Seeking a motor for a C&P
I have a C&P, new style press (10x15) that does not have a treadle or a motor to operate it. I’ve been trying to find a motor but not sure what type is best, or how to attach it for that matter. Can used motors be found? I can buy a variable speed, half horsepower motor locally for about $230. Is that what I should expect to pay? I’ve been wrestling with this for awhile now. Would really like to get this press up and running and would appreciate any suggestions/help. Thanks much. Lucy
As I mentioned in my post, the press size is 10x15. I am not an experienced press person (or a mechanical wizard…or even a “muggle”), just trying to get a press going on the frozen tundra of North Dakota with a little help from friends who might be more mechanically-minded. Thanks for the response.
send me some pics of the fly wheel and that area, and the foot area where the bed pivots on the frame.
Thanks. I will send photos.
no pics yet.
what sort of pulley is on the main shaft outside the pinion gear? Some presses have a fairly small “Horton” pulley with a wooden shoe clutch. Some have a larger pulley that does not have an internal clutch/speed regulator. Sometimes the pulley is missing. Is the bracket for a motor on the press? it fits on the rearmost lowest cross shaft and the weight of the motor keeps the belt tight.
I’m in the same exact position with a 1902 old style 10”x15” C&P. I would probably be buying from Grainger, but need to know what the specs for the motor should be and if a variable speed is necessary. I have a wheel to attach the belt. I can attach pictures later, but I’m not near the press to take any. No treadle, just need to know what belt to get and what type/strength motor to get.
i doubt 1/2 hp will be enough. prob 1 1/2hp - 2hp.
Variable speed is a must for all but the very experienced, IMO.
Actually the Kimball variable speed motor on my 10x15 NS is 1/3 horse, and it works fine (It’s the same vintage — 1918 — as the press) What it won’t do is start the press from a standstill — you have to give the flywheel a shove then turn the motor on. Once the press is at speed there is a huge amount of inertia in the flywheel, so the motor can be relatively small. This is also the reason you REALLY want a variable speed set-up, so that you’re comfortable feeding the press — all that inertia will happily smash your fingers just as well as type…
I agree with Jeff. I used a 1/6 HP motor with my 8 X 12 C&P and it worked fine. I also had to give the flywheel a shove to get it going, but that was not a problem. It was a fixed speed motor so I rigged up an intermediate shaft with different sized pulleys to get the speed down to a workable range. There was one belt from the motor to the intermediate shaft, and another belt from the intermediate shaft to the press pulley. I had a stepped pulley in the system so that I could put one of the belts on different sized steps of the pulley to get different speeds.