Thread: Variable Speed for Woodfast Lathe

Originally Posted by oreos40

thanks for the clarification. with this kind of rule I find it hard for any of those from there asking electrical questions. reversing motors, repairing motors, replacing capacitors or switches. hmmmmmmm. tough spot..

I still we are better off being informed and informing members about what is possible and what is not so this is why I describe what I do. This gives members more information of if and when they need to talks to an electrician about these things.

Mt impression is that here in Australia not many electricians know about VFDs. The bloke I bought a 3phase powered compressor from last year was an electrician and the reason he was selling was that the new house he was moving to did not have 3Phase. When I asked him if he had ever heard of VFDs he said yes but said he would not want to install one without training?

most of the vfds I am aware of available NEW today have protection built in on almost every facit. Overvoltage, overcurrent, motor shorted, missing conductor, improper brake setup, starting the load to quickly stopping the load to quickly without a brake resistor. And to avoid a reset just set it for coast stop. A bootstrap brake can be used for braking mechanically.

Yep I agree they are extremely forgiving.

It's not easy to find details of deaths by electrocution but in the 1990's a study of DIY injuries and deaths was done by Monash University which provides some details.

During the years 1989 to 1992 there were 44 deaths involving DIY in the state of Victoria.
10 involved electrocution.
Of these,
2 involved welders,
2 involved extension cords,
and the rest involved working with a piece of electrically powered gear.
There does not appear to be any that occurred "while modifying gear" although it is possible that any of the above had been fixed or modified by non-qualified persons

Thanks to all who replied. Everything is a little clearer now.

I think I will invest in a cheap 2hp motor and a cheap VFD. If they blow up, I'll be out of pocket by about $350 and try again. [Before I gave up smoking (110 weeks ago), I used to waste $105 - 115 per week on cigarettes. So, I am in front by a long shot.]

Sure, I can afford a Woodfast or Vicmarc conversion kit ($1500)....but why bother if the cheap stuff does the same job. Their components probably come from China anyway. All I'm after is the convenience of adjusting the speed of the lathe without having to stop the lathe and reposition the belt. Money can be better spent on more tools (toys)

Thanks again,