"lin" wrote in message
...

I need help!

My husband has an old Delta Milwaukee bench lathe from the 1940s. The
problem is that the motor is too fast for the turning he typically does. On
the lowest setting, it's still faster than the highest one on his previous
lather (3200). I would like to surprise him with a new variable speed motor
for this lathe, but I'm way out of my element and don't even know where to
start.

Any help would be great appreciated!

If the lathe has a speed adjustment capability now (likely stepped pulleys)
it sounds like a change of the pulley on the motor, and perhaps the belt, is
all that is needed to slow it down overall. For example, a smaller pulley on
the motor would reduce the speed for each pulley on the top. Has you husband
looked into this approach?

Does the lathe have a set up similar to the one pictured here, i.e., one
pulley on the motor and a stepped pulley on top? If so this may solve the
problem (inexpensively!).
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...638010c276.jpg