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Fireworks Manufacturing: Using Washing Machine Motor

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eddiegnz1

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I am building a ball mill and a star roller used to manufacture fireworks. Your help is most greafully appreciated. I have a 3 speed motor out of a Kenmore washing machine. I have a wall outlet (USA) that is connected to a light switch on the wall. I want to plug this motor to the wall outlet so that I can turn it on and off by flipping the light switch on the wall. So I have a tipical 3 prong house plug that has three wires that I can hook up to the motor (hot, neutral, ground). I only want one constant speed. The motor has a wire harness with the following ten terminals from left to right 1-Red, 2-empty, 3-orange, 4-White, 5-green/yellow, 6-yellow, 7-blue, 8-white-black, 9-blue-orange, 10-empty. The green/yellow wire was hooked up to the frame of the washer (ground). The red wire is interupted by a large capacitor (It's a start capacitor). The motor also has a smaller plug with the following two colors....A-white-orange, B-white/violet. The wiring diagram schematic says the following. (Low speed = W-BK to W-OR), (Med speed = W-BK to BU), (High speed = W-BK to W-V), (Start = Y to BK). Do you know how to wire this to achieve my goal. I just want one single speed preferably low. See attached photos. THanks so much. Eddie, eddiegnz1@yahoo.com
 

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to me it looks like the white is a stand alone hot, while the black and yellow are for the capacitor starter circuit. the rest of the wires on the motor control the speed.

hope this helps.
 
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Thanks Joe Rocket, so how would I translate your suggestion into practice. in other words, which wires do I hook up to the wall outlet. The wall outlet has a typical household 3 prong (USA) with a ground plus a hot and a neutral. Which wires do I connect to the wall outlet?
 
to be honest I'm here looking for help myself, but I thought I might try to help, so this is to be taken with a grain of salt.
But I think the white and blue wires are the two primary wires on your motor. You can plug it in with them and it will run I think,
but if you need to have a high Tq initial start you will need to have the capacitor hooked up also.

I hope somebody else can help more
 
I built a ball mill once with a 5 gallon plastic bucket to make rocket fuel for model rockets. It needs to turn 20 RPMS that is all, no faster. I used 1" diameter lead balls. 2 days in the ball mill made some good rocket fuel.

I made some great rockets 35 lb thrust was the smallest and 240 lbs or thrust was the largest. I made morter star shells and rocket start shells, rocket aerial bombs, flares, and M-80s. That was 25 years ago. I still have the plans for making some great rockets. Do you subscribe to American Firework News? I wrote some articals for them long ago.
 
The easiest thing to do is go to Home Depot and buy a 5 gallon bucket cement mixer.

Your electric motor will be 1725 or 1150 RPM either way you have to gear it down with V belts, pullies, and shafts with roller bearings. It will cost you more for parts to built this than you can buy a 5 gallon bucket mixer for.
 
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Before you do this you should read up on "wiring In Explosive environments" Once you start making the amount of explosives that you need a machine for everything changes!

As dust starts to form in your room what do you think is going to happen when a spark from you switch or motor sets off that dust? Washing machine motors are open frame! even if you cant see them there are sparks from the centrifugal start switch when it starts. Same with inside a wall switch!

What about the static from your plastic bucket turning on metal rollers?

I'm really surprised that the Moderators let this thread get this long!
 
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Before you do this you should read up on "wiring In Explosive environments" Once you start making the amount of explosives that you need a machine for everything changes!

As dust starts to form in your room what do you think is going to happen when a spark from you switch or motor sets off that dust? Washing machine motors are open frame! even if you cant see them there are sparks from the centrifugal start switch when it starts. Same with inside a wall switch!

What about the static from your plastic bucket turning on metal rollers?

I'm really surprised that the Moderators let this thread get this long!
The moderators should let the thread get even longer so that others can be warned and learn the dangers of this from folks like you. I do very much appreciate your safety advice. I have already planned a custom cabinet with special fan and vents. It will be very near to impossible for this motor set up to cause or ignite a fire/explosion. The cabinet will be lots of work but it's my hobby and it will be worth it. Thanks again for looking out for me !!
 
Here's the final answer. This motor (model # 8314869) is used in various washing machines. The wiring diagram is not for the Kenmore 110.200.72993. My specific motor was not out of that washer (I thought it was). But that makes no diference because the motor schematic is right for the motor. So here's what you do to plug this motor into the wall.

1-Red, tie together to the blue and both of them go to the hot lead on the wall outlet plug (hot is typically black on the 3 prong plug USA)
2-empty
3-orange, cap off
4-white, tie together with yellow and both of them go to the neutral wire on my wall outlet plug (neutral is typically white on the 3 prong plug USA)
5-green/yellow, to ground wire on my wall outlet plug (typically green)
6-yellow, tie together with white (#4 above) and both of them go to the neutral wire on my wall outlet plug
7-blue, tie together with the red (#1 above) and both of them go to the hot lead on my wall outlet plug (this blue wire is used if you want medium speed of 1,140rpm
8-white/black, cap off
9-blue/orange, cap off
10-empty

The second smaller molex plug has the following:
1-White/orange, cap this off (unless you want the lowest speed (850rpm)) if you want 850rpm you use this instead of blue (so you'd cap off blue instead))
2-white/violet, cap this off (unless you want the highest speed (1,725rpm)) if you want 1,725rpm you use this wire instead of blue (so you'd cap off blue instead))

Safety is a big issue with this set up. This motor sparks and can cause fire/explosion with firework chems/comps. You must come up with a way to eliminate this risk.
Thanks to all that helped.
 
Before you do this you should read up on "wiring In Explosive environments" Once you start making the amount of explosives that you need a machine for everything changes!

As dust starts to form in your room what do you think is going to happen when a spark from you switch or motor sets off that dust? Washing machine motors are open frame! even if you cant see them there are sparks from the centrifugal start switch when it starts. Same with inside a wall switch!

What about the static from your plastic bucket turning on metal rollers?

I'm really surprised that the Moderators let this thread get this long!



There is NO safety hazard here at all. You have to mix the chemicals in HOT WATER. Last time I checked water does not burn. Add enough hot water to make it thick like a cake mix or milk shake. I mixed chemicals for several years in a 5 gallon bucket mixer in hot water you let it run for 2 or 3 days then you dump it out on a sheet of plastic to dry. Wash bucket and balls with water. Spread the mixture out 1/4" thick on a large flat table to dry for several days. When it is dry lift up the sides of the plastic sheet up it brakes the chemical into smaller pieces. Put it in a storage container. The only safety problem is after the mixture is dry. Store it at room temperature in a safe place. Be sure not to store chemicals in any container with a screw on lid or a snap on lid friction can cause an explosion. Zip lock plastic bags make a good storage container put the bags inside of another container like a wooden box with a wooden lid. Never mix sulfur or phosphorus with any chlorate it is extremely friction and impact sensitive. If you ever spill any chemicals or chemical mix on your equipment wash it off with the garden hose and let it dry before you turn the motor on again.
 
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Here's the final answer. This motor (model # 8314869) is used in various washing machines. The wiring diagram is not for the Kenmore 110.200.72993. My specific motor was not out of that washer (I thought it was). But that makes no diference because the motor schematic is right for the motor. So here's what you do to plug this motor into the wall.

1-Red, tie together to the blue and both of them go to the hot lead on the wall outlet plug (hot is typically black on the 3 prong plug USA)
2-empty
3-orange, cap off
4-white, tie together with yellow and both of them go to the neutral wire on my wall outlet plug (neutral is typically white on the 3 prong plug USA)
5-green/yellow, to ground wire on my wall outlet plug (typically green)
6-yellow, tie together with white (#4 above) and both of them go to the neutral wire on my wall outlet plug
7-blue, tie together with the red (#1 above) and both of them go to the hot lead on my wall outlet plug (this blue wire is used if you want medium speed of 1,140rpm
8-white/black, cap off
9-blue/orange, cap off
10-empty

The second smaller molex plug has the following:
1-White/orange, cap this off (unless you want the lowest speed (850rpm)) if you want 850rpm you use this instead of blue (so you'd cap off blue instead))
2-white/violet, cap this off (unless you want the highest speed (1,725rpm)) if you want 1,725rpm you use this wire instead of blue (so you'd cap off blue instead))

Safety is a big issue with this set up. This motor sparks and can cause fire/explosion with firework chems/comps. You must come up with a way to eliminate this risk.
Thanks to all that helped.

hi, sorry for reopen the old thread but cuz i have same motor that i would like to use it for some simple project. my question is where or which wire do i need to connect the capacitor ( the capacitor come with the motor has 2 pronges.)

Thanks.
 
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