Variable Speed Controller

[Tom Collins]

HF sells a little black box called a Router Speed Control (Item 43060) that allows you to vary the speed of a router. It is rated at 120 volts and 15 amps and cannot be used with brushless or soft/slow start type motors. Do any of you who are more electrically minded know if this could be used with a lathe? I have a Delta Midi and thought this might be a cheap way to get electronic variable speed.

Thanks for any help you can give

Tom C.

[Rich Souchek]

Tom,
Not eletronically minded but I do know the correct answer, which is no, the router control can not be used as a speed control on the Midi lathe motor. They are not compatable.
Rich S.
(There has been some posting on making the Jet mini and similar lathes varaible speed, but don't remember the details. Might try a direct posting on the subject.)

[Jim Becker]

Rich is correct. You cannot use this type of control with an induction motor. In fact, you could damage the motor trying...

[Burt Alcantara]

If that isn't, what is? Variable Speed Control that is.

I'm guessing, in this case, we may be talking about a new motor. I've got the Nova 1624 and the only thing I "miss" is VS. After using both mustard and mayo in different classes, I've become some what hooked on VS.

Burt

[Bernie Weishapl]

Burt probably the cheapest route would be to buy the DVR XP headstock for your unit. You can upgrade the 1624 with that headstock. A friend of mine put a VS motor on his older Delta which would be what you are wanting to do and if my memory is correct I think it was around $600 to do it. I can't remember for sure but it could have been more.

[David Epperson]

The Router speed controller works with a brush commutated universal wound type motor - similar to a DC motor in the way it works. Voltage equals speed and current equals torque, in a loose way of putting it. Induction motors on the other hand react to Frequency equals speed and voltage/current equaling torque. And while you can control a single phase motor to some extent, in reality a 3 phase wound motor reacts much more favorably to the variable freq controls.

[Dario Octaviano]

Tom (and Burt)

Quickest and least painful way to do this is to sell what you have now and buy a VS lathe.

[Burt Alcantara]

Dario,
Cheapest and least painful way is get VS out of my mind!

Burt

[Tom Collins]

Dario,

Cheapest? Maybe. Least painful? Let me introduce you to SWMBO.........

I'm not actively lusting for vs, its not a big deal to move the belt when needed. I just had the black box laying around and wondered if it might work.

I've not used a vs lathe and maybe if I avoid it I can prevent one more fall into the vortex.

Tom