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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default Evaluating a motor for my DIY pottery wheel

    Hi. I recently made a pottery wheel - with much help and advice from people on this forum. I tried first a clutch motor and then a servo motor, both from industrial sewing machines. After a brief learning period I wasn’t happy with either motor, so did some research and it seems the repurposed motor of choice for this usage is one salvaged from a treadmill. A friend gave me this treadmill motor and now I’m wondering if it’s usable.

    Before actually going hands on with this motor I will get it tested for electrical safety by a retired electrician, however I would like to know it’s probably suitable for the job before calling on that particular favour.

    My main concern is that it says on the body 180 volts. Does that work with our 240 volt systems?

    I understand I need to purchase a speed controller.

    Any other comments on suitability.

    Cheers
    Arron
    12B1C8C6-0E74-4100-8FE2-718F996B80E1.jpeg556FE956-13E9-4A1D-A307-D3C8E958158C.jpeg
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Glen Forrest, Western Australia
    Age
    62
    Posts
    531

    Default

    That's a motor out of a treadmill and is DC not AC. It will require a controller to work
    Rick

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,757

    Default

    That looks like a DC motor so it cannot be run from a 240V supply without some sort of a AC-DC converter.

    There are plenty of cheap converters for sale eg on ebay, but be careful.
    Cheap converters are not very efficient and have very little power at low revs, and worse still, in some situations cheap converters can produce a runaway effect which may damage the motor.

    A few years back I had a go at making a budget level converter / speed controller, but was very disappointed with, the lack of power at low revs, and something called motor slippage where adding a load even at higher revs caused the revs to drop substantially by as much as 50%.
    My deliberations on this are described in grimy detail here DC motor performance

    These problems can be overcome using a decent converter/speed controller but these are not usually cheap.
    I'd recommend getting some pro advice on this before buying something that will not turn out to be suitable.

    This probably reflects my comfort/experience with relevant motors but another approach would be to consider using a 240V 3Phase motor with a small Vector drive VFD. This would provide high levels of control not just of the speed but other things as well like a slow controlled start which I imagine would be useful for something like a pottery wheel? Small used 3 phase motors are not expensive and a small vector drive VFD could be purchased for under $100.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Alexandra Vic
    Age
    69
    Posts
    2,810

    Default

    I am reading 4000 RPM on the tag in the first pic, which means that you are going to need a significant reduction ratio to get to a suitable speed for a pottery wheel, and 4A at 180V DC is not going to be an easy source to find. Tag also says FIELD PM (permanent magnet) so the unit cannot be used with AC power like a brushed motor with field windings could be.
    I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,757

    Default

    The AC-DC converter and a speed controller from the same or similar running macihine would work but good luck in getting it to do anything other than the requirements for a running machine. I've tried stripping several controllers out of these machines but there were too many wires and interlocks to chase to make it worthwhile. Your best bet is to find someone who knows already how to do this. Beware of the so called experts on YouTube - there are lots of dangerous Cowboys out there. The last one I looked accidentally connected the motor up in reverse which unscrewed the fly wheel and sent it flying across his workshop.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Conder, ACT
    Age
    77
    Posts
    6,051

    Default

    DISCLAIMER

    No liability is accepted by UBeaut or the Wood Working Forum's administrators
    or moderators for advice offered by members posting replies
    or asking questions regarding electrical work.
    We strongly advise contacting a Licensed Tradeperson for all electrical work.
    WARNING

    Information supplied within posts is not to be considered as detailed formal instructions to complete a task.
    Members following such information do so at their own risk

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    East of Melbourne Aus.
    Age
    72
    Posts
    1,219

    Default

    A lot of pottery wheels can turn both ways I think they have a grub screw to lock the wheel on. Japanese potters turn anti clockways I think. It is much easier to make a pottery wheel with a cone drive than playing with electrics unless you know what you are doing. I looked at mine and I think it only goes up to about 0-200rpm.
    I am learning, slowley.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default

    Ok, thanks for the replies.

    It’s all too hard - I realised that as soon as I read it was DC.

    I’ll dump the motor.

    Cheers
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

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