Sometime ago, there was a thread about using variable speed tread mill
motors on wood lathes. It didn't concern me at the time. Now I am looking
for something like that and am wondering if they are really suited for this,
have enough speed range for instance?

Thanks for any advice,

Walt Conner

Vega got a whole bunch of 1 horsepower (actual) treadmill motors and
controllers and offered them for $58 as I recall. I had to replace the
controller, but I have used the motor for about 2 years. They go down to
basically 0 rpm, unlike the frequency drive AC models. Vector AC drives do
go down to about zero speed, but cost a fortune. I love the motor. I would
never go back to single speed. I set it up with a forward/neutral/reverse
switch and a potentiometer for adjusting speed, both in a box that has
magnets on the back and can mount on anything metal. I also have three
pulley positions.

Derek

In article 14Yzf.28821$6L1.25892@trnddc02,
"WConner" wrote:

Sometime ago, there was a thread about using variable speed tread mill
motors on wood lathes. It didn't concern me at the time. Now I am looking
for something like that and am wondering if they are really suited for this,
have enough speed range for instance?

Yes, just don't believe the "horsepower" rating (ie, a "2 hp" treadmill
motor appears to be about a "1HP" equivalent in real horsepower, IME)

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

looking at a lot of turners at our local club;-)

Many turners would be better off getting more use out their tread mill
motors while they are attached to the tread mill instead of using them
on a lathe8-D

WConner wrote:
Sometime ago, there was a thread about using variable speed tread mill
motors on wood lathes. It didn't concern me at the time. Now I am looking
for something like that and am wondering if they are really suited for this,
have enough speed range for instance?

Thanks for any advice,

Walt Conner

On Fri, 20 Jan 2006 03:53:34 GMT, Ecnerwal
wrote:

Yes, just don't believe the "horsepower" rating (ie, a "2 hp" treadmill
motor appears to be about a "1HP" equivalent in real horsepower, IME)

That reminds me of a band saw I have, a Sears with a tilting head.
Actually an OK saw for the money but it's advertising claimed the
motor "develops" 1 1/2 HP and it's on the saw in such a way as to
make you think that's what the motor is. But it really only has a 5/8
HP motor.

With a jackshaft and some belts and pulleys, you could do
both at once!

william kossack wrote:
looking at a lot of turners at our local club;-)

Many turners would be better off getting more use out their tread mill
motors while they are attached to the tread mill instead of using them
on a lathe8-D

Ah, but properly done you don't need the motor for either if you are going
to try to do both.

Brian

In article 14Yzf.28821$6L1.25892@trnddc02,
"WConner" writes:
Sometime ago, there was a thread about using variable speed tread mill
motors on wood lathes. It didn't concern me at the time. Now I am looking
for something like that and am wondering if they are really suited for this,
have enough speed range for instance?

I collected some info about using one a few years ago and put a web page
together:

http://www.digis.net/~mellib/rmwt/wttips/motor.html

It works great for a minilathe. Speed rang is not an issuse, you can go
from 0 to basically too fast. And it seems to have enough grunt
provided that you use proper technique.

Don't try the email address on that page. I lost a bunch of info when
moving jobs and put my rmwt.org site back with stuff that is at least
3 year old. So pretty much everything there is out of date and I haven't
had the time to put things back together.

bruno.

I collected some info about using one a few years ago and put a web page
together

Thanks, thanks to all.

Walt Conner