Finally I got the motor running on the workbench. The three connections labeled 'H', 'W', and 'L' stand for "high", "wiper", and "low" -- they're simply connected to a potentiometer (variable resistor). The schematic for the MC60 I found suggests that the pot should be 5K ohm, but the pot in my machine (located in the console up on the treadmill handlebars) was 12K ohm. It's just used as a voltage divider (i.e., the middle arm of the pot will put out 0 to 12V depending on where you set it) so the value isn't too critical. By the way, the motor speed varies linearly with that voltage, so you'll want to use a "linear" potentiometer. Some potentiometers used for audio have a logarithmic relationship between wiper position and resistance: those would be the wrong choice here.

The motor's blue wires are connected to an internal thermal switch, which will cut power if the motor overheats. Those two wires (not connected in this picture) simply connect in series with the power switch and circuit breaker (also not present here).

The motor's red and black wires provide power. The treadmill is designed with the motor turning clockwise when viewed from the shaft end. The bandsaw needs it to turn the other way. Simply reversing the red and black wires accomplishes that. The large choke (that looks like a transformer with only two leads) is connected in series with either the red or black wire.

The MC60 is a smart controller: it ramps the motor speed gently when you change it, or when you start it up. Not perfect for a bandsaw, but not too terrible.

Image img_18.jpg

image: Tue 02 Dec 2014 08:35:10 AM