I have a small Harbor Freight metal lathe and the motor is bad. I have a 3/4 horse AC 120 volt electric motor that you can reverse by changing how the wires are hooked up. I'm not real good at this type of wiring, but want to know if this can be done? An if so, a little help would be greatly appreciated.

Bob

 

Please take a clear picture of the wiring diagram on the motor and post it. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/li...-pictures.html

 

Reversing generally requires a triple pole, double throw, center off switch.

 

Then you don't need a double pole switch. You need, as Furd noted, a three-position single pole switch with the center position being off.