newbie lathe motor question

Depending on your available funds, either a relatively expensive Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) and 3 phase motor, or a relatively inexpensive DC variable speed ($0-$50 depending on the used tradmill market in your area, and or niceness of people at the recycling center/transfer station). DC industrial motors with industrial speed controllers are near enough the cost of a VFD/3 phase setup that you might as well go with the 3 phase setup if you don't want to go with the surplus treadmill motors/controllers. Divide the treadmill motor's hp in half or so to get a more realistic number, IME.

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Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Rich

Depends on the swing. If it's a 10" or less (5"diameter swing), a half horse is probably enough. Used to be considered pretty powerful. At 12" you could easily go a full HP, but 3/4 is certainly adequate. Fourteen is for sure a horse.

Variable speed is all the rage, but it's far from necessary. Look at your cone pulleys and order a match from Grainger or such. 1725 RPM motors are reasonably priced, sometimes free in other people's garages. You can compute by pulley ratio times motor rated RPM to find out what you've got in estimated speed.

Your tool presentation is far more important than rotation speed in determining your results, and any lathe you migrate to will probably have a motor of its own, so learn to turn on the cheap motor and put your money in the other, more important, accessories.

Or...

Chuck Woodruff is a retired engineer who always has a booth at the AAW Symposium. He mates motors and vfd-s which he buys off-price, he knows a lot about these things and he can probably fix you right up at a decent price. I'd stay away from treadmill motors myself.

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Bill

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Dan Patterson snipped-for-privacy@bellsouth.net L'aissez les bon temps tourner

get a washing machine motor - usually you can get them for free - 1/4 or 1/3 HP - that will get you started. later on you can decide if you want variable speed, or a better lathe, or whatever. I use a 1/4 hp washing machine motor on my Nova mini lathe, and I have a 2 hp industrial TEFC motor with a VFD on my Stubby lathe (and a non TEFC industrial motor and VFD on my logan metal lathe). The washing machine motor will be fine to start with - you don't need anything fancy.

bill N

Hi Rich, Welcome to a great hobby and a worldwide friendly and helpful ng.

I agree with Bill about using discarded fractional HP appliance motors for smaller lathes. Also they can be used to drive flex shafts and by adding cheap arbors and/or jacobs chucks or by driving polishing heads they make cheap and useful grinders, disc sanders, buffers, horizontal drills etc. Heating and cooling contractors are another source for free motors. I prefer motors from discarded squirrel cage fans because the frames are better suited for most turning shop purposes, are easily reversed and both 110 and 220 volt types are available.

Have fun and be sure to join in and share your turning life with us. We can use your fresh perspectives.

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Thanks to all for great suggestions. Definitely going to start with the low budget ideas until I have some idea of what I'm doing. Only have 110 in the gargare so will start small. Thanks again. Rich