How do you measure lathe speed?

[Tim Leo]

I have a Delta 1440 lathe that has a mechanical variable speed mechanism, and I would like to know how fast the machine is turning. Any ideas for a method to measure the speed?

I thought of using something like an old record player with the stroboscopic effect on a disk, but I couldn't get it to work. I need some new ideas, and figured this would be the place...

thanks

[Robert Cox]

You want a non contact tachometer for that.

Harbor Freight has 2 for $70.

A quick check of the wood sites didn't get results.

[Richard Allen]

Hi Tim

Why do you want to know the speed? Isn't there some sort of indication of the speed on the reves handle? As I recall that lathe has a bottom end speed of to fast and a high end speed of to slow with every speed in between being just right.

You could get a length of fishing line and wind it on a spindle (or bowl) of a known diameter and measure how long it takes to exhaust that length of fishing line. That and a little math should give you a good idea what the speed was.

Basicly if the speed of the piece on the lathe scares you then it is to fast. If you aren;t getting clean cuts with a sharp tool then you are likely turning to slow.

Good Luck

[John Shuk]

Here is an article by Alan Lacer that touches on this subject. Have a read.

http://www.alanlacer.com/articles/speed_zone.html