Butch Lambert
Active member
I have Hitachi and a Motorola. I think Drives Warehouse in Dallas is good as is Polyspeede . They have been around for ever. Check EBay.
Butch
Butch
Bridgeport mill question?? pics here
- Thread starter skeetlee
- Start date
Lee,
Static Phase converters will give you roughly 75% or less of your rated HP. That causes excessive heat build up at the main motor over time and with some machines, there is no warentee if they're used (not the case here though)
Rotary Phase converters are a better way to go and give right at 100% of the rated HP with very little heat build up to the main motor. I recently installed a 7HP American Rotary Phase Converter on a 3 phase lathe and am quite pleased with it. Very quite and zero issues so far. The machine runs great and start up is perfect.
As far as VFD's go, I've never felt the need to change speeds on the fly with a manuel machine. Maybe, if I tried one I'd change my mind but for now, I'm good as is.
Look close and you'll see the converter on the floor behind the red tool cart, it weighs approx 50Lbs. The control box with a starter is mounted on the wall and the converter and lathe are connected to that via wiring. The cost was $695 and well worth it. Good luck, hope this helps.
Static Phase converters will give you roughly 75% or less of your rated HP. That causes excessive heat build up at the main motor over time and with some machines, there is no warentee if they're used (not the case here though)
Rotary Phase converters are a better way to go and give right at 100% of the rated HP with very little heat build up to the main motor. I recently installed a 7HP American Rotary Phase Converter on a 3 phase lathe and am quite pleased with it. Very quite and zero issues so far. The machine runs great and start up is perfect.
As far as VFD's go, I've never felt the need to change speeds on the fly with a manuel machine. Maybe, if I tried one I'd change my mind but for now, I'm good as is.
Look close and you'll see the converter on the floor behind the red tool cart, it weighs approx 50Lbs. The control box with a starter is mounted on the wall and the converter and lathe are connected to that via wiring. The cost was $695 and well worth it. Good luck, hope this helps.
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I would recommend getting a rotary phase convertor (RPC) control from someone like WNY http://www.wnysupply.com/ and finding a 3 phase motor on craigslist to use with it, this 3 phase motor is called an idler. Through the control box you supply 220 from your box and get out 3 phase that will drive your 3 phase equipment. I recommend getting the control box from WNY as their prices are good as is their customer service. I looked into building a control box from scratch and I am not sure I would have saved any money as buying single quantities of electrical components by the piece is extremely expensive.
I got a re-manufactured 10 hp 3 phase on craisglist for $30, it seems a lot of good functional 3 P motors got for little more than scrap value on craigslist, the controller from WNY was about $270. A weekend of wiring in the shop and we had three phase to the compressor, Lagun Mill and TOS lathe a little sweat and less money than having the power company give it to us.
Just my 2 cents,
wade
I got a re-manufactured 10 hp 3 phase on craisglist for $30, it seems a lot of good functional 3 P motors got for little more than scrap value on craigslist, the controller from WNY was about $270. A weekend of wiring in the shop and we had three phase to the compressor, Lagun Mill and TOS lathe a little sweat and less money than having the power company give it to us.
Just my 2 cents,
wade
Lee I have used rotary phase converters and VFD's.......anybody that reccommends a rotary phase converter over a VFD has probably never used a modern VFD.
I used to have a 3HP 3phase lathe that I ran on a rotary phase converter, when the lathe wasn't being used the noise of the motor on the rotary phase converter was always in the background also when the rotary phase converter was started I could see the lights dim in the workshop.
With a VFD (which I have been using for over 7 years) I have the best of everthing, no background noise, no power surge (lights dimming) the ability to change speed on the fly and virtually no power usage when the machine is idle. Some talk about the robustness of VFD's well Ihave a 2HP VFD that all I do is turn it on and start it, I have done all the machine on and off's with the machine controls, I've even occasionally left that VFD powered on and in the run state with no load for days at a time......this VFD is still running with absolutely no problem 7 years after buying it.
My first VFD was originally bought to run a lathe, now I use one on a lathe, drill press, Bridgeport, cylindrical grinder, compressor, and T&C grinder, 3phase machines are more common and also cheaper to buy due to the lack of 3phase supply to most households and home workshops.
I had a friend who converted his 3HP 3phase lathe to single phase after running my lathe he wishes he had just installed a VFD........Ian
I used to have a 3HP 3phase lathe that I ran on a rotary phase converter, when the lathe wasn't being used the noise of the motor on the rotary phase converter was always in the background also when the rotary phase converter was started I could see the lights dim in the workshop.
With a VFD (which I have been using for over 7 years) I have the best of everthing, no background noise, no power surge (lights dimming) the ability to change speed on the fly and virtually no power usage when the machine is idle. Some talk about the robustness of VFD's well Ihave a 2HP VFD that all I do is turn it on and start it, I have done all the machine on and off's with the machine controls, I've even occasionally left that VFD powered on and in the run state with no load for days at a time......this VFD is still running with absolutely no problem 7 years after buying it.
My first VFD was originally bought to run a lathe, now I use one on a lathe, drill press, Bridgeport, cylindrical grinder, compressor, and T&C grinder, 3phase machines are more common and also cheaper to buy due to the lack of 3phase supply to most households and home workshops.
I had a friend who converted his 3HP 3phase lathe to single phase after running my lathe he wishes he had just installed a VFD........Ian
Butch Lambert
Active member
Another thing to remember besides the instant speed control with a VFD, You can put a few dollars[$20] into an extra resistor pack and have instant braking. Real nice to have at times.
Butch
Butch