I have a Shop Fox W1758 Lathe.
http://toolsandmore.us/index.asp?Pag...OD&ProdID=2564
(This is similar/knock off of Grizzley and Jet models with variable speed adjustment.)
Started off with low speed of 600 rpm, but now the lowest speed has worked up to 1000 rpm.
I am at the point where the excitement of trying to rough down bowl blanks into cylinders is a bit too high for me - need to slow things down. (I recently learned that my table of supplies must be moved further out of the line of fire...although, if you need to clean the table off in a hurry... )
This model has a lever that adjusts the speed - but the motor must be turning to make the adjustment. My guess is that there is a conical wheel or something that moves up/down against a drive wheel when the lever is moved. The small end of the cone would have smaller diameter, and force the drive wheel to turn faster - and the larger end of the cone would have larger diameter for slower speeds.
If this concept is correct, then maybe I would just need way to increase the size of the cone - or the drive wheel?
Anyone done this before, or know what would be required to bring the speed down?
BTW - a new lathe is not yet an option.