Equipment/Lathe
| Status | Almost working |
|---|---|
| Origin | ??? |
| Location | Machinery wall of Unit 23 (near Equipment/LaserCutter) |
| Maintainers | mentar,Billy Smith,booyaa |
Mini Lathe
http://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Lathe_Training
The mini-lathe is an example of a widely copied 7x12 lathe that has been manufactured in several versions
See also Equipment/LatheMillCombo for the bigger mill / lathe
Status
?minilathe Status: Almost working. Electrics and motor fixed just needs a cleaning and oiling
Updates
Update 27/11/2012
mentar: Needs service. One of the brushes broke away from the connector, this has now been fixed, the lathe ran without problems for a few minutes. Needs a thorough clean and service
Update 01/11/2012
mentar: Almost working, but don't use yet! The control board need tuning to make sure it supplies the right amount of current to the motor. Found the ACCEL pot placed in a position which the manual specifically says IT SHOULDN'T BE PLACED IN (at the minimum setting). My guess is someone "tweaked" the values, hence the problems. Will read through the manual fully and tune it, hopefully next week. I should note that during one of the test runs the lathe tripped the 3A fuses (which according to the manual limit the motor to a 1/3 HP). I've replaced with a 10A fuse on the plug and a 7A fuse on the control panel (so the motor will go to a max of just under 1 HP)
Update 09/10/2012
mentar: Brushes replaced with the help of Charlie, motor running well without load but when connected to the drive belt spins very slowly. And it's almost like there is some sort of current limiting. Need someone with knowledge of control electronics to take a look.
Update 02/10/2012
mentar: Coils fine, commutator covered in a beefy layer of carbon, one brush almost gone. Replaced the brush with a smaller one from a one of the motors in the "motors" box, cleaned the carbon residue off the commutator and it works, sort off. The speed controller only works for a small range and the speed is constant after about 20%, this could of-course be due to a brush that wasn't meant for it. I'd still advice people against using it just yet, but if someone who has seen it working before the fault can take a look and confirm that it's not behaving properly that would be great.
Update 05/09/2012
Billy has offered to fit the brushes if someone orders the brushes. Expressed concern about the off-centering of the armature, which will probably require the motor to be replaced in the future.
Resources
- Control board manual and tuning instructions
- Schematics for a similar control board
- Link to manufacturer's site
- Replacement board, newer version easily identified by the blue trimpots
