My brand new second hand super safe 14 Amp Vulcanizer

[adrianh]

I purchased this machine a while back and finally got the time today to strip it and give it a good going over. I was truly mesmerized by the superior quality of the electrical "engineering" that went into the manufacture of the device. I measured that it draws 14 Amps when the elements are powered. The "engineer" used a wide variety of wire thicknesses, mixed colors and choc blocks to assemble the circuit to his precise specifications. He installed a main power switch but never wired it in (maybe that would have required too many odd bits of colored wire and all the choc blocks in his Tupperware container of high quality parts salvaged from the local garbage dump.) Of course all the wires pass through little holes in the steel plating with no glands (none were available at the dump that day). Why in the world would one need overload protection or even a power switch for that matter, when you plug it in its on and there is as much as there is to it.

I don't mind though, I understood the risk when I bought it. It works and I'll make it better.

Bottom line....when you buy anything electrical secondhand, open it up and take a look - you may just find an "engineering" masterpiece that could burn your house down!

[AndyD]

Yeah, whoever wired that up is a savage. There's not much to be done other than ripping it all out and starting again. Looking on the bright side it's simple circuits and basic components so shouyldn't take more than an hour or two and cost should be minimal. Add some earthing as well whilst you're at it.

[adrianh]

Yeah, whoever wired that up is a savage. There's not much to be done other than ripping it all out and starting again. Looking on the bright side it's simple circuits and basic components so shouyldn't take more than an hour or two and cost should be minimal. Add some earthing as well whilst you're at it.

I am going to rip it all out today and redo it. I got some parts from AC DC Dynamics yesterday.

I have another machine, a spin caster that I purchased from the same seller. The machine is also downright dangerous because it is not integrated properly. Besides that the wiring sucks and that there is no main power switch, the machine has no form of safety interlocking. It spins while to door is open and even hydraulically lifts a large plate with no regard for the state of the machine. You just sort of have to make sure that you do things in the correct sequence. I also got a timer and a couple of safety switches etc for the machine and I hope to interlock and sequence the operation of the machine today. My other spin caster works like a robot - press a button and it all happens sequentially like clockwork (I will turn some commonly held beliefs on their head - My terrible machines are South African made and my good machines are Chinese - Go figure)