Anyone Got a Warco WM240B?

[Jonathan MeadParticipant @jonathanmead91773]

I'm thinking of getting a slightly larger lathe and the Warco 240B has caught my eye – simple machine without all of the potential problems that come with electronic speed control systems and capable of a good speed range from 125RPM upwards. Does anyone on the forum have one, and if so, what are their experiences?

[Jonathan MeadParticipant @jonathanmead91773]

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I have never seen one but 125 RPM is a bit quick if you want to cut course threads to a shoulder.

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Chris – If he is as windy as I am he'd use something like this anyway:

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Definitely looks like a better option long term than an electronic speed control. But no back gear. A little bit of ingenuity should be able to add that and recover some of the cost with an article in MEW.

I just can't understand why Warco and a few others put so little real information on the website – like what are the actual speeds between 125 and 2000 and about a dozen photographs too.

It is about the size of a Boxford which would be cheaper but not new.

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

Looks like a 918 revival…..very similar specification if not the same….

[Nigel (egi)Participant @nigelegi]

I've had a Warco WM240B for some years and I love it

**LINK**

Warco WM240B

I keep thinking about upgrading it with a variable speed motor as the combinational of belt drive and variable speed would give me a huge range of speeds, but just too busy making models and the few speeds I have I find work very well.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

I went for the WM250V for the powered crossfeed and crossslide t-slots, which enable lots of versatile light milling in a vertical slide.

I've had no trouble whatever with the speed control in about 3 1/2 years of almost daily use.

[Dave Smith 14Participant @davesmith14]

Second the 250V. Mine is now 6 years old, I have had it three years, no problems with the speed control. The powered cross feed I would not want to live without.

Dave

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Concur with the WM250V, the powered X feed is very, very, useful especially when parting off under power. Had mine since 2012 & it has served me well so far.

George.

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

I've had a 240 since 2011 and find it a good lathe for my model building needs. Mine is the variable speed model which I like because of the ability to alter the speed on the fly if I'm not getting the results I want. I'll also tempt fate and say the variable speed has been no trouble.

I sometimes wish I had spent a little more and bought the 250 as others are suggesting here but to do that now is more than a little more, it's the difference between £1000 and £1700!

Jim

[IRTParticipant @irt]

I have just had to replace the control board on my wood turning lathe. I am thinking now that I should avoid the lathes with DC motors and variable speed.

This does not leave many options – the 240B is probably the cheapest of them.

Is there a 3 phase motor same size, spindle and comparable power that can drop in and be driven by a VFD?

[AlanWParticipant @alanw96569]

I have the variable speed 240 with dc motor. I found that it lacks torque at low speed, just when it is needed. I made a speed reduction system for it that vastly improved the situation. Yes, written up as an article for MEW but has been in Neil's in-tray for a long time.

Alan

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

Posted by Ian Thomson 2 on 19/11/2018 18:05:24:

I have just had to replace the control board on my wood turning lathe. I am thinking now that I should avoid the lathes with DC motors and variable speed.

Is there a 3 phase motor same size, spindle and comparable power that can drop in and be driven by a VFD?

If you can measure the existing motor's spindle, body diameter/length and give some idea the amount of space at the back of the motor, that would help…what horsepower is the motor? Or wattage..the new model has a brushless 1.1kw motor…

Edited By John Rudd on 20/11/2018 19:12:28

[IRTParticipant @irt]

I was thinking of the 240D with no speed control – a 550W motor in that one.

I don't have one yet.Still considering Warco 240D / Warco 250V (Too much money now) / SC4 / Boxford AUD/BUD.

Last week I was almost decided on the SC4, but now the speed controller has gone on my wood turning lathe, I am reconsidering.

It looks like the 240D is a reasonable specification at a good price. No DC control board to go wrong.

In the future it could be upgraded for a reasonable low cost to the more reliable 3 phase AC motor and VFD the changing speed by adjusting belts gets too much of a chore. I would like to know that a drop in replacement 3 phase motor is available (same size, same mounting, same spindle, similar power etc.).

If anyone has a WM240D and can see any identification marks on the motor, this would be useful.

[JonParticipant @jon]

Very likely a 3ph motor of larger capacity say 2hp will have a larger case and spindle size. Definately wouldnt want to drop below a 1 1/2hp motor which will still be bigger than the 1ph.
Worst case just buy a longer belt and make or mod a new motor mount and of course bore out existing spindle pulley, had to do it last year on same lathe.

When thats done you still have no brake even if its supposedly built in the the invertor, scary. Cant beat a spindle start for that with foot brake.

2011 about £1k, bet they still want that used bare in mind only cost £750 delivered for a proper English M300, chalk and cheese!

[IRTParticipant @irt]

M300 for £750 delivered! Where? Browsing Ebay quickly, they are £3K+.

Too big for me anyway. I could just squeeze in a short bed AUD/BUD if I could find a good metric one.

Edited By Ian Thomson 2 on 20/11/2018 22:47:20

[Nigel (egi)Participant @nigelegi]

The runout on the 3-jaw chuck has finally got the better of me, I think the issue is due to me behaving like a gorrilla some time ago and over-strecthing the scroll. Anyway, I measured the runout at a number of diameters:

• Dia=22.35mm Runout=0.140mm
• Dia=41.3mm Runout=0.120mm
• Dia=100mm Runout=0.234mm

This compares to my Hobbymat with a 3jaw that has a runout at Dia=22.35mm of 0.054mm

Obviously zero is the best runout and unlikely to get to that level on a 3 jaw chuck. I thought about buying the Pratt-Burnerd chcuk as a replacement, but the reviews on here and other places didn't look good. So I've ordered a much cheaper Soba 125mm 3-jaw.

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Nigel,

Although not ideal is the run out a problem?

Tony

[Nigel (egi)Participant @nigelegi]

Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 15/04/2020 15:41:33:

Nigel,

Although not ideal is the run out a problem?

Tony

Hi Tony, It's just a pain if you want to turn the part around and machine both sides. OK, for really accurate work I use a 4-jaw independent chuck, eg for the wheel rims on my traction engine, but for normal use the runout is too significant to be able to re-chuck the part. Mainly though it's just irritating. Best regards, Nigel

[Ronald MorrisonParticipant @ronaldmorrison29248]

I just checked something on my lathe as I was getting a step when I tried to cut from both ends. I cut one end, turned the stock around and leaving just enough sticking out to run the dial indicator on found the runout and the location of that. I loosened the chuck and started slipping different feeler gauges in where the indicator showed the lowest, then tightening to check the runout. Eventually I got the runout to nearly zero. When I then turned the second end there was no step noticeable. I don't have a 4 jaw for that lathe so this is a poor man's way to compensate.

[Nigel (egi)Participant @nigelegi]

Posted by Ronald Morrison on 15/04/2020 21:17:21:

I just checked something on my lathe as I was getting a step when I tried to cut from both ends. I cut one end, turned the stock around and leaving just enough sticking out to run the dial indicator on found the runout and the location of that. I loosened the chuck and started slipping different feeler gauges in where the indicator showed the lowest, then tightening to check the runout. Eventually I got the runout to nearly zero. When I then turned the second end there was no step noticeable. I don't have a 4 jaw for that lathe so this is a poor man's way to compensate.

Hi Ronald, that works fine, but the compensation on my chuck is different at different diameters and although I can shim each time that is a pain I don't need. The Hobbymat is 2 thou out and so ok for a lot of items and I just mark the bar and chuck if I rotate. Cheers, Nigel

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

..' I just mark the bar and chuck if I rotate. Cheers, Nigel;

I make a point of marking the bar & #1 jaw if I turn stock around.

George.

[Nigel (egi)Participant @nigelegi]

So I bought a Soba 3-jaw chuck that is meant to be front mounted, didn't have access to long caphead bolts and so tapped the chuck body casting and fixed from the backplate side.

The runout is now significantly better than the original chuck. Plus it's good across the range from internal to external jaws. The only slight issue was the chuck key itself needed a little bit of finishing to get the square key to fit all of the locations on the chuck.

This Soba chuck from Chronos is rather nice and a real improvement overall on the original Warco chuck.

Very happy with the result, Nigel

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