C3 motor control boards

I need to replace the FC250J/230v motor control board on my CL300 but Clarkes' now want some £160 for a replacement. The latest version is the XMT2335 available from ArcEuro is only £80 post paid. I notice that the latest machine has some overload protection so I pesume the XMT 2335 provides that. Assuming all other connections are the same has anyone details of the overload connections and the warning light (LED?)

Would appreciate any info/comments.

David

Hi David,

I have found the schematic for the XMT2335 here.

You will find the schematic for the the FC250J by searching for other thtreads on the CL300

Many thanks, Les. I have found a schematic for a FC350BJ/110V from an American site which I am sure will help when I look into it tomorrow. Will post my results if will help anyone else.

David

David,

Your Clarke CL300 is a C2 mini-lathe, and not a C3 mini-lathe.

The motor on a C2 is different to the one on the C3. The XMT2335 control board for a C3 is NOT a replacement upgrade for any control boards used on a C2 lathe.

The FC250J control board for the C2 will be back in stock on ARCs website shortly.

Ketan at ARC.

Ketan,

Well now I am confused as everything I have read and seen for months inducated that the CL300 was a C3. There is such a plethora of different boards for what basicly is the same machine with just minor variations., and the absence of circuit diagrams does not help. No wonder I was asking the wrong questions.

However what matters is the actual board type and I am grateful to you for putting me right.

I will order one as soon as I see it available in the Arc spares listing which I hope will be soon as I am anxious to get the machine up and running again. I am also installing a small fan ( ex computer processor) to cool the electrics down as my machine has no overload protection apart from the fuse!

Again, my thanks .

David

David,

I think Ketan has (untypically) made a mistake. I have a Clarke CL300M bought cheap (an apparently unused return) from Machine Mart in 1999. It's essentially identical to a C3. I have even fitted Arc Euro's roller bearing upgrade to it.

Neil

Thank you Neil, So I am not so stupid after all. However the point Ketan was making from Arc's point of view is that they do sell the FC250J board as a C2 spare! And at a far more reasonable price than you know who! I have the roller bearings to fit and the M.E. article so will do that sometime soon.

If I can repair my two failed boards I will use one to drive a small high speed drill I am developing but my two locos first !

Thanks again for your comments.

David

Sorry for the confusion guys . I think some clarification is in order here.

As advised earlier, the Clarke CL300M is a C2 mini-lathe. The machines we sell are the C3 and the SC3 mini-lathe.

Mechanically, the C2 (CL300M) and the C3 are more or less the same. Mechanically, the difference is that the C3 has a longer bed, and it has a camlock tailstock (if from ARC).

The main difference is in the electronics. The C2 has a 300w brushed motor. The C3 has a 350w brushed motor. Dimentionally, the C3 motor is longer then the C2 motor. The C3 has a spindle speed display which the C2 doesn't. The C2 control board is designed to drive the 300w motor but it does not have an overload protection. The C3 control board is designed to drive the 350w motor and it does have an overload protection.

So, in summary, the C3 control board is not designed to be used for the C2 (CL300M).

David, I made a mistake about the availability. I confused availability of this board with another board. Please check your messages and give me a call if you need to.

Thanks, Ketan at ARC.

Sorry Ketan

Thanks for the clarification! I should spend (even) more time browsing catalogues...

Neil

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 21/04/2012 21:13:05

Many thanks for the explanation, Ketan. Much appreciated. I must take a larger notebook and tape measure when I go looking at lathes!

Now one further question if I may which may be of general interest. I see from Arc C2 spares listing that there are two boards - XMT2325 and FC250J. What is the difference between them, please?

I have registered for notification when the new stock of FC250J arrives but would purchase the XMT2325 now if better and interchangeable.

David

No problem Neil . It is a common confusion issue we come across every week. To try and clarify is always an issue. The next common confusion is the difference between C3 and SC3.

C3 has a 350w brushed motor with high low gears in the headstock. The SC3 (Super C3) has a 500w brushless motor with belt drive, and no high low gears in the headstock. The brushless motor has more torque, especially at the lower speed range, so it does away with the high/low gears in the headstock.

Before anyone asks, or before there is any more confusion:

- the SC3 has a longer bed then the C3. The SC3 has 400mm between centres.

- the C3 motor and electronics cannot be upgrded to the SC3 motor and electronics

- The Chester Conquest Lathe Super is a C3 and NOT a Super C3

- The Warco Super Mini Lathe has a brushed motor and NOT a brushless motor

Ketan at ARC.

Hi David,

I dont know the real difference between the XMT2325 and FC250J, as unfortunately (or otherwise), I am not an electronics bod. Les Jones may know better by looking at the pictures of the boards on our website. I only know that some of the C2s were/are supplied with one or the other board. We have never sold the C2 lathes. We are only selling the control boards as we were being asked for them on a regular basis.

Regarding your last paragraph about stock notification, I have sent you a personal message. Please have a read of it and give us a call on Monday, if you want to. The message is in "My Messages", which you will find in "My Account", near the top of this page left hand side column.

Thanks, Ketan at ARC

The XMT series is an SCR-type controller and the FCB series is a PWM controller. They both do the same type of thing (adjust motor power) , but use a different method to get there. The XMT series controllers will cause the DC motor to have an AC 'hum' when running, while the FCB series will cause the motor to 'sing' at approximately 1000 hz.