Anyone ever side mounted an external motor on their underdrive lathe??

A VFD, or even a Static Phase Converter is on temporary hold until funds can be appropriated for such, but hopefully the wait isn’t long enough to warrant a full on 3 Phase for Single Phase internal motor swap out.

In the interim money shouldn’t get in the way of fun or experimenting, right?

Anyone ever tried to take off their motor casting side panel and use its two threaded mounting holes to secure a bracket for an external single phase motor??

The image is silly looking, but you get the idea of forgoing the internal motor’s pulley and instead adding a belt from the external motor to the spindle drive pulley.

Its the dumbest idea I’ve had in a while, but sometimes those ideas work..sort of.

Thanks

the concept looks mechanically sound. Should work. Only drawback would be that single phase motors don't typically run as smooth as a three phase motor.

It looks like you would have plenty of room so why not fabricate a mount for the motor on the inside? Why jack with trying to mount it where it is not intended to be?

JMHO

-Ron

MetalCarnage said:

It looks like you would have plenty of room so why not fabricate a mount for the motor on the inside? Why jack with trying to mount it where it is not intended to be?

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The concept illustration doesn’t depict it, so perhaps it's misleading at glance, but the factory 1hp-three phase motor is still installed in the machine meaning there is no room inside for a single phase.

I could pull out the 3 phase, make a mounting plate for a single, and install it internally as it should be, but hopefully I’ll have a VFD for the original motor sooner rather than later, so a full swap out while certainly possible is also impractical.

Granted it’s not exactly what I would call practical to mount one outside of the motor casting either lol, but it’s just kind of for fun and to think outside the motor casting box a little while bidding my time.

Thanks

John Strange said:

the factory 1hp-three phase motor is still installed in the machine meaning there is no room inside for a single phase.
....but it’s just kind of for fun and to think outside the motor casting box a little while bidding my time.

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I don't get it. What is the reason you don't simply remove the extant motor and install your 1ph motor, even if but for a short time?

^^ have to agree. If the wait time isn't short enough to justify removing the 3 phase, just wait until you can run it. If its long enough that its worth fitting a single phase, just fit it where it goes. Its 4 bolts and a few wires.

If you have a heavy ten, run the 3phase motor on single phase. With the flat belt disengaged, connect single phase via the drum switch and use your foot to get it rolling. It won't have much torque, but it'll turn.

And, if you have another 3phase motor lying about, connect that into the circuit too. The SB motor will act as a rotary phase converter, albeit a not very powerful one, to start it and you'll have more torque available at the lathe.

If you're money strapped, a cheap used 3phase motor ($20 with some local looking) sure beats VFDs and even a static phase converter.

Neil

Get the cheapest static converter you can.
Use it for now. Save up for your VFD or whatever.

Later you can use the converter and an old 3PH motor to make your own RPC on the cheap to power the mill you will soon be purchasing..

I put a single phase under my 13 before I knew about VFD's. It took me most of a morning. I can't imagine you could build that rig faster than that.

I agree with those of you that suggest a full swap out of motors would be the way to go, as it's either the right way or it's not, and what I conceptualized is 100% not the right way, obviously.

I should clarify that I don't intend to keep it that way or even use it that way really, or at least not for long. It's just an exercise in "Is it possible?" carried out while the machine sits idle in wait of doing it proper with a VFD.

My aim isn't "I've reinvented the wheel!", it's "Has anyone ever been this bored too?".

The feedback that comes along with thinking or trying or asking about something like this is perfect. It looks at the idea for better or worse, and what more could anyone ask?

I didn't really doubt that it would work at least to some degree. It's a motor and some pulleys, right?

It took me about 5 minutes to remove the cover, clamp a motor to a stand next to the machine, then dig through some old belts until I found a fit.

Impractical? Yep. Unconventional? Sure. A totally ridiculous act of futility? Bingo!

But did it work? It worked.

Thanks