Member postings for rich webb

So, I wanted to come back to the forum to add the solution I came to in the end.

First of all, thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions. It really did help me understand the problem and options for a solution, of whic there were clearly a few!

I ended up going with dc31k and ordering a boosting vfd. It arrived from china yesterday and I got it wired in today. It allows me to retain the 2 speed motor, so I can use the switch to go to high and low speed (though I accept that the VFd will also do that, and also the raglan has a nifty system of adjustable pulleys to alter speed, exactly like a CVT type transmission).

Anyway I bought this. https://a.aliexpress.com/_mtJ5IkI

Its labelled as an he200 vfd.

Cost was £61.71 delivered to my home. Instructions were in mandarin, but the seller emailed me a link to English instructions on request.

Easily wired up, and it performs perfectly fine. With the mill set to "high speed" on the switch selector, I do have to give the spindle a quick spin to get it going, otherwise it just buzzes. Once it gets started it accelerates well and has sufficient power for what I need.

Once again, thanks to all for your advice. I'd never have got to this point without your help.

Hi dc31k.

Genuinely didn't know such a thing existed. It strikes me that that would be exactly the thing which I required (and thought I had with my vfd!).

Any reason why I wouldn't go down this route anyone? Seems by far the simplest solution

Hi Chris

You're exactly correct on the labelling of the wires from the motor. I don't have links, but do have a large rotary switch (which I think is the contactor which Pete is referring to). That switch I suspect will change all the connections around internally to achieve what Pete suggests.

So next question, and I'm talking myself into something unwise.

If my motor is wired delta (albeit dahlander delta). Surely what I would need to do is open it up and each wire emerging from the casing will be connected to two coils. I split those coils at that point and add wires, bringing twelve wires out and having access to all windings? Am I being over simplified? My main concern was locating the join points, but if the wires emerging from the casings lead me to them, that may be achievable

Thanks to all for your advice. Very helpful (if not what I wanted to hear!!). Pete Rimmer, I'll post a photo of the connection box tomorrow. I can say there is definitely no connection diagram inside. All there are are 6 posts, labelled as the diagram above.

I think I could just about manage to find a star connection inside a motor, but locating and isolating all the coils is well beyond what I think I could do. Certainly it's a foolish guy who asks for advice and ignores it!!

I'll look at motor replacement, but it's such a tight fit in the mill I think I'd be very lucky to find one which fits, and as Noel says, I have one which is designed for the job, I just need to feed it!

I'll research phase converters. Annoyingly, I can't see that I'll be buying more three phase tools (already have a lathe) so a rotary converter seems like it wouldn't get enough use to justify its considerable cost.

Please excuse the crudeness of the drawings!!

The numbers in the grid indicate the resistance between those points in ohms

Thanks for the message. I did consider that, but The motor lives inside the mill body, and the information I found on the raglan says it's extremely difficult to find an alternative motor which would fit.

Hi all.

Newbie here so please be gentle! I recently picked up a raglan mill from a lovely chap in Yorkshire. The mill is 3 phase and he had been running it on a phase converter.

I assumed (I know!!) That I could just buy a vfd and run it off that, but it hasn't proven to be the case.

The motor itself is a Newman 3 phase. It is connected to the supply via a switch which provides 2 speeds, and an isolation type switch.

I initially connected the VFd to the 3 phase plug, however apart from some humming, no dice.

I've removed the motor, and noted it has 6 wires coming into it's connection box. Every wire has continuity with every other wire, showing either 50 ohms or 90 (ish).

I have now wired the vfd to the speed selection switch, which, when the VFd is powered, spins the motor at different speed depending on the switch position. Great! Problem is that the motor has no torque at all. When the mills belt drive is connected it cannot even overcome that friction and spin the spindle.

I have done some research on 3 phase motors, especially the very helpful guide just below this one, where the author converted his Newman motor from star to delta. Difference is that his Motor has three wires to my six.

Extensive googling has yielded nothing which gives me confidence!! Can anyone point me in the right direction to get this machine running?

Hi Brian

Thanks for the message. I wasn't very clear. I've had my cylinder ground, but the bearing surface on each end of the cylinder is worn, so I need to machine them down to the next standard size. Unfortunately for me the mower has a 30" cylinder, so fitting that into any lathe may be a challenge! I'm not looking for a lathe that big, but it did get me thinking of all the jobs I could use one for! had tried my local men in sheds group, but unfortunately they don't have a lathe big enough. I did see mention of a model engineering group in Aylesbury, so I'll send them a message when the world returns to normal and see if they may be able to help me.

Thanks for the website recommendation. I think I could kill a good few hours on there!

Hi There

I've been looking to pick up a lathe for years now, and the purchase of an old cylinder mower to refurb has given me the impetus to actually get one! Searching around for all things lathe this forum pops up again and again so I thought I'd join.

Any tips or suggestions for lathes would be handy. Currently the ubiquitous myford ml7 seems a fair choice, but I have no experience on finding a good one, or exactly what would make it good! Budget is limited and I'm aware that there is a certain price increase associated with the myford name, so if anyone has anything which may fit the bill do give me a shout!

Thanks all

Rich