Elliot Progress 5E drill press conversion

I bought an Elliot Progress 5E drill press for about 10 cents a pound. I'm getting it back together and need advice on Powering it. The original motor was 3 Hp 575v 1725 rpm. I would like to use a 3 Hp 208 3 phase motor and run it with a VFD from 240V single phase. I would like to use this machine for tapping up to about 1 inch.
Do I need to oversize the VFD because of deceleration loads? This machine is heavy it has a 9 speed geared head and has some inertia in the gear train. Most of the time I will use it as a drill press but it would be nice to be able to tap with it.

@ 3hp you can get drives meant for 1 phase input 3 out. YOu may just get a VFD rated for your motor that will give you sufficient breaking and fast enough start up and Rev that you don't need to derate. All depends on VFD.

Al King said:

I bought an Elliot Progress 5E drill press for about 10 cents a pound. I'm getting it back together and need advice on Powering it. The original motor was 3 Hp 575v 1725 rpm. I would like to use a 3 Hp 208 3 phase motor and run it with a VFD from 240V single phase. I would like to use this machine for tapping up to about 1 inch.
Do I need to oversize the VFD because of deceleration loads? This machine is heavy it has a 9 speed geared head and has some inertia in the gear train. Most of the time I will use it as a drill press but it would be nice to be able to tap with it.

Click to expand...

The inertia is trivial vs a lathe of similar HP. Lighter spindle. Lighter powertain. No heavy chuck.

Rapid braking or reversing would be better with 4Q DC, but either way, regardless if AC+VFD or DC & Drive, if I expected to do much tapping, I'd want a Procunier or Tapmatic for the range.

It's what they do.

And more easily as well as better.

One-inch could be challenging, regardless. Decent DP, but NOT really a "heavy". (AB5/S here..)

Did a LOT of 1" to 2" range tapping, back when on-the-clock, but the most of it with an eight-foot ATW radial with a right decent floating tap DRIVER and better-yet, a good clutch.

Part of the challenge is preventing movement of the work, hence the radial and its stout table.

You might find that part more challenging on the Elliot than lack of HP.