xray wrote:

I just picked up my first metal lathe. It was originally sold by Warco,
a British company, but is a Taiwanese lathe. Made in 1987, it looked
pretty dirty, but as I am cleaning and lubing it, it looks pretty good
with no major wear. Seems much better than other Chinese lathes I have
seen in stores and has nice features -- DTM tool post, Sargon DRO, and
built-in coolant pump.

So after I cleaned the label on the motor enough to read, I found it is
actually a 50 Hz 240 V 1 Hp motor. As far as I know, it has been
working fine in California on 60 Hz 220 V power. Should I be concerned
about the motor at all? Other than the rated speed being a little off
might there be any problems.

I haven't even tried to power it up myself yet. Focusing on cleaning
years of accumulated dirt and ensuring everything is lubed and free
moving. Cleared up a couple of minor issues but it all looks pretty good
so far.


A 50 Hz motor will run fine on 60Hz power. A 1450 nominal motor will run at 1760
rpm when you go from 50 to 60Hz. A 50Hz motor has more copper than a 60Hz motor.
Not all 60Hz motors handle 50Hz well, but the converse is OK. Good luck on that
lathe, sounds great with a DRO and all, that's a pretty high-end feature.

GWE