Footswitch

[alex carey]

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/FS2.html

Anyone know where to get one of these for 220?

Alex

[Jim Koepke]

I just Googled 220 footswitch and got about 50,000 hits. Take your pick.

jim

[alex carey]

so did I but when I go into those links it's not actually going to what I'm looking for.

[Gordon Seto]

I don't know whether a foot switch is such a good idea on a lathe.
The floor is covered with shavings, and we are supposed to use our body movement when turning. If we need to locate where the foot switch is in an emergency, it would defeat the purpose of having it in the first place.
With electronic variable speed, you may not want to power up and off the lathe every time.
The remote switch from Powermatic on a magnetic box would be my choice.

[Bruce Smith]

I for one don't think I would care to have 240 volts at a switch at my feet, and probably wouldn't meet code in some places. I believe it would be much safer to have a 120 volt switch (as in your picture) controling a 240 volt relay mounted in a proper electric box. Just my thoughts, good luck with your choice.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Alex - I agree with Gordon - I don't think a footswitch would be the best thing to use with a lathe because of all the shavings. The magnetic remote switch from powermatic would be the way to go!

[Alan Trout]

The VB36 Bowl Master comes with a foot switch. You could check with craft supplies or another distributer. Or Grainger has several pages of them listed here. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/productIndex.shtml?from=Search&newSrch=yes&operator=keywordSearch&search_type=keyword&action=Go!&QueryString=foot+switch&submit.x=35&submit.y=8 (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/productIndex.shtml?from=Search&newSrch=yes&operator=keywordSearch&search_type=keyword&action=Go%21&QueryString=foot+switch&submit.x=35&submit.y=8)

Good Luck

Alan

[Bernie Weishapl]

Alex I also agree that a foot switch would not be a good idea. First off a floor full of chips and then having to keep my foot on it while turning??? I move my body and feet to much during turning. I don't see why you would need one.

[Jim Kountz]

Alex, I asked about a foot switch when I started turning and everyone here told me it wasnt a good idea, I was convinced they were all wrong and it would be a fantastic thing to have........I was really really REALLY wrong!! In fact its the worst idea I ever had now that I have some turning time under my belt and realized what everyone was talking about. Right now if I did have one, I couldnt find it. Too many shavings. The guys here are full of wisdom and I know that now.
By the way thanks guys!!

[alex carey]

ill take everyones advice but im still hesitant. I would think a footswitch would be ideal in an emergency while turning really large diameter work. But if everyone says a portable hand switch is better ill go with that.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Alex - how can you turn it off in an emergency if you can't find it! If you have a magnetic switch that you attach to the lathe - away from the turning but within arm's reach - you will be able to shut the lathe down at the same time you are trying to get out of the way!

[Jim Koepke]

I am thinking an emergency is something that happens before we can hit the switch. If the turning blows, it likely blew all over the shop before we could hit the switch.

Now a foot switch on a drill press would be convenient and a knee switch on band saws and table saws.

But that is a different idea.

jim

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jim - I agree but I have had a number of times when all of a sudden something just doesn't sound right. I'll flip the switch as I am getting out of the way and at the same time have the turning come loose. Doesn't happen often but lets just say I listen a lot when turning burls with lots of bark!

[Brodie Brickey]

Alex,

Powermatic makes a second switch you can mount elsewhere on your lathe. I think you will be better served with on of those.

I had at one point a foot switch for my prior Delta. Shavings can cover it so you don't know here it is.

[Gordon Seto]

IMO, Foot switch only makes sense on the Oneway sit down lathe.

With the pull-on, push-off safety switch, you can bump it with your body in an emergency.

[Ron Lynch]

The switch Alex was referencing is a deadman switch, you step on it to start the lathe and step off to stop. It's not an issue of finding it in an emergency, all you have to do is step off it. The issue is that as you move your feet and body to make cuts you will step off it accidentally, which will do your turning no good at all. So, yes it is not a good idea and it probably would be hard to find among the shavings just to start the lathe.

[Paul Atkins]

Deadman switch just doesn't sound very good here. Tiredman switch is more like it. I have a pushbutton on/off switch for my big bowl lathe (32" diam max.) that is in a 4" tall box that I have on the floor. I can stand away from the lathe to start and jump away yet still peg it with my toe if it gets out of hand. (hmm maybe vfd would be nice here---)

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Hi Steve, Yes there's some truth in what you say, however I use one all the time, normally it sits right on the lathe under my hand/arm and it couldn't be in a better place to stop and start, however it is an air actuated switch and just the bulb is on the lathe (no electric wires that can be nicked/damaged).
But were I really like it, is when doing hollow turning, as you can start and stop the lathe without letting go of your turning tool, or having to take the tool out of the small opening while the lathe is still spinning, you can also have the tool inside the form and then start the lathe, that is when I will have the bulb on the floor and use my foot for start/stopping the lathe.
My lathe is 220 volt, but it uses a 110 volt solenoid (magnetic switch) to start and stop the lathe, so I can use his switch with the lathe plugged into it.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=30049&cat=1,240,41065

Here's also a picture of my lathe with the red stop/start switch, it has a magnet glued to the back, so it stays were I place it :)

[Jim Underwood]

I've used a foot switch to bypass the stock switch when it was full of sawdust and didn't work. The biggest danger I found with it, was inadvertently stepping on it. Didn't do a whole lot for my technique either. :o

[Gordon Seto]

Leo,

That is a foot switch, but I can't picture how you can use the foot to shut the lathe off in an emergency.