Hello, am new here, you seem a very knowledgable and helpful bunch! I have owned several lathes going back to the 1970's, mainly Colchester. I am now retired but not tired of 'doing stuff'! Reasonably experienced with 3 phase but not expert with electronics.
I currently own a Harrison lathe but the tiny diameter of the headstock bore (about 17mm?) spoils it for me. The Colchester is about 42mm through the headstock bore, much more useful.
A friend of a friend has this lathe, but no room for it. He obtained it from a local collage apparently working. Not having three phase, only a domestic single phase supply he has used a white plastic electronic 'box' to convert his single phase to power the lathe motor. I don't know much about the 'box' except it starts the lathe very gently and stops it even more gently, read several seconds...
The lathe starts and runs, the gears all work. The clutch disconnect seems to be absent as is the brake (only has constant drive while motor running). I haven't investigated the setup, partly because access is close to impossible with several motorbikes sharing space with the lathe in a very small garage and the fact the seller is being VERY realistic about price. I don't want to spend a lot of time and inconvenience him by investigating the issues, I an not one for spending too much time examining the teeth of gift horses.
I need to be able to have the motor running constantly, using the clutch and brake to stop and start rotation. Over the last 50 odd years of using lathes I have never run one in reverse, I can't see any reason why I might need to start now, so reverse is not a requirement, indeed it's an unwelcome complication.
I only have a single phase, 230Volt, 45Amp, domestic supply to my shed, so I either embrace this 'electronic box' or install a new 3Hp single phase motor and starter/contactor. I don't expect to be machining really heavy cuts nor will it be in constant use. My 1Hp Harrison has a reasonably easy life.
I am expecting to get the lathe home in the next week or so, I am kicking ideas about at the moment but it seems my first task is to figure why the mechanical clutch/brake control is absent and rectify that, then decide whether to stick with the 'electronic box' which may be a zero cost option or replace it with a new single phase motor. I guess I need to know more about the 'electronic box' before making a choice. Soft start and constant running isn't a problem, it's the soft start - soft rundown, which for me at least, on a lathe is unworkable.
If you got this far, many thanks for reading, comments/suggestions are very welcome. I realise I need to ID the white plastic electronic 'box', that is a priority, obviously.
Robert
I currently own a Harrison lathe but the tiny diameter of the headstock bore (about 17mm?) spoils it for me. The Colchester is about 42mm through the headstock bore, much more useful.
A friend of a friend has this lathe, but no room for it. He obtained it from a local collage apparently working. Not having three phase, only a domestic single phase supply he has used a white plastic electronic 'box' to convert his single phase to power the lathe motor. I don't know much about the 'box' except it starts the lathe very gently and stops it even more gently, read several seconds...
The lathe starts and runs, the gears all work. The clutch disconnect seems to be absent as is the brake (only has constant drive while motor running). I haven't investigated the setup, partly because access is close to impossible with several motorbikes sharing space with the lathe in a very small garage and the fact the seller is being VERY realistic about price. I don't want to spend a lot of time and inconvenience him by investigating the issues, I an not one for spending too much time examining the teeth of gift horses.
I need to be able to have the motor running constantly, using the clutch and brake to stop and start rotation. Over the last 50 odd years of using lathes I have never run one in reverse, I can't see any reason why I might need to start now, so reverse is not a requirement, indeed it's an unwelcome complication.
I only have a single phase, 230Volt, 45Amp, domestic supply to my shed, so I either embrace this 'electronic box' or install a new 3Hp single phase motor and starter/contactor. I don't expect to be machining really heavy cuts nor will it be in constant use. My 1Hp Harrison has a reasonably easy life.
I am expecting to get the lathe home in the next week or so, I am kicking ideas about at the moment but it seems my first task is to figure why the mechanical clutch/brake control is absent and rectify that, then decide whether to stick with the 'electronic box' which may be a zero cost option or replace it with a new single phase motor. I guess I need to know more about the 'electronic box' before making a choice. Soft start and constant running isn't a problem, it's the soft start - soft rundown, which for me at least, on a lathe is unworkable.
If you got this far, many thanks for reading, comments/suggestions are very welcome. I realise I need to ID the white plastic electronic 'box', that is a priority, obviously.
Robert