Running spindle moulder backwards?

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Doug71

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I had to match up some moulding this morning, I had a cutter for my spindle moulder which was near enough but unfortunately upside down if you know what I mean. I ended up having to do it in 3 passes using different cutters.

Whilst having my lunch I had a brainwave (I think). My spindle moulder is a three phase Wadkin, could I have just switched the wires round in the plug to make it run backwards and feed the timber in the other way? It's an old one so doesn't have a fancy electric brake or anything that would be an issue.

For future reference am I a genius or is there some reason I shouldn't do this or have people been doing it for years and I just never heard of it?

Doug
 
Changing direction on a 3 phase motor is simple enough.
I don't know if the setup you have for tightening the tooling would allow a change of direction.
(Some do some don't).
 
dzj":22qloz96 said:
Changing direction on a 3 phase motor is simple enough.
I don't know if the setup you have for tightening the tooling would allow a change of direction.
(Some do some don't).

Ah, yes you are right, I guess in theory the nut that screws down on to the block could unscrew itself, never thought of that #-o, glad I asked.
 
I used to own the Axminster WS100/30 spindle moulder on which you could reverse the direction with a switch. The reason in the manual was so you could flip the cutter block over to keep the cutters nearer the table where the profile made it necessary - so I guess the principle is sound.
 
I was watching a video about exactly this at the weekend. Have a look for Bradshaw Joinery on you tube. The chap in question is a member here and has a recent post about his channel. Worth a watch as he appears to know his onions which is more than can be said for some.
 
This thread reminded me of an accident that happened at a place I worked at a few years ago.

They had these SCM ti145 machines which have a reversible spindle so long as you held the spindle direction switch in the reverse setting and pressed the power button at the same time. Unfortunately, somebody that was a little tired was running the machine in the reverse configuration(tired workers were commonplace at this workplace, they worked everyone to the bone, in early, out very late with forced overtime) when the machine was started up the worker forgot to hold the switch in the reverse setting and instead put it into the usual rotation setting, but the power feed was still running in reverse since that's on an independent switch so the workpiece was fed in the reverse way, the cutters grabbed the workpiece from under the power feed (It was quite a heavy moulding from memory) and threw it straight across the room narrowly avoiding anyone in the process! Hell of a bang as it hit the band resaw door!
 
My Felder has a reverse running facility. It also has 2 pins in the shaft which prevent loosening of the retaining screw when in that mode.
Brian
 
Most modern spindle moulders can be run in reverse, they also tend to have more complicated fences that allows both the indeed and outfield tables to be proud of each other.

Reverse running can be useful for circular work, but the main reason is to allow cutters to be mounted upside down. A previous poster mentioned Felder, as an example Felder do a very good template copy cutter but the bearing is fixed at one end, so if you wanted the bearing on the top rather than the bottom you'd have to run the machine in reverse.

I very rarely use this facility on my spindle moulder, mainly because router template copy cutters are now so good that for any component under 50mm thick I'll generally use the router. I suspect the main users of reverse running spindle moulders will be the joinery guys with their extremely complex and expensive cutter blocks, for a furniture maker like myself it's only very occasionally relevant.

This topic has been discussed previously here,

spindle-moulder-forward-reverse-and-kickback-t101978.html
 
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