On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 23:14:35 -0500, Artemia Salina
wrote:

===As you know, the import bandsaws use a worm and wheel for speed
===reduction. Is fabricating something like that out of the question?
===Actually, I guess it would be difficult to switch it in and out of
===the drive train to move between metal and wood cutting speeds.
===
===Did you abandon the DC motor because you got sidetracked with the
===VFD idea? The DC motor sounds like the most viable set up to me.
===Have you done any tests with it to see if it loses torque at low
===RPMs?
The DC motor I have is rated on the data plate at 5100 rpm, and to
bring that down to a useable rpm with a gear reducer and jack shaft is
really not a feasible idea once I started to think about it. I would
have to get that motor down around 1400 to 1700 rpm for most gear
reducers, so I am already at a pretty low rate of speed and power with
the DC motor I have. A 1745 or 1800 rpm ( or even lower rpm) motor
puts me in that range already at a much higher torque , and reducing
that down or through a gear reducer seems more feasible, espeically if
coupled to a VFD.

I really do not know, but I don;t want to do and undo something as I
would rather do it right to start if its possible. I am figuring
(actually guessing) I should be able to use a 2 hp VFD, with a gear
reducer of 40 or 60:1 and a jackshaft to get the speeds and torque
that would be satisfactory, but even my guessing is just an uneducated
shot in the dark! I just do not have any faith in a used treadmill
motor on something such as this.

Making a worm gear setup is beyond my capabilites. I guess I would be
happy to just use it for metal as thats my main concern, as I am not
into doing any real woodworking per se, and I imagine it would cut
wood to some degree with a wood cutting type blade.
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