3 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Just guessing. Does it have open end frames? Maybe full of dust? Is that a magnetic power switch? If so perhaps it's full of dust too or wires have loosened on terminals causing it to cycle and that's why shutting off/ restart works.

 

Maybe @DuckSoupor @Artie can chime in ideas.

The motor is sealed and I'll pull the switch tomorrow and look for dust. The problem started when I was drilling a 1 1/2" hole, in the center of the burl, using a forstner bit and that bit stopped the motor. The lights, in the shop, went out briefly but then came back on.

1 hour ago, FrederickH said:

The motor is sealed and I'll pull the switch tomorrow and look for dust. The problem started when I was drilling a 1 1/2" hole, in the center of the burl, using a forstner bit and that bit stopped the motor. The lights, in the shop, went out briefly but then came back on.

Hopefully wires have just loosened at terminals over time. Might check wires from switch to the motor junction box as well.

I had similar problem with my table saw and magnetic switch. Loose connection/dirt. Hope that's all it is.

Could also be the run capacitor. Don't usually go in and out but is another area to look. Stopping under load is an indicator I think,

 

AI Overview from Google search

An electric motor stopping, stalling, or severely slowing down under load is a classic sign of

mechanical or electrical overload, frequently accompanied by the triggering of protective devices to prevent damage. This behavior indicates that the motor is unable to generate enough torque to handle the resistance of the machinery it is driving. 

Here are the primary causes and what this behavior signifies:

1. Mechanical Overloading (Too Much Work) 

Excessive Load: The most common cause is that the motor is simply working harder than its rated capacity (e.g., a conveyor is overloaded, a pump is blocked).

Mechanical Binding: Bearings in the motor or the driven load may be seized, or there may be debris causing high friction.

Misalignment: The motor shaft may not be properly aligned with the load, causing increased stress and resistance. 

2. Electrical Issues (Insufficient Power)

Low Voltage: If the motor does not receive proper voltage, it cannot produce full torque.

Phase Loss (3-Phase Motors): If one of the three phases is lost or imbalanced, the motor will lose power and struggle to turn.

Capacitor Failure (Single-Phase Motors): A faulty run capacitor will prevent the motor from developing sufficient torque to maintain speed under load. 

3. Safety/Protective System Activation

Overload Trip: If the motor stops suddenly, the overload relay or thermal protector has likely tripped to prevent the windings from burning out.

Tripped Circuit Breaker: Excessive current draw causes the breaker to trip to stop the motor. 

Summary of Signs

Humming/Buzzing Noise: The motor is energized but cannot spin.

Excessive Heat/Smell: The motor is drawing too much current, causing it to run very hot or emit a burning smell.

Slow Speed/Low Torque: The motor runs fine when empty but cannot maintain speed once engaged. 

If the motor stalls but then runs normally once the load is reduced, it is usually a sign that the motor is undersized for the application, or that the load is variable and periodically exceeds the motor's capacity. 

7 minutes ago, Gerald said:

Could also be the run capacitor. Don't usually go in and out but is another area to look. Stopping under load is an indicator I think,

 

AI Overview from Google search

An electric motor stopping, stalling, or severely slowing down under load is a classic sign of

mechanical or electrical overload, frequently accompanied by the triggering of protective devices to prevent damage. This behavior indicates that the motor is unable to generate enough torque to handle the resistance of the machinery it is driving. 

Here are the primary causes and what this behavior signifies:

1. Mechanical Overloading (Too Much Work) 

Excessive Load: The most common cause is that the motor is simply working harder than its rated capacity (e.g., a conveyor is overloaded, a pump is blocked).

Mechanical Binding: Bearings in the motor or the driven load may be seized, or there may be debris causing high friction.

Misalignment: The motor shaft may not be properly aligned with the load, causing increased stress and resistance. 

2. Electrical Issues (Insufficient Power)

Low Voltage: If the motor does not receive proper voltage, it cannot produce full torque.

Phase Loss (3-Phase Motors): If one of the three phases is lost or imbalanced, the motor will lose power and struggle to turn.

Capacitor Failure (Single-Phase Motors): A faulty run capacitor will prevent the motor from developing sufficient torque to maintain speed under load. 

3. Safety/Protective System Activation

Overload Trip: If the motor stops suddenly, the overload relay or thermal protector has likely tripped to prevent the windings from burning out.

Tripped Circuit Breaker: Excessive current draw causes the breaker to trip to stop the motor. 

Summary of Signs

Humming/Buzzing Noise: The motor is energized but cannot spin.

Excessive Heat/Smell: The motor is drawing too much current, causing it to run very hot or emit a burning smell.

Slow Speed/Low Torque: The motor runs fine when empty but cannot maintain speed once engaged. 

If the motor stalls but then runs normally once the load is reduced, it is usually a sign that the motor is undersized for the application, or that the load is variable and periodically exceeds the motor's capacity. 

Never thought about the cap. 

After I cleaned the dust from all relevant parts, the lathe seemed to "fix" itself . This burl is very, very dense and heavy and that might have been the problem of the stalling. I have another piece of burl, smaller, that I'm going to turn this week. Here's the almost finished piece.

That is full of unique character. Fantastic piece Rick. It's really going to look amazing with the finish.

Here's the completed bowl with oil finish and shellac coat. It's 6 1/2" in diameter.

Now, it's on to my next and last burl bowl turning. Again, this is from the red oak tree that removed from our yard in 2025. This has an inclusion that runs almost all of the way around it and may come apart. We'll see!

The bowl turned out (no pun intended) beautiful with the finish applied Rick. Absolutely stunning.

Here's the latest work on this last burl. I didn't finish it because it was riddled with inclusions. It came out of my chuck because the spigot broke off and it almost came off of my 3" faceplate. There were so many Uploading Attachment...deep inclusions that the screws wouldn't hold.

Bummer Rick but better safe than sorry. No need to dodge projectiles in the shop. Sorry it didn't work out.

3 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Bummer Rick but better safe than sorry. No need to dodge projectiles in the shop. Sorry it didn't work out.

Thanks and yes, the burl flew from the chuck and bounced off of the shop wall.

Just thinking out loud but I’ve used hot melt glue for fastening odd shaped pieces and it worked pretty good.

Firepit, let it glow, let it glow, let it glow.😁

39 minutes ago, Gunny said:

Firepit, let it glow, let it glow, let it glow.😁

It's badly hollowed out(halfway) and I'll use it in the shop to hold something

Another thing that helps is to keep the tailstock in place as long as possible. I actually complete a great portion of hollowing on some projects before pulling center out.

After reading some great comments for this post, I've decided to try to glue ALL of the inclusions, including the screw holes on this burl, apply tape all over, and see how it spins on the lathe. Too much wobble and it's retirement again for it.

2 hours ago, FrederickH said:

After reading some great comments for this post, I've decided to try to glue ALL of the inclusions, including the screw holes on this burl, apply tape all over, and see how it spins on the lathe. Too much wobble and it's retirement again for it.

I keep a supply of stainless steel hose clamps, in various sizes, as well as nylon strapping tape. I think they are stronger than blue painter's tape. Also, the hot melt glue needs to be really hot. Those little flower arranging glue guns might not get hot enough.

Turning is completed. I had to use 2" wood screws to hold everything together(some gluing)Uploading Attachment... and on the 3" chuck. I didn't go too far in because of the fear of hitting one of the wood screws so, the bowl is a lot shallower than I would prefer! The bowl has a coating of linseed oil and I'll follow this up with two coats of shellac when dry.