Vicmarc VL300 bare bones build-up - gonna need some help

[Dave Schell]

Hi All,

I'm returning to turning after a 3 year hiatus. I had the Oneway 2436 and all the other expensive accoutrements. Liquidated all of it to some very lucky soul out there but am feeling the itch again. So my shopping list is quite large but step one is a new lathe.

I rarely buy what I can make so the barebones Vicmarc VL300 from Craft Supplies is right up my alley. At a $2200 discount over the fully assembled one, I figure I can buy the motor and drive for around $500, and another couple hundred for cabinet materials and remote control switches, and still come out about $1500 ahead.

The only thing that keeps me up at nights is the remote control and AC drive wiring and programming. Roger at CS was kind enough to give me the model numbers of the Leeson motor and ABB drive they use in their version of the Vicmarcs but so far has not agreed to send me any wiring schematics. I looked at the ABB drive manual and it is written to a much more sophisticated user than me.

So just hoping someone out there has been through this already and might want to make a new friend .

Here are the links of the 3 significant components:

Barebones Vicmarc from CS ($2295): http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/st...e___vl300?Args=

Leeson 3HP motor ($246): http://www.bearingsdirect.com/store/..._detail&p=2932

ABB ACs 150 drive ($277): http://www.state-electric.com/_produ...IP20_Enclosure

[Jim Kountz]

Do you know if this lathe has a through hole in the spindle? I heard that it does not and thus would make vacuum a little more difficult to set up without buying the dedicated drums Vicmarc sells> I really love the look and features of this lathe but that through hole thing put the brakes on it for me.

[Dave Schell]

Thru hole on the spindle? Holy cow - I hope so. Didn't even bother to ask about that though - I was counting on Vicmarc having figured out a long time ago that a spindle through hole is essential to vacuum chucking. Now you have me scared.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I'll put you at ease I think Dave, this is the V/S VL 300 info.

[Alan Trout]

Dave I am very envious of you. I had planned on doing the same thing except with the long bed version. However I did not have a lot of room and My Nova DVR fit my space and wallet a little better. I still may do it one day but for now I am very happy.

As Leo pointed out is does have a through hole in the spindle and many regard these lathes as some of the best in the business. However I am not real familiar with VFD's but I am sure the folks at ABB or one of its distributors will be more than willing to help.

Good Luck

Alan

[Jim Kountz]

I'll put you at ease I think Dave, this is the V/S VL 300 info.

Ahh thanks Leo, that changes things. I was wondering why they made such a big deal out of their vac drums and a guy in our club mentioned it was because there was no through hole. Guess he was wrong!!
Thanks again!!

[Dennis Ford]

I might be able to help, I have done this before but with a different brand of drive. Are you looking for advise or someone to wire it up?

[Tom Steyer]

The VL300 I have seen has a through hole, but it also has a very funky configuration that has both internal and external threads on the left end of the spindle. This may limit your choices when it comes to vacuum adapters, but you can make your own chucks and other pieces for a vac system. Also, it seems that Vicmarc accessories are VERY expensive in general.

[Dave Schell]

Dennis - thanks for your offer of help. I am mostly looking for advice and guidance on building and wiring up the remote control for the drive. I'm not a complete novice when it comes to electrical circuits, but the whole area of motor control is new to me. I see on your website that you used a Hitachi VFD - I'm not tied to the ABB drive - that is just what Craft Supplies uses. I'm perfectly willing to switch to the Hitachi drive if it makes it easier for you to provide guidance.

What model drive did you use?
Here is one that looks like it would be a good fit for the Leeson 3HP: http://www.driveswarehouse.com/Drive...00-022NFU.html

[Jim Kountz]

Well I for one am going to keep an eye on this thread, I really like the Vics and now that I know there is a through hole Im even more interested.

[Dick Strauss]

Dave,
I looked at that lathe with and without the motor and had the same question...where is the $2k in value by adding the motor and VFD controller?

Good luck and let us know how you make out...

[Dave Schell]

I placed my order with Craft Supplies Tues of this week so I'm expecting the lathe to arrive sometime next week (I'm in Raleigh, NC). I'll start posting pictures of the build-up as soon as I have something interesting to show. In the end, I hope to have a nice set of pictures, design, and tips for others to follow (and a very nice lathe too of course!).

In the meantime, I'm spending a lot of time reading up on motors, drives, and controls wondering how the heck I'm going to wire and program this thing. But I'm starting to feel a little more confident each day.

[Bob Hallowell]

I used this vfd, http://www.factorymation.com/s.nl/it....f?category=32 and bought a motor on ebay. The remote is vary easy. just a 3 postion sw for fwd/off/rev and a 10k ohm pot for the variable speed. I suggest a single turn resalution (sp.?). I bought my switches from www.mcmaster.com as they were cheaper but factorymation sells nice ones and the tech support is great.

Bob

[Jeff Nicol]

Dave, I had never done any work on a Vfd before in my life. But when I got the TECO drive the instructions were very straight forward. I have a remote on mine and it was a snap. It has a switch and a potentiometer for speed control. It told me what POT to get so the control was correct. I did not like the range so I went up to different one. But that is not problem. So I think the instructions will have a schematic and wiring diagram in it and will guide through the process. You should be able to get PDF files on the drive you choose from the site or manufacturer.


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=101395

Above is the link to my changeover.
Good luck

Jeff

[Dave Schell]

Appreciate the information on the Teco drive - would save me about $50 over the Hitachi or ABB. But I'm wondering if the single switch for On(forward) - Off - On (reverse) is my only option with that drive. Having used the Oneway 2436 for a while, I'm partial to a big red off switch. So I would prefer separate On-Off buttons as well as a separate forward-reverse toggle.

On a related note, Oneway (and some other manufactorers too I think) actually goes beyond this with both a red button for Off (decelerates the motor to a quick stop) and a bigger red button for an "Emergency Off" (coasts the motor to a slow stop). Seems the opposite of logic - in an emergency, you want the motor to come to a quick stop. Unless I am thinking of the wrong kind of emergency. Any thoughts on that one?

Today's progress update: No word yet if the lathe has actually shipped from Utah but I did go ahead and order the Leeson motor since I will need it to design and build the mounting for it in the cabinet I build. Still holding off on the drive though.