Adjusting lathe speed lower

[Rick Prosser]

I have a Shop Fox W1758 Lathe.
http://toolsandmore.us/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2564
(This is similar/knock off of Grizzley and Jet models with variable speed adjustment.)

Started off with low speed of 600 rpm, but now the lowest speed has worked up to 1000 rpm.:confused:
I am at the point where the excitement of trying to rough down bowl blanks into cylinders is a bit too high for me :eek: - need to slow things down. (I recently learned that my table of supplies must be moved further out of the line of fire...although, if you need to clean the table off in a hurry...:rolleyes: )

This model has a lever that adjusts the speed - but the motor must be turning to make the adjustment. My guess is that there is a conical wheel or something that moves up/down against a drive wheel when the lever is moved. The small end of the cone would have smaller diameter, and force the drive wheel to turn faster - and the larger end of the cone would have larger diameter for slower speeds.

If this concept is correct, then maybe I would just need way to increase the size of the cone - or the drive wheel?

Anyone done this before, or know what would be required to bring the speed down?

BTW - a new lathe is not yet an option.:(

[Bernie Weishapl]

Rick I had a friend of mine tried exactly what you want to do and I think he gained 50 or 75 rpm. In other words he got it from 600 down to close to 500. His speed crept up and he had to disassemble the reeves drive clean and relube it. It was gummy and wouldn't move real well.

[David Christopher]

Rick, you can blow the dust off of the drive pulleys and lube them and it should go back to normal

[Bruce Smith]

Rick, I'm not familiar with the Shop Fox lathe but sounds like it uses a Reeves Drive to change the speed. I take it that the Reeves Drive is belt driven by a V belt from the electric motor, if that is the case try installing a smaller diameter pulley on the drive motor. This will certainly slow the Reeves Drive down which in turn will slow the lathe down, depending on the diameter of pulley you install. Don't forget, by slowing the lower lathe speed down you will also slow the top speed down a similar amount. By the way don't try to change the speed of the lathe when it is not running as you possibly know you can damage the Reeves Drive. Reeves Drives are ment to be running when a speed change is required. Hope this helps out, good luck and have fun turning.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Rick - another vote for cleaning your Reeves drive! Let us know what you do to fix it!

[David Christopher]

Rick, I'm not familiar with the Shop Fox lathe but sounds like it uses a Reeves Drive to change the speed. I take it that the Reeves Drive is belt driven by a V belt from the electric motor, if that is the case try installing a smaller diameter pulley on the drive motor. This will certainly slow the Reeves Drive down which in turn will slow the lathe down, depending on the diameter of pulley you install. Don't forget, by slowing the lower lathe speed down you will also slow the top speed down a similar amount. By the way don't try to change the speed of the lathe when it is not running as you possibly know you can damage the Reeves Drive. Reeves Drives are ment to be running when a speed change is required. Hope this helps out, good luck and have fun turning.

Bruce, you cant change the motor pulley easily because it is a spring loaded pulley also...

[Rick Prosser]

Thanks guys

I also got a call from CW McClellan with some good information:D. I will be cleaning up the Reeves drive tonight and hope to drive the speed back down to 600 or so.

In the big picture, I would like to shift the speed down to 100 or lower on the low side - even if it means loosing the high side a bit. This will take more research and planning. I seems a smaller drive pulley would work - if I can get the right parts to work with the total assembly. I guess the lathe makers assume spindle work is the main activity, so they keep the speed window high.

I don't know anything about motors and pulleys and such, but I enjoy learning, so it may soon be another chapter in my education.

[Jim Koepke]

I wish there was one of these on my lathe.

The printing presses in my long ago employment past used these.

One problem others do not mention is if this arrangement's mounting has come loose, it can cause problems as you describe.

jim

[Jeff Nicol]

Rick, If you are not interested in the VFD and a 3 phase motor option you could build a jackshaft configuration to slow the final drive down. You could put a multiple pulley on the jackshaft and get a number of different speed ranges. Look up some specs on pulley ratios and see what might work for you.

Good luck and keep the reeves clean, that is why I changed mine to the VFD and the 3ph motor, got tired of cleaning the darn thing all the time!

Jeff

[Maylon Harvey]

Another possible reason your speed has increased is your belt has worn thus changing it's width allowing it to go deeper into the pulley. When I had a reeves drive I used to have to install new belts all the time to keep the speed down.

[Rick Prosser]

And the winner is.....
Maylon !!!

I opened up the head stock and could see where the edges of the belt were tattered. I assume the width has reduced, so the speed increased.

I did some cleaning, and now the lever is much smoother and easier, but the speed is still up around 1000 at the low setting.

I will be ordering a couple new replacement belts.

I wonder if I could order an Xtra-Wide version to slow the speed down?? With both the spindle pulley and the motor pulley being spring loaded, it might be complicated. With this type setup, belts must need regular replacement.:eek:

I posted a video of the drive on youtube if anyone wants to see my split pulley reeves drive in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8ExzaUq5GI

[Maylon Harvey]

Rick, go to your local NAPA store, they are much cheaper there. It was a pain but when ever I wanted low speed, I would put on a new belt. Then after things were balanced, I'd put an old one back on. It also gave me the opertunity to keep the Reeves drive clean and working freely.

[david brum]

Rick, I don't know if this will work for your Shop Fox, but it apparently works for the Jet and HF lathes:

http://www.chrisbillman.com/Projects/LatheSpeed.htm

[Rick Prosser]

You must be a mind reader. ;)
I was considering that last night. Good to know it has already been done - and I think it should work with my lathe too.

[Mike Stephens]

Good thread Rick. I am picking up a second hand Jet 1442 in anther week and I am very interested to see if this will work for me.

[Jim Koepke]

I posted a video of the drive on youtube if anyone wants to see my split pulley reeves drive in action.

OK, that is a little different than what we had on the printing presses. Ours had two belts and four pulleys. The lever was attached to the mechanism of the two pulleys in between the two belts. Those were the pulleys that would change. The motor and driven end pulley would not change size.

Same principle, different execution.

jim

[Rick Prosser]

I find it to be a neat concept for speed control.
I understand how the different pulley diameters can control the speed, but I don't know how torque is impacted. Perhaps that has something to do with the print press design with 4 pulleys?