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[Downwindtracker2]

A bit of humour here.  Rockhounds as group are long lived and spry , in fact I've partied with 80 year olds at our get together over the May long weekend. But this always surprised me, looking at the equipment up for sale there. The wiring was pretty sketchy. Why they hadn't electrocuted themselves is beyond me. Today was the last the arbor switches that I repaired. The club had four in storage, maybe for 10 years. All four required it. They had a switch and a plug in a double box. By switching the plug , the motor and the light could be turned on and off. When you use switches, don't use the common 15 amp light switches, use the 20amp HD ones. the lower amperage ones can arc shut, even with the 1/3hp motors.

We rented a basement of a 96 year old community hall for our workshop. When we wired it, we used GFI plugs.

[Phishisgroovin]

good looking out for the others with your skills.
with all my tedious little skills (ALOT) i too get to help everyone in my gold prospecting club while on sites mining.
I always bring the tools to repair stuff for some reason.

[Slabbercabber]

20 amp is not sufficient.  If you are wiring a motor you should use motor rated switches.  The starting arc can easily jump the contacts of normal switches.  In my equipment every motor is wired through a motor starting contactor.  That may be overkill but I don't worry about shock.  Motor shutoffs are controlled through limit switches not toggles.

[Downwindtracker2]

You are correct in explaining why light switches can cause problems. In my own workshop with it's woodworking and metal working machines, most of them have mag switches or VFDs . Even then, a couple had to be replaced when I bought the used machines. But they were Taiwanese electricals. There is a considerable difference between 18amps at 220volts and 5amps at 110volts. At the club's workshop we have a Lortone 14" drop saw and a 18" feed saw, both have factory installed toggle switches, I seriously doubt that they used 20amp rated  switches. They are Lortone after all.  What surprises me is that at Home Depot you can buy 20amp switches for under $5. 

[irockhound]

Even manufactured equipment is not immune to electrical mishaps.  I went to start my 12" saw one night and *Zap there was a pop sound and then a whisp of smoke came out of the switch box and my switch had fried.  Scared the crap out of me.  This made me much more aware of the saws where the drive feed unit is housed in the switch box since the drive unit has to have an opening into the saw for the rod and this opening over time can allow oil and mist to enter the switch box.

[Kaljaia]

My dad wired a switch for me for my trim saw (First generation Lortone 8 in) and replaced the power cord, but my drop saw (70's 14 in) motor switch went out last year too. It's stuck in the "on" position. I have it plugged into a power strip and use the power strip switch for on/off... not sure if that's a good idea or not yet! I am in the "electrically illiterate" group of rockhounds.

[Downwindtracker2]

You have what Slabbercabber and I were talking about, a toggle switch that welded itself on.  Those toggle switches are easily replaced. Both the club and my wife have 14" Lortone drop saws.

I'm replacing the pivot bearing on the club's saw. I don't think that wiggle is good for the blade. The bearing were pricey, $45 each from the local bearing supplier.