Victor 1630 lathe

H

hkcarbine

Guest
Need help. I'm purchasing a Victor 1630 lathe, older model and the owner says the motor says 5.5HP. The new models are listed at 7.5HP. If anyone could advise if 5.5HP is right I would be most appreciative. Need to buy phase converter, could save a few hundred bucks if lower horsepower. I found one company who says their converters will start and run a 10HP motor when their unit is rated at 10HP. I've always been told to buy twice the rating of motor to be run. Comments and education please!

Roger Q.
 
For a static or rotary converter you need to get the rated amount only. If you use a VFD most of the new ones will handle the HP of your lathe. I prefer the VFD as it will also give you variable speed and a host of other features.
I would suggest that you go to the practical machinest forum http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/transformers-phase-converters-and-11.html
Hopefully this link will work. Do a little research before you take the jump.
Butch
 
Butch Lambert said:
For a static or rotary converter you need to get the rated amount only. If you use a VFD most of the new ones will handle the HP of your lathe. I prefer the VFD as it will also give you variable speed and a host of other features.
I would suggest that you go to the practical machinest forum http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/transformers-phase-converters-and-11.html
Hopefully this link will work. Do a little research before you take the jump.
Butch
Click to expand...

That's correct. If you buy a rotary converter or static converter, it's rated for the load motor HP.

If, however, one builds a rotary converter, the rule for high inertia loads, like a lathe, is to use an idler motor of at least twice the load motor HP, 2.5 times is better. The hardest situation for the converter is the current surge required to start and accelerate the lathe with the heaviest chuck when set for the highest spindle speed.

Rotary converters are dirt simple, inexpensive to build, don't require rewiring the lathe/mill, and are about as reliable as gravity. Get a used 3ph motor of 2 to 2.5 times the load motor HP with good bearings, saw the shaft off it, then follow one of the several plans on the Practical Machinist converter forum. Three commonly used plans are here:

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showpost.php?p=334984&postcount=22

Fitch
 
Victor 1630

Thank you gentlemen. What I need to know is if anyone is aware of the older 1630 having a 5.5Hp motor versus new modesl with 7.5 hp. Maybe someone could look at the plate on their older Victor.

Roger Q.
 
Butch Lambert said:
Fitch,
The new VFDs will handle the rated power. You don't have to buy one that is double rated.
Butch
Click to expand...

That has always been the case with VFD's. They were designed and rated from day one to handle the name plate hp of the load motor.

There were some issues with the early ones related to load transients like plug reversing a lathe (which a converter does just fine) and some folks used a bigger one to compensate. But for most purposes they were rated for the full HP steady state as long as they were mounted so they could be kept cool.

But we are getting away from the topic here.

Fitch
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top