Mounting Options For a VFD on a Lathe

DanMc77 · Jan 21, 2018

Hello! I recently picked up a South Bend lathe and got a Teco VFD to get 3 phase power.

I need to figure out how I'm going to mount this VFD on the lathe. I have two options, as I see it:

Option 1. Mount the VFD down on the back of the base in a good sealed enclosure, then bring up wires to the top for controls, Stop/Fwd/Rev/Speed.

In the case of the enclosure, I'm trying to find a good reasonably priced enclosure. I have concerns about chips making their way into the enclosure down below since there will need to be ventilation for heat dissipation, which means openings for airflow. The older enclosure with the magnetic relays had a good number of chips in it, and there was evidence of some of those chips occasionally creating some minor fireworks. I have no idea how chips got in there as the old steel enclosure had a good seal.

Option 2. Mount the VFD higher up in the back, above the chuck and to the left. This seems to be a bit more appealing since chips are less likely to end up over there and access to the VFD panel would be right there at eye level. Again, an enclosure would be prudent and in this case, an easily opened door would be good.

In both of these options, I need a good enclosure for the VFD, which is 8"x5" x 6" deep, a Teco N3-202-CS-U. Anybody have any recommendations on a cost effective enclosure for this? One with a clear door seems appealing for a low volume occasional use application like mine.

JST · Jan 21, 2018

Window in the door will cost you $$$ for a NEMA enclosure.

You do not HAVE TO have vents, there should be info on the size needed to operate without vents. But I'd only do that in a grinding room where there is fine conductive dust. You can have vents if they are set up to avoid chips, or have a filter on them.

The manual should suggest minimum size for the enclosure.

Monarchist · Jan 21, 2018

DanMc77 said:
I need to figure out how I'm going to mount this VFD on the lathe. I have two options, as I see it:

Option three.

Check the manual for recommended max distance for load leads and control leads.

Put it in another, cleaner, space that distance or less away from the lathe. You won't need anything special for an enclosure, least of all a window.

DanMc77 · Jan 23, 2018

My current plan is for the lathe to sit in the middle of the room so I have access on all sides. with this configuration, I think I'll be confined to have the VFD mounted on the lathe somewhere.

Alternatively, I could swap the lathe with the workbench and in this case the lathe would be up against a concrete wall and the workbench would be in the middle of the room. That would be a big improvement as far as usage of the workbench, but leaves me with concern about access to back side of the lathe. In this case, I could mount the VFD on the wall.

Monarchist · Jan 23, 2018

DanMc77 said:
My current plan is for the lathe to sit in the middle of the room so I have access on all sides. with this configuration, I think I'll be confined to have the VFD mounted on the lathe somewhere.

Alternatively, I could swap the lathe with the workbench and in this case the lathe would be up against a concrete wall and the workbench would be in the middle of the room. That would be a big improvement as far as usage of the workbench, but leaves me with concern about access to back side of the lathe. In this case, I could mount the VFD on the wall.

Wherever the VFD ends up, by ALL means, put the lathe close to the wall and the BENCH out where you have access from all sides.

Cladding that wall back of the lathe with something reasonably impact-resistant, easy to clean, even sound-deadening - but not a fire-hazard (quite the reverse if you can do) - is another nice-to-have.

Dedicated machinery skates are another plus, but understandably not so easy with a lathe of the sort you have compared to an integral base / 3-point mount 10EE. Mobility IS still possible, though. Others have done it.

DanMc77 · Jan 24, 2018

"Wherever the VFD ends up, by ALL means, put the lathe close to the wall and the BENCH out where you have access from all sides."

If I put the lathe up against the concrete wall, then that will be an easy solution for my VFD mounting question. I can bolt it to the back wall. Considering that it's a concrete foundation wall, it is definitely impact-resistant, sound deadening and not a fire-hazard. I could put a couple coats of paint on it to make it easy to clean. I'll need to leave a little bit of extra clearance because of the taper attachment on the back. That strategy will be a pretty big improvement for my shop since the table saw in the other room routinely ends up being used as my only workbench that has access to all four sides. I will do this.

Four stars to Monarchist!

Mark Rand · Jan 24, 2018

The lathe will be on a cabinet or stand. Put the VFD in there, with control buttons and potentiometer on the front of the cabinet. Neat and simple.

Monarchist · Jan 24, 2018

DanMc77 said:
"Wherever the VFD ends up, by ALL means, put the lathe close to the wall and the BENCH out where you have access from all sides."

If I put the lathe up against the concrete wall, then that will be an easy solution for my VFD mounting question. I can bolt it to the back wall. Considering that it's a concrete foundation wall, it is definitely impact-resistant, sound deadening and not a fire-hazard. I could put a couple coats of paint on it to make it easy to clean.

A few bits of corrugated roofing or melamine-coated MDF would be better. Easier to clean. Easier to change.

Four stars to Monarchist!

"Stars", Hell! KY-Jelly or Astroglide, rather, thanks!

You've NO idea how hard it is to slither through MY shop, dry !!!

tobnpr · Jan 24, 2018

Why do you feel you need an enclosure mounting behind and above the headstock? I just mounted my new Teco there, when I bought the lathe it had a custom heavy steel stand full depth of the horizontal drive. Lined with steel shelving units for tooling against a sheet metal back (same as a coolant shield).

I can't see anything getting to it up there...it's left of where any chips would fly so I'm leaving it exposed.

DanMc77 · Jan 25, 2018

Mark Rand said:
The lathe will be on a cabinet or stand. Put the VFD in there, with control buttons and potentiometer on the front of the cabinet. Neat and simple.

This is a 13" machine, so there is no cabinet or stand below.

Tobnpr: "Why do you feel you need an enclosure mounting behind and above the headstock?"

You're right. Back on the wall, up and to the left of the spindle should be fine with no enclosure.

Monarchist: If you think your shop is a mess, take a look at the shop of a good friend. There is a path to every machine in there. He's close to 70 years old (maybe older) and I can be sure that he knows where every little scrap of junk is under those piles. Hmmmm.... How do I get this thing to put a photo in here? It doesn't show up after uploading.... Strange, I haven't had any problems with photos before.

Monarchist · Jan 25, 2018

DanMc77 said:
Monarchist: If you think your shop is a mess, take a look at the shop of a good friend. There is a path to every machine in there. He's close to 70 years old (maybe older) and I can be sure that he knows where every little scrap of junk is under those piles. Hmmmm.... How do I get this thing to put a photo in here? It doesn't show up after uploading.... Strange, I haven't had any problems with photos before.

70 is in my rear-view mirror for some years already.

Having a "path" in but 2 dimensions is egregious CHEATING, one must utilize all four.

That brands him a neatnik with a compulsive cleanliness OCD. Have a care being around him, it can be transmitted between humans. Not to worry, chaos regains control rapidly.

And I wish TF I was joking....

iwananew10K · Jan 26, 2018

do,put it in a box of some sort.

Dust can fry those things. Anything is better than nothing.

DanMc77 · Jan 26, 2018

Yeah, I suppose he's obsessed by his organization. Organized in his own mind. I have heard that brilliant people always have "messy" desks.

DanMc77 · Jan 26, 2018

iwananew10K said:
do,put it in a box of some sort.

Dust can fry those things. Anything is better than nothing.

Thanks. I'm thinking of a nicely finished small quarter-sawn oak cabinet with a door that has tempered glass. With my old lathe, I would sometimes spin it up fast and put a buffing wheel in the chuck. Behind that machine, the wall was covered in gray dust.

Tony Quiring · Jan 26, 2018

For our SB 14.5 we picked up a used enclosure from local electric motor shop then built a "special frame" that used the existing bolts that hold the machine together to support it under the chip tray.

Used longer bolts so studs were protruding below.

On this frame we made pivot points on the ends to support a foot bar to make a "Stop" bar as ours has the drum switch above and behind chuck.

Under chip tray is a box containing a 20 amp 240 volt light switch as main power with a pot for speed control and meter to indicate relative speed (vfd range)

The drum switch used for logic control to vfd.

A 240 vac pilot added to pilot to indicate main power on.

2 hp motor with 3 hp Allen bradley VFD.

Vfd tucked nicely under chip tray and easy access if needed.

Photos on a thread made when we built it 3 years ago can be searched or we could find them later.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

JST · Jan 26, 2018

DanMc77 said:
Thanks. I'm thinking of a nicely finished small quarter-sawn oak cabinet with a door that has tempered glass. With my old lathe, I would sometimes spin it up fast and put a buffing wheel in the chuck. Behind that machine, the wall was covered in gray dust.

I am just plain allergic to putting electrical stuff in flammable enclosures. If you put the electrical stuff in a proper box first, then OK, but directly in a "quarter sawn oak cabinet"? Nope. Not a wonderful idea.

It probably looks nice in the home shop, but practical, proper, and safe it is not.

jim rozen · Jan 26, 2018

"I am just plain allergic to putting electrical stuff in flammable enclosures..."

A fair cop. Is all the wiring inside your residence, inside of conduit? Most houses, are
what one would call a fammable enclosure!

JST · Jan 26, 2018

jim rozen said:
"I am just plain allergic to putting electrical stuff in flammable enclosures..."

A fair cop. Is all the wiring inside your residence, inside of conduit? Most houses, are
what one would call a fammable enclosure!

if not conduit, it is type MC, and some is old type AC from long ago when the house was built. One area has "Romex", because I did not put type MC actually on the contract for the new bathroom.. I know better now.

A VFD is perhaps a little different from a run of NM cable.

jim rozen · Jan 27, 2018

You can always tell an industrial electrician because his house is wired entirely in conduit with specification grade
wiring devices.

I myself was horrified when I bought 15 amp leviton receptacles (not even the el-cheapo store brand!) and a good number
of them self-destructed in my hand when I torqued the screws up during installation.

Now certainly I should have used a steel enclosure for my drill press VFD but the PVC one from home depot was about ten
times less expensive. PVC burns of course but then the drive is never powered when I'm not around.

Mounting Options For a VFD on a Lathe

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