i need a new lathe is oliver a good brand?

[cody michael]

i need a new lathe i found this

Lansing craigslist, Oliver Lathe, posting # 1405714290

oliver lathe. i don't have 3 phase so i would need a convertor. is it worthwhile? what is involved in doing that? is the price reasonable?

[curtis rosche]

oliver is a great lathe. nice and heavy. definatly worth it. what size is it? for a converter you can either get a VFD or you can make a rotary converter.

[curtis rosche]

buy it buy it buy it. just looked at it. it is a great lathe. weighs about 400 lbs. worth about $1200. great lathe. looks to be in good shape. they are heavy duty, and it can do outboard

[Curt Fuller]

Oliver? Best lathe ever made!;)

From the pics it looks like it needs some TLC but at 400 bucks it's well worth it. If you're handy with electronics or know someone that is you can buy a variable frequency drive setup that works with the 3 phase motor. That will enable you to lower the 700 rpm minimum speed with the current reeves drive to nearly 0 rpms.
I love my Oliver. It's much heavier and sturdier built than any lathe you can buy new for anywhere near the price. The Oliver Machinery website can provide you with parts, manufacture dates, and any help you need fixing it up.

[curtis rosche]

if you need help with this lathe let me know, i can hook you up with some ppl who hunt this stuff down and fix it up for a living/hobby

[cody michael]

how much would it cost to set up a converter? i know people who are decent with electronics

[curtis rosche]

depends on which type you want to use. rotary converters are cheaper normally, but they are more invlovled for set up

[cody michael]

like what is a ballpark figure either way. does one way work better? i'm just trying to figure if i can afford it.

[Dan Forman]

Go with the variable frequency drive, that allows you to control the speed of the lathe. 700 RPM is pretty fast for roughing out an unbalanced bowl blank. Have no idea how much it would cost.

Dan

[Carroll Courtney]

If its 1hp then it will run you 117.00 plus shipping.Either 110v or 220v entering,with either a 2 or 5yr warranty.Alot easier than RPC----Carroll

[Curt Fuller]

like what is a ballpark figure either way. does one way work better? i'm just trying to figure if i can afford it.

The converter will just make it so you can run the lathe on normal single phase 220v house type electricity. The VFD will do that plus give the ability to control the speed of the motor. The only real draw back to the older lathes it that they were built primarily for spindle turning. The minimum speed on them is usually in the 700 rpm range which is pretty fast for roughing an out-of-round or out-of-balance piece of wood.

I'm clueless when it comes to electronics so I can't give you any specifics about how you hook up the VFD. I just know that it's cheaper than a phase converter and gives the old lathe the same type of speed control that the new lathes have. The VFD contollers I've seen run in the $150-200 range. My Oliver has a 1hp 220v single phase motor that isn't the original motor. I really wish I had the original motor so I could make it variable speed.

[cody michael]

ok. i don't have the money to get that lathe running at that price. with how much the convertors are. i just want a lathe to turn with. i keep looking for a decent used one and this is best i've seen. if i ever have the money to buy a new one it will be what i really want. a bigger bowl lathe like the 900$ nova. thanks for the help

[curtis rosche]

you could always get this lathe, and then search ebay or other places to find a 1 phase motor for cheap

[cody michael]

would the reeves drive still work?

[Nick Hoffman]

Yes it would. You can get a basic vfd for about $150

[curtis rosche]

you should be fine getting by with just the reeves drive, you wont be able to do any huge turnings because of the speed, but you should be able to use the max swing over the bed aslong as you dont throw anything on that is stupidly off balance

[Brian Ashton]

Go with the variable frequency drive, that allows you to control the speed of the lathe. 700 RPM is pretty fast for roughing out an unbalanced bowl blank. Have no idea how much it would cost.

Dan


I just bought a Hitachi VFD for up to a 3hp 3 phase motor for around 250 + shipping from drives warehouse. The big bonus to a VDF is you can vary the frequency from 0 to 120Htz.

[Kim Ford]

Cody; I have a Oliver and did exactly what you are suggesting. VFD only work on the older motors if the internal wiring insulation is of the proper class. If not you need to rewind the motor.

Bottom line for me, I converted my 2hp with a full torque VFD, meaning you have the same torque at the low rpm as the high rpm, for about $250. All VFD's are not the same so by a good quality one. I had a local electric motor shop look at mine and they said the class of wiring in my motor should be okay, and if it did have problems they would rewind the motor for about $150.

Call Rich at Eagle Machinery, this is the original Oliver manufacturer and have him give you his opinion on the lathe. He is a good guy and will give you the straight scoop.

It will be great to have you join the salad club. Mustard, mayo and olives; it just doesn't get any better.