Phoenix lathe back in action

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

My lathe is now in operation again, after burning out the motor and controller board once and for all.

 

The Hoover fractional is on a piece of plywood screwed to the benchtop with a doorhinge. Bodged pulleys on motor and countershaft, but earlier I finished the first of three proper pulleys for the countershaft, and I’ll have two on the motor.

 

I’m using the 6mm plastic belt which seems to do the job fine with alloy pulleys. If it wears too quickly I can increase the size of the grooves (the pulleys are from 1/2″ checquer plate) and use a proper v-belt.

 

I made an NVR box, on switch on the motor bounces impressively on its board and the stopgap (drilled not bored) pulley ticks with each revolution. This will be solved with a new 2-step pulley. When you turn off the motor its back emf keeps the relays held on for a few moments, then when it slows so that the capacitor switch closes it kicks a flash out of the neon indicator!

 

The motor, nominally the same power but about four times as big, doesn’t show any strain under load – it is clearly more powerful as if you take a big cut the toothed belt slips but the motor just keeps going, so some careful adjustment ( and possibly reversal of the worn) toothed pulley needed.

 

I’m getting very good finish, just with my new tangential tool, possibly because I used the breakdown as an excuse to get all the slides just so.

 

The most interesting thing is how it is now a very, very different machine.

 

One thing I’m not sure of is – can I keep stopping and starting an old 1/3 horse fractional like this?

 

 

So by Christmas I should have something like 12 speeds (2 motor pulleys, 3 ‘layshaft’ pulleys and then 2:1 back-gear, wiithout too many overlaps. I might not even need to change to a 3-phase/inverter solution…

 

Neil

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Jury-rigged drive arrangements are working.

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