Vfd & motor

[Skip Spaulding]

I got the vfd and motor on my lathe today, it works but I haven't got the vfd programed as yet. If it works out I will hook up a remote for better access when the head is rotated. May change location of vfd, just wanted to get it up and running and out of harms way. I think one of the pictures shows my remote box with no switches installed on the side of the bed. I am trying a couple of different strength magnets.
The motor is 2hp 3phase 230v. Runs real smooth, very little noise.

[Jeff Nicol]

Skip, Looks like you did a fine job on the setup. Just wondering why such a large box for the remote? All L used is a standard metal handy box with a switch and a potentiometer mounted in it. Does not get in the way at all.

Jeff

[Mike Minto]

skip, looks great - if you don't mind giving us an idea of what this cost to modify, i'd be interested in hearing it - i have a 1624-44 too, and would really like to have VS on it. thanks, mike

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking setup Skip. VS is going to be great.

[Alan Trout]

Skip,

Really nice! I am glad to see you got it going.

Alan

[Skip Spaulding]

Jeff, you are right on remote size , think I can use a little smaller one . I will have mushroom stop for emergency, forward reverse and potentiometer.

Mike, I have about $700 in project. Probably a couple of hundred in overkill on vfd and motor. I wanted larger hp for coring with McNaughton system. Also like display on vfd.

[Joe Mioux]

nice set up, skip

if you were to do it over, would you choose the same motor and VFD or asked differently, are there any other options (motor and vfd) that you would recommend?

joe

[Skip Spaulding]

Joe, I will try to post performance once I get vfd programed. I think with this motor I can run about 5 hz up to 100-120 hz. I hope to find a high torque low speed pulley combo that I can still get good top end out of (2000-2500rpm) without changing pulleys and without burning up motor!
If anyone out there can shed light on this it would be greatly appreciated. I can do a little mechanical and a little electrical but when it comes to the electronics I am LOST!
The 11/2 hp 220v vfd DC set up through one of the Nova dealers was $750 so if this works I guess I'm up 1/2 hp more for about the same money.
Will keep you posted.

[Skip Spaulding]

I programed in 0-120 Hz on my vfd, set my belt at what would be 1440 rpm at 60Hz with my original motor, ran it up and down, forward and reverse from 0Hz-120Hz. it ran good. I mounted a 7" dry, rough turned, out of round bowl and finish turned it. I trued the tennon at a setting of 5Hz (real slow), reversed the bowl in the chuck and increased my speed as it took shape, by the time I was thru my setting was about 35Hz. So far so good. The motor runs real cool to the touch.
I am not sure if rpm and frequency run together. If I double the Hz does the rpm double?

[Skip Spaulding]

Found I could program vfd to read rpm and display, now set at 0-100 Hz and rpm is running 0-3600. I will try that for a while and see how it works.

[Steve Harder]

Skip - I'll be very interested on your sense of how good the torque is. Sometimes folks that convert to VFD feel like they've lost some 'power' in the process, especially when turning at lower speeds that they would have previously accomplished by putting the belt on the lowest pulley.

I also have a 1624 and am very interested in how things go for you.

Any hassles in fitting the motor to the mount or with changing out the sheave?

[Larry Browning]

Is it just me or is that really a pretty unsafe place to have a chisel rack? reaching across a spinning work piece to swap chisels seems like an accident waiting to happen. Using a lathe is not really my thing, but safety is, and that just looks unsafe to me.

[Mike Spanbauer]

Looks like you did a good job there Skip. I'd aim to have the top hz operating freq at about 120% of normal, or in other words, 72hz. Most motor bearings aren't rated for double their RPM. Your motor may not get warm, but your bearings likely will.

I had converted my PM90 over to VFD (had a 1hp, 3ph) and it worked very well. You can boost the torque in the low end within the VFD likely (but it will require some reading). If you set the pully to run @ 100% (60hz) and producing ~2400rpm, you would achieve a 2800rpm upper limit and 200rpm at the low end infinitely increasing up.

If you need lower than that with your turning methods, then you could do a 2 pulley setup or use a jack and achieve a 100rpm low end.

Just a thought. One thing that you did achieve by going w/ a 3ph variable is that with the 3 phases (vs. 1) you get more continuous torque as the shaft rotates due to the way the motor works. That's a BIG plus.

mike

[Skip Spaulding]

Larry, I use that as overflow rack, tools are very seldom used, most of the tools I use are to right of tail stock. I do use the drive centers and drill chuck on bottom of rack but lathe is off when I am reaching for one of them. I will be the first to admit that my shop is far from the safest and a real long way from the neatest!