Lathe Hack and old school tool use.

[Fusion_power]

I was trying to figure out how to reduce the speed on my tablesaw for an ultra thin kerf blade that has to be kept from overheating. The maker recommends speed of 1000 to 1500 RPM. I have 2.5 inch pulleys on both motor and spindle and the motor is rated at 3450 rpm. I calculated that a 1 inch diameter pulley on the motor would drop me down to about 1500 rpm. The problem is that belts don't like 1 inch diameter pulleys, they vibrate and wear out fast. The smallest that can normally be run is about 1 3/4 inch. I looked at step pulleys as one option because they can easily be swapped up or down to vary speed. I also looked at variable speed pulleys that allow changing the separation of the pulley faces. So far, I don't see any really good options that deliver the desired speeds.

The limits I am working with are that the pulley on the spindle has to be less than 3 inches diameter to avoid hitting the table. The pulley on the motor has to be 2 inches or more diameter to avoid excessive belt vibration. I will eventually come up with a way to do this, but it may take some time searching for odd size pulleys and maybe welding a couple of them together to make my own step pulleys.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Fusion_power

I was trying to figure out how to reduce the speed on my tablesaw for an ultra thin kerf blade that has to be kept from overheating. The maker recommends speed of 1000 to 1500 RPM. I have 2.5 inch pulleys on both motor and spindle and the motor is rated at 3450 rpm. I calculated that a 1 inch diameter pulley on the motor would drop me down to about 1500 rpm. The problem is that belts don't like 1 inch diameter pulleys, they vibrate and wear out fast. The smallest that can normally be run is about 1 3/4 inch. I looked at step pulleys as one option because they can easily be swapped up or down to vary speed. I also looked at variable speed pulleys that allow changing the separation of the pulley faces. So far, I don't see any really good options that deliver the desired speeds.

The limits I am working with are that the pulley on the spindle has to be less than 3 inches diameter to avoid hitting the table. The pulley on the motor has to be 2 inches or more diameter to avoid excessive belt vibration. I will eventually come up with a way to do this, but it may take some time searching for odd size pulleys and maybe welding a couple of them together to make my own step pulleys.

To heck with all of that get a VFD.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...vOzQUESVecafOQ

Worth

[dmforcier]

Hmm. The article says that most VFD systems use a 3-phase motor, and implies that not all motors are suitable. Doesn't say what to avoid, though.

If it works with the motor, it would be a neat solution.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

Hmm. The article says that most VFD systems use a 3-phase motor, and implies that not all motors are suitable. Doesn't say what to avoid, though.

If it works with the motor, it would be a neat solution.

One thing that will happen on this type of motor is if it gets slow enough it will kick the starting fields and start capacitor back in again.
That click sound you hear when you hear when one slows down.
Plus they sacrifice HP.
But dropping to 1500 should be a problem.
I call to the manufacture of the VFD should answer the questions.

[Fusion_power]

I'd love to Worth, but I'm cheap. Also, VFD's are mostly used for 3 phase, not single.

[Worth1]

Darrel convert to the ribbed poly V belt pulleys and you can go to one inch on the small one.
I have a one inch drive pulley on my drill press I keep the belt on it most of the time and runs great.

If you do this you will get 1380 RPM on the blade.

I have this same type of belt on my saw too.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...y7O4KzIo-1uRpg


Worth

[Worth1]

Getting tool on center.
There are more ways to do this than you can shake a stick it.
Last night I saw some guy make something that is a reproduction of what used to be sold buy a lathe company.
I was almost talked into making my own and realized all it was was a height gauge.
What this guy did was still use his eyeballs to make his adjustment to make the gauge.
What I did was to put a piece of steel in the lathe and turn it true and measured run out with a dial indicator there isn't any.
Then I measured the diameter.
I set my height gauge on the cross slide and measured the distance between the cross slide to the top of the round piece I had in the lathe.
I then subtracted 1/2 the diameter of that and wrote it down on the lathe with a sharpie in several places.
Turns out it is 3.781 this is dead center of any piece I put in the lathe in relation to the top of the cross slide.
Now all I have to do is set any cutting tool with this height with my gauge and I am on dead center.
Tested it with a parting tool and it works flawlessly.
I have tried everything under the sun to set center and they all involved eyesight in one way or another and parting was hit or miss.
Parting sucks if the tool isn't on dead center.
Now I dont have to struggle with it anymore.
Worth

[Worth1]

Just to see if I could repeat the setting I took out the parting tool set some stuff that was hard to part before put the tool back in set it up and tried tried part and it works great so it is repeatable.
Worth

[loulac]

I can see again that you still use your brain before using your hands quite a good habit to keep...

[Worth1]

Thank you loulac.
Some of these guys are setting up the new type of tool holders thinking they never have to check them again.
They had me sold on it too.
I have found that if you take it out and put it back in again the setting changes by several thousandths of an inch maybe 0.010.
It takes no time at all to set it back up right and I feel like a fool.
Every time I turn around I find a new use for the height gauge.
What a fantastic tool.
Worth

[Fusion_power]

I decided to repair the ruler on my 40 year old craftsman tablesaw a bit more permantly than the original. It had an aluminum strip painted yellow with measurements painted on the yellow. Over the years, it had gotten scuffed and scraped until it was unreadable. I purchased this Westcott 36 inch ruler https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HAREXJO/ and cut it down to a 5/8 inch wide by 29 3/4 inch long strip, sanded the edges smooth on my belt sander, then glued it to the rip fence rail with adhesive. It was an expensive fix at $20, but purchasing a replacement aluminum strip from Sears would have cost $20 and I would have had the same problem again in a few years. This ruler has incised markings that won't scuff off.

My old tablesaw has made more bee equipment over the years than I care to think about. I'd like to think it will still be running 40 years from now.

[Worth1]

Darrel we used to use stuff like this in the shop.
You can get it right left imperil and metric.

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...QvhcIKg&adurl=

[Worth1]

I want to add all of the stuff I have has saved me money.
That is how I ended up with a steering wheel puller.
My car wouldn't pass inspection because some bolts were loose in the inside.
It was going to cost me more to have it fixed than the puller cost.
I cant count how many steering wheels it has pulled since then.
My 30 some odd year old gear puller is now back in use on the lathe.

Worth

[Fusion_power]

Not complaining about your suggeston Worth, but I looked at a dozen similar rulers for tablesaws and rejected them because they all have painted on markings. Paint scuffs off. The ruler I used is stainless steel with incised markings that can't be scuffed off.

[Worth1]

We used this things on all kinds of stuff at work along with the Biesemeyer fences or stops.
I love the lines on a white background we never had any numbers wear off.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...8RHod2DdWW_P2A