Lathe Speed gauge

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henton49er

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Does anyone know of a simple (and inexpensive) device that I can sit on top of my headstock that will give me a readout of the rpm that my lathe is turning? I have electronic speed control on 5 different pulley settings, but no speed readout. It would be nice (but not actually essential) to have some idea of the speed of the lathe.
 
Use a bicycle computer. I picked one up on e**y for a few pounds. The one I bought had an rpm function, but some only have a speed function which is dependant on the bicycle wheel diameter. By doing a bit of maths and entering a certain "false" diameter it will give you an rpm reading instead of speed.

Hope this helps
 
Make yourself some strobe discs and mark up a simple scale to place around your speed adjustment knob.
more than accurate enough until you get used to the machine, once you have used it for a while you will be able to select a given speed range by ear without even looking at the settings.
Printable calibration discs HERE
 
Thanks all for the feedback.

Dave - that's an interesting idea - but I would have to get my brain around putting in a false wheel diameter to give an rpm readout!!

Nev - this looks like a hand held device, rather than something that can sit on top of the headstock and give me a continuous reading of the lathe speed

Chas - a good idea, except that I cannot see my speed control knob without crouching down (the inverter with on/off and speed control sits sideways on a shelf beneath the lathe bed - the on/off buttons are at the front, the speed control on the side). I also have five different pulley positions so would need 5 different bands on the paper speed guide!!

Some food for thought!!
 
Jonzjob":3mylgvxg said:
This loos the same. It works with the light reflected from the 'reflective tape you stick onto the drive shaft/chuck or whatever you stick it on.

John,

I think this is a similar device to the one that Nev directed me to - the problem is that it is hand held and therefore only gives readout if you pick it up and point it at the lathe. I was ideally looking for something that would give a readout all the time without any action on my part, once it was set up on the lathe.
 
I doubt that there is anything 'off the shelf' that will do what you want to do.
If you look at the link I referenced above you will see the need for some form of spindle RPM counter as a reference for any remote meter or display to work with.
 
The hand held device is a great idea. You could easily incorporate it by the lathe to give you a readout. Foot switch, mirrors etc
 
henton49er":3oakjhg5 said:
Jonzjob":3oakjhg5 said:
This loos the same. It works with the light reflected from the 'reflective tape you stick onto the drive shaft/chuck or whatever you stick it on.

John,

I think this is a similar device to the one that Nev directed me to - the problem is that it is hand held and therefore only gives readout if you pick it up and point it at the lathe. I was ideally looking for something that would give a readout all the time without any action on my part, once it was set up on the lathe.

Surely what double sided tape was invented for :mrgreen:

You could pm aled and see if he had any success with a similar project? .... diy-rpm-meter-t58231.html
 
I repowered my old BL150 with variable drive and was wondering what my speeds would be. One of my friends run a truck repair shop and he has a dial type indicator that is held on the shaft and gives a readout. I did that on each speed at full power and half power, and recorded these. Wrote it down on a piece of paper and it sits on the wall by the lathe. Easy peasy to get a fairly close idea of speeds just by looking at the dial on the drive.

As an aside, has anyone rebearinged one of the these? Thanks DK
 
Hi,
nothing to do with this topic, but I was just wondering:-
do people find their 3ph motors have very little torque when the inverter is set to really low speeds?

Also, a question for Nev, where about at the greener and wetter end of the M4 are you? I'm 30 miles West of the end of the M4 - foot of the Cambrian mountains!! (and yes, it's quite wet here too)
K
 
graduate_owner":tc8g31fp said:
Hi,
nothing to do with this topic, but I was just wondering:-
do people find their 3ph motors have very little torque when the inverter is set to really low speeds?
K
I think you have options in the parameters to change the torque.

Regards
Peter
 
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