Bottlehead Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: glynnw on September 10, 2012, 11:16:35 AM

Title: Need help with Keith Monks cleaner.
Post by: glynnw on September 10, 2012, 11:16:35 AM

Hi guys -  I am trying to resurrect a 30 year old Keith Monks record cleaner.  All is now working, but the vacuum motor (this thing has 3 motors, plastic tubing, bottles, even a moving string - meets all my Walter Mitty desires) needs a nudge on the cooling fan to get it started. Cleaning and lubing didn't correct the situation, so I put a 20 Mfd Russian cap in front of it and it now starts (20 was the smallest value that I had that worked).  If I buy a cap with a high voltage rating, can I leave it in line in front of the motor or do I need to develop some kind of switch that takes it out of the circuit as soon as the motor starts?

Title: Re: Need help with Keith Monks cleaner.
Post by: Jim R. on September 10, 2012, 11:46:28 AM

Glynn,

You can just get a motor start cap from one of the surplus places and you should have no problems.

I'm jelous BTW :-).

-- Jim

Title: Re: Need help with Keith Monks cleaner.
Post by: Grainger49 on September 10, 2012, 12:06:10 PM

Glynn,

Ok, if it takes 50uF to get it running I wonder if a lower value, AC rated cap will get it started.  You can take it out with a SPST switch, or leave it in.  My VPI HW-19 has a 2uF cap, IIRC, that stays in the circuit. 

Just to be sure, the cooling fan is attached to the vacuum motor, right?  Also, I take it the capacitor is in parallel with the motor, not in series, right?

Title: Re: Need help with Keith Monks cleaner.
Post by: glynnw on September 10, 2012, 12:31:56 PM

Hi Grainger - I just have a 20 Mfd cap directly in line in front of the motor.  The electricity goes from the on/off switch, to the cap and then to the motor.  I guess that is in series.  (Have I mentioned I couldn't build a Bottlehead kit without Doc's great photographs - I know nada about electronics.)

Title: Re: Need help with Keith Monks cleaner.
Post by: Grainger49 on September 10, 2012, 02:13:25 PM

Glynn,

And now I'm not sure.  I thought I remembered that the start/run cap was in parallel.  What you describe is indeed in series. 

Title: Re: Need help with Keith Monks cleaner.
Post by: glynnw on September 10, 2012, 03:55:01 PM

I just tried it in parallel and no results  - will leave it in series.  Plan to order higher voltage rating motor run cap and hope I don't eventually burn the house down.  I cannot imagine walking out of the room and leaving this unit running - it is much too loud to leave on unless actively cleaning a record.

Thanks for all your input.

Title: Re: Need help with Keith Monks cleaner.
Post by: Grainger49 on September 11, 2012, 01:01:03 AM

In the dark of predawn, "in series" makes sense.  The cap is going to increase the torque of the motor by changing the angle of the current through the motor.  Parallel wouldn't change the current through the motor.