steam4ian
Elder Statesman
One good turn deserves another
Posts: 2,069
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Post by steam4ian on Sept 16, 2014 13:27:18 GMT
Deeja
You must have friends in the electrical industry; hang on, I am in the industry. Cost 3 phase service from supplier (assuming your street has it) $200+ 3 phase meter $400 New switchboard $1000 Sub circuit cable allow 30 metres $300 3 phase socket outlet $300
Total $2200. In Oz you can get a decent lathe for that, not a Bantam admittedly, see Hare & Forbes catalogue.
I can assure you variable speed is hard to do without once you are used to it.
If Sean gets a new motor as well as a VSD he will have change out of $500. His only problem will be the suds pump.
One thing I do recommend with a VSD is to put large computer CPU fan on the back of the motor to keep up the cooling at low speed.
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Post by Roger on Sept 16, 2014 13:48:04 GMT
One thing I do recommend with a VSD is to put large computer CPU fan on the back of the motor to keep up the cooling at low speed. This is good advice. As for the suds pump, there are very cheap single phase ones on ebay. Just watch out that the pump reaches the bottom of the tank. I bought a tank and pump together and the pump was miles from the bottom! What's that all about??
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Post by ejparrott on Sept 16, 2014 16:14:18 GMT
Its quite common, stops it dragging up sediment from the bottom of the tank
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2014 16:25:57 GMT
Its quite common, stops it dragging up sediment from the bottom of the tank -----------adding a simple U-tube and strainer would have the same effect as well.
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Post by Roger on Sept 16, 2014 16:33:31 GMT
Well, mine had about 60mm of daylight under it which is just crazy. I've got a weir back from the machine and a gauze so there's virtually no sediment in the tank. Using oil I wouldn't expect much anyway. Needless to say I've extended the pump and it's much better for it. When you use oil, it takes longer to find it's way back to the tank so you need a bigger capacity than when using suds.
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uuu
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Post by uuu on Sept 16, 2014 16:41:48 GMT
Must be different on your side of the world, mega bucks to have 3-phase installed to a home in the UK! And if you have a power cut it's pot-luck if the electricity supplier's contractor connects two phases of the emergency generator round the wrong way and all your stuff runs backwards! Wilf
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bhk
Part of the e-furniture
Posts: 458
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Post by bhk on Sept 16, 2014 18:18:58 GMT
Safe to say If I think a step up inverter is expensive getting 3 phase installed will really blow the budget.
I need the machine to arrive before I can contribute much more to the thread as I need to see what switch gear is on the machine and if it's got coils what voltage. I really want to maintain the start stop lever on the apron.
The suds pump I'm not to worried about a single phase one is cheep enough and I can probably sell the one fitted back to second hand machinery dealer .
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Post by Roger on Sept 16, 2014 18:27:04 GMT
I expect the start/stop lever makes a microswitch but I don't know that make of machine. The Warco has a handle on the apron that you lift for one directions and lower for the other. I think there are just two microswitches. If yours is like that, they can be used to control the VFD directly. You'll still need an Emergency Stop switch but that's a separate issue.
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Post by springcrocus on Sept 16, 2014 21:32:45 GMT
Well, mine had about 60mm of daylight under it which is just crazy. I've got a weir back from the machine and a gauze so there's virtually no sediment in the tank. Using oil I wouldn't expect much anyway. Needless to say I've extended the pump and it's much better for it. When you use oil, it takes longer to find it's way back to the tank so you need a bigger capacity than when using suds. Back in the days when I had my factory, we had the same problem. Rather than change the pump, or modify it, we just poured two inches of concrete into the tank and let it set. At the same time, we tilted it half an inch to give a downwards slope away from the pump. Most of the rubbish collected at this low point. Cheap and effective and fairly easy to clean out . Steve
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Deeja
Seasoned Member
Posts: 131
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Post by Deeja on Sept 18, 2014 4:19:32 GMT
steam4ian, It did not cost me anywhere near $2200. I required an extra 3ph isolator/CB on the existing main switchboard (about $80), the cable to the garage (about $300) and an another 3ph isolator/CB on the existing garage sub-board (~$80). Hard wired via junction box direct to lathe - no need for 3ph plug and socket. I do not remember having to buy extra meters, but may be so now in Sth.Oz.
And by having 3ph, able to balance/share phases for the household: 1 for kitchen, 1 for house power, the other for a/c (recently installed) and lights. So for example if the kitchen blows a CB/fuse the rest of the house power is OK.
Deeja
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bhk
Part of the e-furniture
Posts: 458
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Post by bhk on Sept 18, 2014 6:12:50 GMT
So the lathe has arrived and I'll move it into the workshop tomorrow. As I'm not staying at this rental for very long it will only be temporally placed in amongst the building supplies accumulating for the house we bought. I think I'm going to go single phase on the motor for now, though I'll jump up to a 3hp motor to make up for the loss in grunt. It's the cheapest option and for now one I can live with. I'll keep the original motor until such time I can afford a step up inverter. There are just other things I would rather spend the money on for now. I also found this video of a colchester converted to a 2hp single phase, it still goes well and has plenty of grunt. m.youtube.com/watch?v=z7fATHNuzeQThanks for the contributions so far, pictures to follow tomorrow Cheers Sean
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dfh
Hi-poster
Posts: 197
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Post by dfh on Sept 18, 2014 9:08:39 GMT
steam4ian, It did not cost me anywhere near $2200. I required an extra 3ph isolator/CB on the existing main switchboard (about $80), the cable to the garage (about $300) and an another 3ph isolator/CB on the existing garage sub-board (~$80). Hard wired via junction box direct to lathe - no need for 3ph plug and socket. I do not remember having to buy extra meters, but may be so now in Sth.Oz. And by having 3ph, able to balance/share phases for the household: 1 for kitchen, 1 for house power, the other for a/c (recently installed) and lights. So for example if the kitchen blows a CB/fuse the rest of the house power is OK. Deeja So did you already have 3ph cable to your house/property David
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steam4ian
Elder Statesman
One good turn deserves another
Posts: 2,069
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Post by steam4ian on Sept 18, 2014 12:50:11 GMT
Deeja
It sounds very much like you already had a 3 phase supply to your house, unusual but not impossible. Consider yourself lucky. Back in days of yore many houses had 2 phase supplies with the cooker connected over two phases.
Nowadays residential services are single phase unless there is a very large air-conditioner. Cookers tend to be fed single phase from a 32 amps sub-circuit.
It is most unlikely Sean has a 3 phase supply hence I stand by my costing.
Ian
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Post by ejparrott on Sept 18, 2014 17:05:05 GMT
Very very very VERY few domestic residences in the UK have 3-phase electric, mega bucks to install. I could buy a new invertor ever 10 years for both of my machines for the rest of my life, and still have change from a 3-phase install.
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Post by Roger on Sept 18, 2014 17:11:13 GMT
I think it's academic whatever the cost of 3-phase is for a domestic property, it's an inflexible single speed system whereas a VFD costs less even with a new motor. It's no contest in my opinion.
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Post by andyhigham on Sept 18, 2014 18:03:03 GMT
For not much more than the cost of a single phase motor, you can buy a 230v/400v 3phase motor and a VFD
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bhk
Part of the e-furniture
Posts: 458
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Post by bhk on Sept 19, 2014 9:05:09 GMT
So here it is! Picked it up from the dealers, was concerned about towing with my old Audi, but she performed perfectly. It's just of the trailer and down on the concrete, I do find it amazing that the lifting point is so well balanced, I can even imagine the maths that went into designing that Started to spruce here up a bit, cleaning varnish of parts that have never been used! The condition of the lathe is a lot better than I had ever hopped for, it really has done almost no work. The spindle nose is in wonderful condition, backlash is like new, the cross slide still shows its original machining marks. There had been some corrosion on the bed at some point which had left done staining but no I'll effect to the bed . I'm really feeling lucky to find such a machine that will last me the rest if life if I look after her...and yep its a her , maybe it's working away at sea but every bit of machinery I care about its a her.
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Post by Roger on Sept 19, 2014 9:28:53 GMT
That's a real gem, what a nice capable and tidy machine. As you say, that's you fixed for life now. I'm really pleased for you, it's a great outcome.
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uuu
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Post by uuu on Sept 19, 2014 10:47:14 GMT
That looks really good.
Wilf
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Post by andyhigham on Sept 19, 2014 14:50:57 GMT
I remember using a Bantam at college. A real lathe (unlike the lathes beginning with M)
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