brenray cleaning machine

[gary17]

Hey 

I have now opened the cleaner and have some pics. As i say it was working, the basket when turned on and spinning was very fast, to fast and would not adjust via the button.

Can any one tell me from the pics what the problem may be and any other advice would be welcome.

Im not sure what parts i can remove etc.

cheers

gary

 

 

 

 

 

 

[clockboy]

I am no electronics guy but this post from 2015 was about the brenray and one issue was no control of speed. Well worth a read. 
 

 

[gary17]

hey thanks

but if you look at my pics i have 2 extra black wires?

 

[jdm]

10 hours ago, gary17 said:

but if you look at my pics i have 2 extra black wires?

If you can't understand immediately a circuit, you need to draw a diagram, with all elements and their connections.

That is the speaking language of electronics, without it people can't understand which wire are you talking about.

[Paddy1302]

Today my "new" Brenray arrived.

All seems well... heater works, motor spins all jars and lids are there.

The speed control is a bit erratic, especially in the lower RPM, but that is more then likely the wire-wound potentiometer (some will call it a rheostat) 

which may be a bit 'sparked in' as that will be the rpm it has been most used on.

Contact cleaner and some p2000 sanding paper should solve that issue .

May as well rewire the lot when I have its innards on the bench.... a bit of heat resistant wire never hurt anything...

Does any of you know if the lids of these jars are supposed to have cork gaskets (and the same for the closing plate underneath the motor) ?

There is no gasket to be seen on the machine, but those are easily made

 

Cheers

Paddy

 

PS, I have no idea how the picture of my inspection microscope ended up here, but I bought that one to make pictures, rather then fussing around with a camera or a phone

Edited January 21, 2022 by Paddy1302

[LittleWatchShop]

30 minutes ago, Paddy1302 said:

PS, I have no idea how the picture of my inspection microscope ended up here, but I bought that one to make pictures, rather then fussing around with a camera or a phone

Show some pictures you have taken with this, please.

 

[luiazazrambo]

4 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Show some pictures you have taken with this, please.

 

Could you please also measure the max diameter you can fit into the picture? Can you for example take a picture of a whole pocket watch? I understand that a microscope is not made for this, but if it can then its a good bonus. My camera mounted on my amscope can only take pics just half of the averaged sized mens wristwatches.

Edited January 21, 2022 by luiazazrambo

[Paddy1302]

31 minutes ago, luiazazrambo said:

Could you please also measure the max diameter you can fit into the picture? Can you for example take a picture of a whole pocket watch? I understand that a microscope is not made for this, but if it can then its a good bonus. My camera mounted on my amscope can only take pics just half of the averaged sized mens wristwatches.

I will be happy to do so, as soon as I got the SD card I need to put in it ! It's barely out of the box...so I haven't really played with it yet ... I have an optical one for work, but due to lag (which is actually quite ok with this one) digital microscopes aren't really suitable for working with.

Since I am a rank amateur, my thinking was to shove a movement underneath this thing, take a pic after removing a part...so I stand a chance putting it back in the right place !

 

Paddy

[Paddy1302]

On 10/26/2021 at 10:32 PM, clockboy said:

I am no electronics guy but this post from 2015 was about the brenray and one issue was no control of speed. Well worth a read. 
 

 

Thanks for that, I did have a read... and contrary to our Brother who posted this, I am an EE, so somewhere I have a piece of paper that says that "I know what I am doing" (yeah, my wife doesn't believe me either...)

These wire-wound potentiometers often get sparked-in around the place where they are set the most... it is more than likely a mechanical issue of an electric component.

After a lifetime of use, the track (which is basically a part of the circular coil that has its insulation sanded away) and the runners (the copper parts that slide against that track) are often gunked-up with all manner of unmentionable grime and DNA.

Often a very liberal application of a good brand of contact cleaner (and I mean really spray until it is soaking wet) does the trick. If there is a bit of pitting on the track itself... smoothing that out with some very fine sanding paper can get these things as good as new. The runners too can benefit from an abrasive clean with P2000 or finer.

 

But once I have the thing apart, I shall post my findings and antics to remedy this (for now) minor issue

 

paddy

[xyzzy]

3 hours ago, luiazazrambo said:

My camera mounted on my amscope can only take pics just half of the averaged sized mens wristwatches

Here's what I get on an amscope stereo microscope with an eyepiece adapter for a phone.  With a 0.5x and 0.3x barlow.  Nice thing about the phone is no messing about with SD cards.  Pictures show up in google photos as they are taken.

 

[Spring]

Hi , I have this Brenray and my heating compartment blew, I've lost some of the cod fish insulators for the heater wire.

The red bulb doesn't light anymore but hasn't blown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pap3r]

On 10/2/2020 at 8:01 AM, Stuart2 said:

Thought i would just post a before and after pic of my brenray restoration, its been re-sprayed, had new wiring and i made an attachment so it can take an elma basket. Lovely old machine.

Hi Stuart. I trust you're well. Sorry to start up an old thread, but I am interest in how you did the extender for the Brenray? What did you do. Did you take a steel/alumium rod and added the appropriate threading? What's the length did you choose? What was your procedure? Got clearer pictures of it? Please kindly advise. Thank you!

[Stuart2]

On 6/17/2024 at 7:14 PM, Pap3r said:

Hi Stuart. I trust you're well. Sorry to start up an old thread, but I am interest in how you did the extender for the Brenray? What did you do. Did you take a steel/alumium rod and added the appropriate threading? What's the length did you choose? What was your procedure? Got clearer pictures of it? Please kindly advise. Thank you!

Hi pap3r, sorry for not getting back to you sooner.

I used steel rod, i made a hole in one end to fit over the shaft of the motor, i used 3 grub screws to lock it into place. I lathed down the other end to fit the elma basket frame lid, that is also held in place by a grub screw.

I have used the machine alot since this modification and it has worked perfectly, as long as you don't use a water based cleaner you won't have any problems with rust. Hope this helps.

[Pap3r]

3 hours ago, Stuart2 said:

Hi pap3r, sorry for not getting back to you sooner.

I used steel rod, i made a hole in one end to fit over the shaft of the motor, i used 3 grub screws to lock it into place. I lathed down the other end to fit the elma basket frame lid, that is also held in place by a grub screw.

I have used the machine alot since this modification and it has worked perfectly, as long as you don't use a water based cleaner you won't have any problems with rust. Hope this helps.

Awesome, thanks mate. Do you have the thickness of the steel rod? Did you have to add threading in the rod to attach it to the motor?

Edited July 2, 2024 by Pap3r

[Stuart2]

On 7/2/2024 at 7:04 PM, Pap3r said:

Awesome, thanks mate. Do you have the thickness of the steel rod? Did you have to add threading in the rod to attach it to the motor?

Hi i used 20mm steel bar but it doesn't have to be that thick. The connection to the motor is not threaded and is just held in place by 3 grub screws.

[Pap3r]

On 7/3/2024 at 11:02 PM, Stuart2 said:

Hi i used 20mm steel bar but it doesn't have to be that thick. The connection to the motor is not threaded and is just held in place by 3 grub screws.

Thanks. What was the length of the 20mm steel bar?

[Stuart2]

4 hours ago, Pap3r said:

Thanks. What was the length of the 20mm steel bar?

Hi, your machine could be different to mine so work out how far the basket needs to be in the jar and how far down the motor is and measure the distance, that is your length, make sure you allow for the dowel end that goes into the lid of the basket.

[Pap3r]

3 hours ago, Stuart2 said:

Hi, your machine could be different to mine so work out how far the basket needs to be in the jar and how far down the motor is and measure the distance, that is your length, make sure you allow for the dowel end that goes into the lid of the basket.

Thank you. I got a 10mm thick piece of aluminium bar. So that should be fine right?