Nice Lathe Jeff,
After you get your 220 wired were you want. Making a phase converter
is as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. I would get a 2-5 hp
used 3 phase motor as my converter.(Gunner can help, know doubt). To make
a simple "pull start converter" hook it up this way. Your lathe has three
wires coming out of that box that you posted pic of. (It's just the magnetic
switches for the forward and reverse and stop buttons) Your phase
converter motor has three wires also. Hook the wire from the lathe to the
motor and run the 220 line wires (two of them) to the out side pair. Put a
appropriate size switch in one of the 220 lines. Now when you throw the
switch your motor should just hum and the shaft will jerk a bit. If you let
it go like that for a couple of seconds you'll blow your breaker. Put a
rope on the shaft and wind it up like the old mowers. Now pull the rope
and spin the motor, after it's spinning for a second throw the switch and LO
and BE Hold the Motor is RUNNING!!!!! Now turn on your lathe and it will be
running on 3 phase. Two things to watch for
1- on your converter motor it will have a diagram on how to wire all of
those wires in the box for 220 or 440, make sure you have it wired for 220.
2- If your lathe spins the wrong direction when you start it. Reverse any
two of the lathe wires to the converter motor's wires.
After you get that running for a while then you can look at making a nifty
push button start. Lots of help on the web, just do a google group search
on 3 phase converter. You find some very helpful info from some pretty
smart fellers.
Jerry
"Jeff P" wrote in message
...
I've been a lurker on this list for a couple of months, and I just
wanted to send out a little tool gloat... the weekend before last I
bought a Logan Lathe for less than the price of a new 9x20 import
lathe, and it's in great condition! I got it for $500. It's the 14"
7500 series, pictured he http://www.lathe.com/catalogs/7500.htm.
Everything runs smooth and is in excellent condition.
It's bigger than I was originally planing on getting, but I'm not
complaining! It was a fair amount of work to get it in the garage,
too. A friend and I put it up on 4x4 "skids" and used a Harbor Freight
come-along to winch it out of a rented trailer. We used stone-age
technology to haul it out, and it worked great.
I bought the lathe from a friend of Gunner's. Gunner set up the deal,
and I want to say thanks, and also to put in a good word! I wouldn't
hesitate to use Gunner to repair any machine tools I had that were
broken, or to buy tools from him. He was helpful and completely
forthright.
There is one other thing, I have a question about and I was hoping
someone would know.... I need to get a 220 outlet set up in the
garage, and I think I'll need a 3-phase converter. I'll have an
electrician put in the 220 outlet, but I'm not sure what to do about
the 3-phase. The lathe has a big electrical panel on the back with a
circuit breaker and some big transformers. I'm not exactly sure what
it's for. Is it a phase converter, or is it jsut part of the lathe?
Does any one have suggestions as to the best way to go? (I have some
pictures, too. Here's one of the inside of the panel:
http://www.geocities.com/webnrrd2k/classic_tan.html).
The lathe is usable as it is right now, but I would like swap out the
turret for a regular engine lathe type cross-slide and add a
tailstock.
Actually, Gunner lined up a place that has exactly the tailstock I
need, but it's $300. My wife and I have a kid due any day now, and I
blew all my fun-money on the lathe. Any one know of a tailstock or
cross-slide for a Logan 6500 series lathe going cheap? Maybe I'll just
have to wait and see if it turns up on ebay...
Any ways, I just wanted to say thanks again to Gunner, and thanks
again to everyone else who posts to r.c.metalworking!