Variable Speed Controller

[Woodtyler]

Hi All

I'm new around here and have a tyme cub lathe.

I'm looking for advice on and if possible details of suppliers for a variable speed controller please.

I'd like to get down to about 50 rpm if possible.

Any suggestions welcome.

Many thanks

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Look for another lathe - the variable speed will cost far more than the lathe is worth.

 

[Sideways]

An electrical variable speed control will drop the speed but the torque will drop and the cooling airflow to the motor too. It won't let you do slow speed / heavy cuts, only slow speed light cuts.
There are lots of chinese variable speed drives on the market at £80-100 but I haven't used them. I have got some drives by "Optidrive" who are based in Wales. These seem to be well made. Watch ebay for long enough and you might find a "new other" 1 hp Optidrive for the same £80-100 price. List prices are a fair bit higher.
If you go ahead, make sure that you get a unit that works with your supply (230V single phase or 400V 3 phase) and your motor (voltage, # phases and enough horsepower).
Cheers

 

[CHJ]

Hi All

I'm new around here and have a tyme cub lathe.

I'm looking for advice on and if possible details of suppliers for a variable speed controller please.

I'd like to get down to about 50 rpm if possible.

Any suggestions welcome.

Many thanks

If your lathe is fitted with a 1PH 240 volt induction motor then you will need to change the motor out for a 3 PH equivalent and drive it with a Variable Frequency Drive Invertor.

Not a cheap option for an old design machine and you will probably have to sort pulley ratios out to get down to 50rpm with any useful torque.

 

[graduate_owner]

Variable speed using an inverter is a reasonably economic way to go if you have a machine with a 3 phase dual voltage motor, but in your case it does look like an expensive option, especially for the lathe you have.
If it is low speed you particularly want, could you make some adjustments to the pulley arrangements and keep the existing motor?

K

 

[Sideways]

The invertek optidrive range includes an innovative vfd designed to drive small single phase (permanent capacitor) motors but only upto 1 hp or 1kw (i forget which). So replacing the motor may nor be strictly necessary but you really won't get much low speed torque without doing as Chas says ...

 

[Lons]

If your lathe is fitted with a 1PH 240 volt induction motor then you will need to change the motor out for a 3 PH equivalent and drive it with a Variable Frequency Drive Invertor.

I'm pretty sure the Tyme cub I had was no more than 3/4 hp, might have even been 1/2. Was quite a solid little lathe which worked very well for me at the time.

 

[Woodtyler]

Evening All

Just a quick word of thanks to all who offered advice. I'm having a think about things