Yesterday and today, the planer machine was serviced, and some repairs were performed. We had been having trouble with the power supply while using the machine and occasionally, we would trip the circuit breakers and a popping sound would be heard. So we took the opportunity to give our planer a good looking over, doing a redesign of the main power safety switch and power cord inlet (which is a large sticking out mess) and also replaced the electric motor starter capacitor. The popping sounds was the capacitor having a breakdown moment inside the can (hence the popping sound).
Planer-Old-Power-switch-and-Inlet
Planer-New-Power-switches
The new layout for the start button and the emergency stop button are now flush fitted to the metal cabinet itself and the power cord now comes in behind the machine instead. All the safety cut-off switches (thermal overload on the motor and several absent of equipment sensors) were re-joined into the circuit behind the new buttons. Finally, we replaced the capacitor that arrived in the post and all seems to be ok .. so far!!