sip handmate problem

[nicnod]

Borrowed an old sip handymate mig off my mate , hasn't been used in a while got it home , switched it on , lights up but nothing happens when I press the trigger , took the case off can't see any loose wires
Any ideas ?

 

[skotl]

Have you taken the torch apart to check for loose wires there? Try shorting out the wires in the torch in case the switch is faulty.

Do you have a multimeter? If so, put the probes across the motor wires with the meter set to "20-200V DC", pull the trigger and see whether you get any voltage.
If you get a reading, the motor is shot. If you get nothing, then the most likely candidate is the relay on the wirefeed circuit board.

 

[skotl]

P.S. if it worked the last time your mate used it, and now doesn't, the most likely cause is still a broken connection while it was being moved so I'd go back and double check everything.

Post a couple of pics of its guts, if you can, and we can hopefully point out whether anything looks visibly astray.

 

[malcolm]

Switch the switches on the front face a few times. One might not be making contact. It's the normal problem with these.

 

[nicnod]

Stripped it down , white cable in torch was floating about , touched the red and white together still nothing , as I said light goes on but nothing else

 

[skotl]

Well, the torch obviously needs some attention.

Do you have a multimeter? When you touch the red and white cables together in the torch, do you get a voltage across the motor terminals (~30V DC)?

 

[skotl]

By the way; you're welcome to bring it along here (I'm in South Queensferry) Saturday, or one night next week, if you like and I'd be happy to take a look at it.

 

[eSCHEn]

I just refurbed my sip and the floating white lead bothered me as well but it's not actually used. It's either a spare for when the red dies (doubtful) or a hang up from a common manufacturing process. The circuit is completed by connecting the red wire against the brass ferrule which then travels back down the main copper in the hose.

I found a problem with mine was the common rail on the switch bank for power. Replacing that sorted out for its erratic feed.

 

[skotl]

Makes sense, eSCHEn. I don't think my SIP has a spare cable in the torch, which is why I figured it was a problem.

And your suggestion re the switch bank still fits with the most likely explanation, which is that it's a mechanical failure

 

[nicnod]

Thanks man , if I can't get this sorted soon might take you up on that offer

 

[skotl]

No worries. One question that is in the back of my mind is why this is your problem to solve, when it's your mate's machine? Or is he bigger than you and you don't want him to think you broke it?

 

[nicnod]

He's kind of given it to me , he's got another one that he uses in his job , so if I give it back to him itl just go into his garage or in the skip

 

[skotl]

Ah! Worth getting it working, then

 

[skotl]

How did you get on, Nic? Offer's still there - I'm away Thursday night but around most of the rest of the week.

Also kicking about ramorra (Sunday) if that works.

 

[eSCHEn]

If you want any piccies of what I did I posted a thread a wee while back. If you want anything specific then just shout

 

[nicnod]

Cheers mate but I'm working 7 days and most nights at the moment , haven't had time to look at it just now , I'm hoping to have another crack at it this week , wife and 2 kids too so hardly get a moment lol

 

[nicnod]

Love south queensferry BTW , got good pals there , considered moving there at one point but decided against it as we would have ended up alcoholics ha ha

 

[skotl]

You should have done what we did, then actually moved to Dalmeny so it's a 20 minute hike into Queensferry to go to the pub so doesn't happen so much, especially in the winter