Help with Cowboy 4500

[AngryDick]

I just bought a used Cowboy 4500 that was purchased new in 2018 and I have what might be a problem.

When I press the go pedal the servo motor kinda whines and rotates real slow for about 2-3 seconds before it starts to go at normal speeds. It's almost like it's being held back or having trouble getting going. I have lubed the machine, adjusted the belts, etc. and everything spins nice and freely by hand. 

Or is this normal? I'm not used to this type of machine, I learned on Campbell-Rand machines at Milt Sparks.

Thanks

[Dwight]

There is a "button" on the side of the controller box for the motor . . . on mine it is a little chrome button . . . looks like an old volume button where the knob was yanked off the radio.

Mine turns clockwise to the last click . . .  where it will not go at all.  One click counter clockwise and it is really slow . . .  the more clicks CCW you go . . . the faster it goes.

You may have a different setup than mine . . . but that is the way mine is . . .  I can get you pictures if you like.

May God bless,

Dwight

PS:  Just a quick compliment . . . Milt Sparks puts out some great stuff  . . . 

[kgg]

4 hours ago, AngryDick said:

When I press the go pedal the servo motor kinda whines and rotates real slow for about 2-3 seconds before it starts to go at normal speeds.

I think this could be couple of simple things that can be easily check:

Since you say the machine head is running smooth I would check and see if it is either the servo motor or the speed reducer by removing the belts from the speed reducer to the machine and servo motor and then depress the "go pedal".

i) if it doesn't whine like before then it is probably a bad bearing in the speed reducer. You could try and oil the bearing but if the bearings are bad replace you have to replace either the bearings or the whole speed reducer.

ii) If it whines like before then it is the motor and if it is a brush type replace the brushes in the motor. If it is an electronic one then I think you need to replace the whole servo motor unit.

kgg

[Wizcrafts]

Some servo motors are affected by the side angle of the chain that connects to the "go" pedal. My CB4500 had that problem so I placed a large C clamp on the pedestal post to feed the chain more inline with the motor's control arm. I also moved the chain mounting bracket as far to the right as it would go on the pedal. That solved the problem of slowing down unexpectedly when I want it to speed up.

[nylonRigging]

6 hours ago, AngryDick said:

When I press the go pedal the servo motor kinda whines and rotates real slow for about 2-3 seconds before it starts to go at normal speeds.

 

Is that an action that is just programed in ? . I have a servo drive that giving the 1st stitch a , slow lagging RPM stroke , is an option that you can choose .

.

Edited March 15, 2022 by nylonRigging

[AngryDick]

Thanks for the replies guys! I will try these things tonight after work.

[Samalan]

6 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

Some servo motors are affected by the side angle of the chain that connects to the "go" pedal. My CB4500 had that problem so I placed a large C clamp on the pedestal post to feed the chain more inline with the motor's control arm. I also moved the chain mounting bracket as far to the right as it would go on the pedal. That solved the problem of slowing down unexpectedly when I want it to speed up.

I have a cobra 4 and I changed the way the chain was setup to strait up and down sent a picture to Steve now his machines are set up that way It just makes sense.

[AngryDick]

I removed the belt, pulled straight down on the go lever and found no little button or dial on the control box and it still does the same thing. My servo motor is the one with the digital read out and you adjust the speed by up and down buttons.

Not sure what else it could be, Any more ideas?

[kgg]

59 minutes ago, AngryDick said:

I removed the belt, pulled straight down on the go lever and found no little button or dial on the control box and it still does the same thing. My servo motor is the one with the digital read out and you adjust the speed by up and down buttons.

Not sure what else it could be, Any more ideas?

You have a electronic brush-less motor with a digital control panel where as a the brush type servo motors have a speed dial mounted to the motor.

I would first check your manual as it my have a slow start programmed for initial startups. The solution would be to reprogram the control panel settings.

If the motor has a odor like something burnt then the servo motor setup needs to be replaced.

The whining or a high pitched noise properly indicates a bearing problem due to lack of proper lubrication or wear which may have been caused by to much belt tension being place on the servo motors drive pulley. The solution would be to replace the servo motor setup with a good 12 coil brush-less servo motor setup (more internal coils the better performance) or a brush type with a simple rheostat speed control dial mounted on the motor.

kgg

 

 

 

[AngryDick]

Thanks! You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a manual for it, Would you? The slow start program theory sounds possible.

And it doesn't really whine like a bearing whine, It's more like the sound of the electric motor turning on but turning real slow for a couple seconds before fully takes off. Kinda like a GRRRRRRRRR and then goes.

Thanks  

[nylonRigging]

52 minutes ago, AngryDick said:

And it doesn't really whine like a bearing whine, It's more like the sound of the electric motor turning on but turning real slow for a couple seconds before fully takes off. Kinda like a GRRRRRRRRR and then goes.

the sound is normal . I kind of prefer the 1st stitch crawl slow on the 1st stroke of the stitching . you need to find a down-load of the manual anyway to see all the setting choices ..

but ( imho ) , I would just leave that program set the way it is . It is always nice to see the needle slowly plunge exactly where you want it, before it takes off on the run .

.

[AngryDick]

18 hours ago, kgg said:

You have a electronic brush-less motor with a digital control panel where as a the brush type servo motors have a speed dial mounted to the motor.

I would first check your manual as it my have a slow start programmed for initial startups. The solution would be to reprogram the control panel settings.

If the motor has a odor like something burnt then the servo motor setup needs to be replaced.

The whining or a high pitched noise properly indicates a bearing problem due to lack of proper lubrication or wear which may have been caused by to much belt tension being place on the servo motors drive pulley. The solution would be to replace the servo motor setup with a good 12 coil brush-less servo motor setup (more internal coils the better performance) or a brush type with a simple rheostat speed control dial mounted on the motor.

kgg

 

 

 

 

17 hours ago, nylonRigging said:

the sound is normal . I kind of prefer the 1st stitch crawl slow on the 1st stroke of the stitching . you need to find a down-load of the manual anyway to see all the setting choices ..

but ( imho ) , I would just leave that program set the way it is . It is always nice to see the needle slowly plunge exactly where you want it, before it takes off on the run .

.

You guys are correct, I fiddled with the motor and figured out the settings. It has 3 different modes, 1-you can adjust speed, 2-you can adjust rotation direction and 3- you can adjust slow start from 0-9 with 9 being the slowest start and that was what it was set on. 

Thanks for your help Guys!