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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Carbon Brushes by size

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Ryan - WI

03-01-2007 13:14:27




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I have a shop vac in my school that I posted about before. I finally tore into it today and rather than throwing a bearing like I had thought it did, the brushes were wore down enough that it simply didn't make contact anymore. Naturally, I would like to just put a new set of brushes in it and fire it back up again. However, shop vac wants me to spend 54 bucks and get a whole new motor rather than just selling a set of brushes for the thing (can you say planned obsolescence?).

Does anyone know of a place where I can buy a set of brushes based on size? The brushes are 1/4 by 3/8 by about 1" and they are not the spring type as the springs are external.

I would like to get this one fixed so I can reuse it as I am cheap.

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135 Fan

03-02-2007 21:42:29




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
Up here there is a place that specializes in carbon brushes hence is called carbon brush supply. I think they're still around. They would make brushes for anything with the proper type of carbon for the application and they were real cheap. I found out about them when I needed brushes for an old Hobart generator welder. There must be other places that can custom make brushes. Good Luck. Dave



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Dave Sherburne NY

03-02-2007 07:03:10




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
I see your in Wi. If your anywhere near Abbotsford
there is Heindel Electric, He will have them. Don't
be discouraged by the looks of the place.



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Pappy

03-01-2007 21:53:06




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
My local ACE Hardware store has a drawer full of brushes, some about the size you mentioned. Fit the brush into the holder, if it should drag, rub the brush on a sheet of sandpaper to give proper clearance.



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PaulW_NJ

03-01-2007 20:51:35




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
You might get lucky here:

http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/



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oldart

03-01-2007 19:42:29




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
the motor is made to last about 2500hrs.
use to work where we ran them about 20hrs a day they would last about a month 2 or 3 set of brushes and a set o bearings cheched on new motors cheaper than rebuilding finaly went to a belt drive turbine for vacume payed off in the end.we were moveing loose plastic parts in production 24/7. the price you got for motor was good.



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Ga Jack

03-01-2007 16:35:02




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
Ryan,
Check with a starter/gen repair shop. You can shape a larger size brush with fine sandpaper to meet your needs. The armature can also be polished with the same fine sandpaper or ask the repair shop if they can give you a polishing stone to do this job. Some times you can polish the armature by chucking it up in your drill press and using the stone or sandpaper. I sometimes start my motors and polish it while its running, you can hear it pickup speed as it is cleaned. Of course I have 26 years of practice doing this. Good Luck, jackie

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dave guest

03-01-2007 16:06:27




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
You can check hardness by using brush like pencil and writing on paper. Same color, same hardness. If you use too hard, you can destroy commutator, like a chisel on a lathe. If it fits, even after grinding or filing, hardness is right, pressure from spring is same, you are in business. Too soft would only wear quicker if you have to make a choice. Watch for excessive sparking like a ring of fire around the commutator meaning open winding, won't last long and probably not come up to speed. Also would draw more current. You can do it.

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bva

03-01-2007 15:12:00




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  

If push comes to shove just use larger ones of the same size and file down to size



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Gerald J.

03-01-2007 14:19:00




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
Besides the electric motor shop, some hardware stores have brushes and have fixed shop vacs and have parts from that. Also automotive electric shops have access to brushes.

Besides size, you need to match brush hardness to get the best life out of the brushes and commutator and you need to sand (not with emery) the brush to fit the commutator. That's often down by wrapping a strip of sandpaper around the commutator sand side out, installing the brushes and turning the motor by hand a few turns. That gets the brushes to fit more of the commutator surface so they don't get too much current concentrated in one spot to burn the commutator and brushes.

Gerald J.

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old

03-01-2007 13:44:35




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 13:14:27  
Check in your local phone book for electic motor repair places they should have of be able to get you brushes. I know the place we have in town finds me almost all the brushes I ever need



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Ryan - WI

03-01-2007 14:15:52




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to old, 03-01-2007 13:44:35  

I did that. The guy I talked to is apparently a computer rat. He wanted the model number and when I gave it to him he looked it up and said brushes were not available, had to buy the whole motor. That is crap, he just didn't want to look very hard.

I think I say an assortment of brushes you could buy in a plastic case in some catalog but I will be darned if I remember which one.



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old

03-01-2007 14:48:48




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 Re: Carbon Brushes by size in reply to Ryan - WI, 03-01-2007 14:15:52  
I ran into that problem with a cambal houst field preassure washer and found the the brushes where in fact not able to be had because they used and odd ball size on it.



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