 |
02-19-2009, 01:09 AM
|
#1
|
|
Patriot1
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: doltan, ala
Posts: 56
|
Vintage Stage Lighting
I had a call one day about some dimming system not working and this is what I found when I arrived...FInd parts for this baby!! Oh by the way, it is a 1/2 SQ D and 1/2 Cutler Hammer system. It is still operational.
Last edited by patriot1; 02-19-2009 at 01:15 AM.
Reason: More information!
|
|
|
Join the #1 Electrician Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
ElectricianTalk.com - Are you a Professional Electrical Contractor? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's the leading place for electricians to meet online. No homeowners asking DIY questions. Just fellow tradesmen who enjoy talking about their business, their trade, and anything else that comes up. No matter what your specialty is you'll find that ElectricianTalk.com is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally free!
Join ElectricianTalk.com - Click Here
|
Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury
or death. ElectrcianTalk.com DOES NOT guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site. Always use proper safety precaution and reference reliable outside sources before attempting any construction or remodeling task!
|
02-19-2009, 01:17 AM
|
#2
|
|
Patriot1
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: doltan, ala
Posts: 56
|
Frontal View
|
|
|
|
|
02-19-2009, 01:53 AM
|
#3
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 442
|
Wow! cool stuff! Is there a date on it?
|
|
|
|
|
02-20-2009, 07:19 PM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 395
|
That is really cool looking. I'd be interested to see how old it is as well. Somewhere, a Lutron salesman just saw an opportunity....
|
|
|
|
|
02-20-2009, 10:43 PM
|
#5
|
|
Motocross guru
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: California
Posts: 1
|
Good luck with that gear, I have an installation on Catalina Island using Frank Adams dimmers and gear, parts are no longer available at all. You would have to have a machinist make contact assemblies, etc.
I'd guess that gear to be be around 70 -80+ years old.
Another thing to know: those old plate-style dimmers are designed to dim the rated load to dull red, NOT full off in most cases.
|
|
|
|
|
02-22-2009, 12:24 AM
|
#6
|
|
Patriot1
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: doltan, ala
Posts: 56
|
Never could find a date on any of it. I sent pics to Sq D and Cutler Hammer but no takers. Mxslick is correct, the plates can take a full load and currently they do not dim down all the way anymore. The pieces that came up missing where like brake pads on a car, graphite of some type. It was broken off or fell off, but was fortunate to use parts from another wheel on the same unit to continue the use. As you notice the main power section is Sq D and the resistor wheels are cutler hammer. That would be unheard of today with 2 major companies.
|
|
|
|
|
02-22-2009, 12:28 AM
|
#7
|
|
Patriot1
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: doltan, ala
Posts: 56
|
 Here is another pic.
|
|
|
|
|
02-22-2009, 03:00 AM
|
#8
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Atlanta, Ga/Hamilton, Al
Posts: 1,840
|
Get the patent numbers and we can look up an approximate date from that. How bout a close up of the square D label?
|
|
|
|
|
02-22-2009, 03:02 AM
|
#9
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 958
|
My guess. 1926
__________________
When ls lunch
|
|
|
|
|
02-22-2009, 08:11 PM
|
#10
|
|
Patriot1
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: doltan, ala
Posts: 56
|
I will check on the label. I did not have too many pics but Ill get a closer one of the label.
|
|
|
|
|
02-23-2009, 02:55 AM
|
#11
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 11
|
Ahhh.... good ol resistance dimmers... don't really miss those.  Don't miss having scatter ghost loads around either...
|
|
|
|
|
02-25-2009, 04:48 PM
|
#12
|
|
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Reno, Nevada
Posts: 4
|
I've worked on a system that looks exactly like that one, had a Square D label and the Dimmers were Cutler Hammer. It was installed in a Junior High School built in 1931 in Virginia City, Nevada. It's still working just fine.
Tom
|
|
|
|
|
07-30-2009, 08:51 PM
|
#13
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: canada
Posts: 4
|
The wire could have aspestus rap. for the hight temp wire.
|
|
|
|
|
07-30-2009, 10:39 PM
|
#14
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 161
|
If it's a motor operated dimmer, I think I have one in my collection of oddities for Show 'n' Tell. Let me know if I should look closer. Mine is from the old power company auditorium when they went solid state. Probably from the 20's.
The same building had some really early QO style panels but they had a molded case switch with a little cartridge fuse in the same case. Looked kinda like a 90 year old QO120 gfci breaker. Solid wire laced with wax string and all sharp 90 degree bends going to the pipes. I set it aside but somebody took it.
|
|
|
|
|
07-31-2009, 02:39 AM
|
#15
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 633
|
I've dealt with those dimmers a couple of times.. Great stuff as long as you don't have to move it.
I took one out and was going to bring it home to add to my collection of junk in the garage , but.. I would need two or three guys to help carry it.
__________________
 Don't fight .. Play nice! 
|
|
|
|
|
08-02-2009, 12:31 PM
|
#16
|
|
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Orlando,Fl.
Posts: 77
|
What is this thing?
Also what does it do?
And how does it work?
Real kool find!
|
|
|
|
|
08-02-2009, 12:34 PM
|
#17
|
|
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Beautiful Cumberland Valley, in PA
Posts: 5,846
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by JBIRD
What is this thing?
Also what does it do?
And how does it work?
Real kool find!
|
There's a pretty nice video on YouTube that explains it fairly well. The video's got a bit of age on it, but it lays it out pretty clearly for you:
__________________
-Marc, ABC, XYZ, PhD, 1-2-3
-Someday, I'll wear pajamas in the day time.
|
|
|
|
|
08-02-2009, 06:09 PM
|
#18
|
|
Robotic Rat
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: new orleans la
Posts: 1,011
|
great video marc that should be required viewing for all apprentices 
|
|
|
|
|
08-24-2009, 03:12 PM
|
#19
|
|
Space Rat
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lebec, California
Posts: 79
|
Was that in English?
|
|
|
|
08-25-2009, 03:07 AM
|
#20
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 633
|
I had to wire one of them up in trade school.. But the flux capacitor kept shorting out and sending us all back to the future..
__________________
Don't fight .. Play nice!
|
|
|
|
| Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
|
| Display Modes |
 Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|
