burly pete wrote:
Hi
My lathe varies speed through a 2 pulley system one on the motor shaft
and one one the lathe spindle. As you change the speed one pulley will
open up reducing its diameter as the other pulley will close down
increasing its diameter. There must be a name for this type of system
but I don't know it.

My problem is the slowest speed is still too fast for the bigger
blanks.
Is there a way I can change the speed of the AC motor to compensate
for the high ratio of the pulleys.

Thanks in Advance


Peter

It's called a Reeves drive and the odds are long against being able to
reduce the speed of the motor.

Possibly ... just possibly ... you could put the pulley on an idler
shaft and reduce the speed that way. Probably far more effort than it's
worth though ...that's why I have not done it on mine.

Bill

--
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one
rascal less in the world.
Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881)
http://nmwoodworks.com