had a brand new chop saw come to me with a
loose brush. Ever since then, I've checked the brushes on all my new
and used tools, just in case. (Cheap Chiwanese brand, money refunded
because it ate the commutator.)

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

On 2015-10-16, Ignoramus15926 wrote:
I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

At a guess -- the square or rectangular tube that it slides in
is a bit undersized or bent in a bit, so the tip of the brush was sort
of skating on the high points of the commutator, drawing arcs whenever
it should be descending to follow the surface.

Try moving the good brush to the other tube and see how
smoothly it slides.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | (KV4PH) Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 2015-10-16, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

That's something you'll never see come out of China. (Well, 400 pound
people OR heavy duty treadmills.


Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?

A loose connection on the back end can cause that. It usually burns
up the wire's insulation. I had a brand new chop saw come to me with a
loose brush. Ever since then, I've checked the brushes on all my new
and used tools, just in case. (Cheap Chiwanese brand, money refunded
because it ate the commutator.)


OK, thanks., great to know

On Fri, 16 Oct 2015 06:17:18 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

On 2015-10-16, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

That's something you'll never see come out of China. (Well, 400 pound
people OR heavy duty treadmills.


Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?

A loose connection on the back end can cause that. It usually burns
up the wire's insulation. I had a brand new chop saw come to me with a
loose brush. Ever since then, I've checked the brushes on all my new
and used tools, just in case. (Cheap Chiwanese brand, money refunded
because it ate the commutator.)


OK, thanks., great to know

As a followup, I researched chop saws more after that and decided that
an investment of $10 in a trio of Starrett hacksaw blades was a better
idea. I go through about one a decade. Until then, I had no idea how
much better a hacksaw could cut, or how long a good blade could last.
I consider that a triple win for myself, all because of a cheap tool.
So, even when unusable, cheap Chiwanese tools proved themselves quite
worthy.

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

In article ,
Ignoramus15926 wrote:

On 2015-10-16, wrote:
On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?

i
On those motors it is not uncommon for a brush to stick a little,
which causes it to heat up, and the brush spring looses tension. Then
the brush has even less pressure on the commutator, so it starts to
arc, and pretty soon the brush has burned off - and the spring is
totally toasted. The other brush can be totally OK.

OK, this is great. I bought replacements from the mfgr, cannot wait
for them to arrive.

Also check for shorts from copper to housing. A Megger is useful for
this.

Joe Gwinn

Ignoramus15926 wrote:



What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?
If the copper braid pigtail develops a bad connection, then the thin spring
has to carry the current, and it will get annealed in a second.

The braid is supposed to be buried deep into the carbon before it is pressed
and sintered. Sometimes they cheat on material, and only a mm of braid is
inside the carbon. Or, the braid could get fatigued, corroded or not be
soldered well to the spring retainer/current contact piece. Any of these
will fry the spring, and often the whole plastic brush holder assembly.

Jon

On 2015-10-16, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

That's something you'll never see come out of China. (Well, 400 pound
people OR heavy duty treadmills.

Maybe from China, but if you add Japan -- what is the typical
weight of a sumo wrestler?

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | (KV4PH) Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 2015-10-16, Larry Jaques wrote:

As a followup, I researched chop saws more after that and decided that
an investment of $10 in a trio of Starrett hacksaw blades was a better
idea. I go through about one a decade. Until then, I had no idea how
much better a hacksaw could cut, or how long a good blade could last.
I consider that a triple win for myself, all because of a cheap tool.
So, even when unusable, cheap Chiwanese tools proved themselves quite
worthy.


Chop saws and hack saws are for different purposes.

i

I agree on the hacksaw blade.

And if you have a metal bandsaw - get fluid on it to clean the chips.
Cool the tips and it keeps on cutting. I use a Hydrolic oil container
and put it on a sump with fluid.

Martin

On 10/16/2015 8:32 AM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Fri, 16 Oct 2015 06:17:18 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

On 2015-10-16, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

That's something you'll never see come out of China. (Well, 400 pound
people OR heavy duty treadmills.


Except that it sode not work and gives "Error 1". Some googling
revealed possible reason as "burnt brushes", so I took the brushes.

One of them was indeed burnt, as follows: evidence of heat damage, the
helical spring was no longer pushing it apart, and two out of three
strands of copper wire were burned.

The other brush was in a fine condition.

What I do not understand is how could only one brush burn out?

Any idea?

A loose connection on the back end can cause that. It usually burns
up the wire's insulation. I had a brand new chop saw come to me with a
loose brush. Ever since then, I've checked the brushes on all my new
and used tools, just in case. (Cheap Chiwanese brand, money refunded
because it ate the commutator.)


OK, thanks., great to know

As a followup, I researched chop saws more after that and decided that
an investment of $10 in a trio of Starrett hacksaw blades was a better
idea. I go through about one a decade. Until then, I had no idea how
much better a hacksaw could cut, or how long a good blade could last.
I consider that a triple win for myself, all because of a cheap tool.
So, even when unusable, cheap Chiwanese tools proved themselves quite
worthy.

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

On Fri, 16 Oct 2015 19:42:52 -0500, Ignoramus19170
wrote:

On 2015-10-16, Larry Jaques wrote:

As a followup, I researched chop saws more after that and decided that
an investment of $10 in a trio of Starrett hacksaw blades was a better
idea. I go through about one a decade. Until then, I had no idea how
much better a hacksaw could cut, or how long a good blade could last.
I consider that a triple win for myself, all because of a cheap tool.
So, even when unusable, cheap Chiwanese tools proved themselves quite
worthy.


Chop saws and hack saws are for different purposes.

For cutting angle iron and sub-1" square steel tubing, either works,
but a hacksaw doesn't throw abrasives around the entire shop while
doing so.

--
Some people confuse change with progress.
--Abraham Lincoln

On 17 Oct 2015 00:23:21 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

On 2015-10-16, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

That's something you'll never see come out of China. (Well, 400 pound
people OR heavy duty treadmills.

Maybe from China, but if you add Japan -- what is the typical
weight of a sumo wrestler?

Um, just for giggles, how many sumos have you seen on treadmills, Don?

--
Some people confuse change with progress.
--Abraham Lincoln

On Fri, 16 Oct 2015 21:13:54 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I agree on the hacksaw blade.

And if you have a metal bandsaw - get fluid on it to clean the chips.
Cool the tips and it keeps on cutting. I use a Hydrolic oil container
and put it on a sump with fluid.

I did eventually buy a portable metalcutting bandsaw, a Harbor
Freight portable. Noisy little bastids, but they work well.
Bimetallic blades were the first (and yet, only) upgrade. I use
cutting oil, for tough cuts of unknown metals, or Marvel Mystery Oil
with it.

Has anyone developed a type of leakproof fluid container for use with
portables, or is squirting the only solution? My buddy Glenn uses
oil-soaked felt wiper strips on the blade of his 4x6.

A hinged mount and counterbalance will someday turn it into a fixed
machine, but I'm too busy yet in my retirement to fab that up. This
week, I'm painting my house. My masking machine fell off the top of
the ladder and I had to repair it, too. I'm drilling new mount holes
in the ripper extension today, to hold the blade firmly, but I got the
new paper roll pivot built yesterday. Had to hack out washers to fit
the bloody offset hole in the resin on the back. I may redo that by
drilling out a pair, as it wants to wander a bit now.

The longer I'm retired (first check hit my bank last Wednesday), the
more I understand the gripes I've heard in the past which didn't make
sense at the time. "Now that I'm retired, I don't have -time- to do
that."

--
Some people confuse change with progress.
--Abraham Lincoln

On Fri, 16 Oct 2015 19:53:46 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On 17 Oct 2015 00:23:21 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

On 2015-10-16, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:53:37 -0500, Ignoramus15926
wrote:

I got a nice Matrix T3X treadmill at a company cleanout.

Seems to be USA made, heavy, for up to 400 lb max runner weight,
with a US made Johnson 3HP motor etc.

That's something you'll never see come out of China. (Well, 400 pound
people OR heavy duty treadmills.

Maybe from China, but if you add Japan -- what is the typical
weight of a sumo wrestler?

Um, just for giggles, how many sumos have you seen on treadmills, Don?
I have never seen a Sumo wrestler on a treadmill but they exercise an
amazing amount. And the amount of beer they drink each day is
astounding. Just part of their diet. If I worked out as much as they
did with my present diet I would have zero fat left anywhere.
Eric