variable speed upgrade

[walshbarry]

I am using a step-pulley setup with consequent limited speed options and have explored the variable speed drive options on some of the commercial web sites. I must admit to being a little daunted by the options and costs. Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome. Has anyone done such a conversion? I am currently running a 230v 1725 rpm 1 hp Dayton motor but am willing to buy a new motor.

 

[colinsp]

I did just such an upgrade to a Record lathe some while ago. I have put a brief description with a few photos at http://www.turnspain.com/lathe_upgrade.htm this may give you a few ideas. If you need any more info just ask.

 

[laymarcrafts]

It is fairly straight forward as long as you plan ahead, details of the conversion I carried out can be found in the Hints and Tips Section of my Web Site.

I also include the basic wiring diagram and include for a remote Stop Switch.

E.Bay is a good source for Inverters.

Richard

http://www.laymar-crafts.co.uk

 

[laymarcrafts]

OOP'S I just realised the Wiring Diagram on my Web Site was the initial design this was later changed as per the Wiring Diagram that now appears on the Page.

Richard

http://www.laymar-crafts.co.uk

 

[walshbarry]

Thanks so much to both of you

I will try to follow the directions. My lathe is an old 1 hp Conover but it is in excellent condition with a very sturdy I-beam bed and steel legs that provide no vibration, so I am motivated to upgrade here rather than going out and buying a new Oneway!!

 

[john lucas]

I've changed several lathes over to VS. It's never been a particularly cheap endeavor. My first change was to a DC motor. I got the motor pretty cheap but the contoller was several hundred dollars.
I changed another lathe by putting a 3 phase motor and Variable Frequency Drive. This was actually less expensive than the DC conversion and worked better because you maintain torque at the low end. I got the motor free and found the controller on EBAY. I was lucky and they matched. I didn't know at the time that this mismatch can be a problem. If you buy a set from a place like www.dealerselectric.com they will already work together.
I've also put a jack shaft on a lathe to give me a wider selection of speeds. That may require moving the motor.
It varies a lot on how much each deal can cost and how skilled you are at mounting motors, wiring up motors and switches etc.

 

[Bob Hadley]

I love the VFD set-up on my Jet 1642. I hated the step pulley system on my small metal lathe.

E-Bay was the answer.

After browsing the offers for various drives and visiting the manufacturer's websites for wiring schematics and other information, I purchased a used 3-phase motor for $20 and a Hitachi VFD for $99. Other than some tweaking to fit the motor and adapt the pulley, the installation was easy.

If anything, they make the manuals for the VFD more confusing than need be for neophytes (like me).

Step one is to figure the wiring which is basic and straight-forward. Step two is configuring the drive for your motor (number of poles, is usually all that is necessary as the rest of the factory settings should b OK) and whether or not you have some form of external control. Since I wanted to mimic the set-up of the Jet, I added a remote E-stop button, a FWD/REV switch and a speed control pot. This was more or less like programming a video recorder or digital clock.

I certainly can see why some retailers charge good money for a package price on a variable speed drive system: it takes some time to set it up and they probably have to account for tech calls and the like. But if you can strip wires and solder connections, you can hook up a VFD.

One word of caution: make sure you can fit whatever motor you're buying on your lathe. You can find many 1 and 2 hp motors for cheap, but they may be in the same size case as a 3 or even 5 hp motor.