Another new lathe

[Bodrighy]

I've seen the new mini lathes that Axminster had brought out but have only just noticed this EEVS 2hp 18" over the bed one Anyone seen it or have any idea what it's like. Price is veering to the upper end.

Pete

 

[TEP]

Hi Pete, never seen this model before, and it looks good. BUT I would be very wary of the DC power. IMO the only way to go variable speed is with 3phase.

 

[boysie39]

Hiya Pete, Yes in my serching I came across this lathe and it would have fit the bill for me because Axminster are very reasonable with their shipping costs. But it had a not available or sold out listing, so I never went any further with it .If I'm not mistaken there was a smaller edition on offer too. REgards Boysie PS things are on hold until next week on that other matter.

 

[duncanh]

It appears to be out of stock and doesn't appear to be in the latest catalogue so they may have stopped selling them.

My only reservation would be does it have a rotating headstock? It isn't mentioned on the page. I know not all lathes have this and it's probably a matter of preference, but I couldn't live without it on mine

 

[NickWelford]

Hi Pete, never seen this model before, and it looks good. BUT I would be very wary of the DC power. IMO the only way to go variable speed is with 3phase.

My Sorby lathe has VS with a DC motor. Admittedly to keep up the torque on seriously large pieces with deep cuts I have to change the belt on the pulleys, but that's very easy and most versatile.

It's good for me.

 

[TEP]

I know the Sorby lathe and it is a good one. I didn't realise that the motor was DC, but I couldn't fault it when I used one. All be it it was only a small piece of wood.

BUT unless you have a selection of pulley speeds I still stand by me saying that 3phase is the only way to go. Unless you wish to change pulleys, and that to me seems to go against the idea of EVS in the first place.

Only my opinion of course, and I am a bit stuck in my ways. (Read old git!) ](*,) :duno:

 

[Bodrighy]

Possibly a daft question but when it comes to electrickery I am a moron. What is the man difference between a DC motor and a 3 phase motor? Why would one be better than the other? All the electricity on the ships I served my time in was DC and all I can remember was that we were warned that it was more dangerous than AC.

Pete

 

[TEP]

Hi Pete.

There are better men than me to explain the difference, but as far as I know, and have been told.

When you lower the speed on a DC motor you also lower the torque on the motor. Basically I think you are lowering the amount of power available to the motor.

On a 3 phase system you run through a inverter and you alter the speed by changing the wave frequency of the power so you still have full power thus full torque at all speeds bar the extreme lowest. Also it allows the 3 phase motor to run at double its normal speed.

This is what I base my opinions on. Although as I said there are better men than me to explain the set up.

 

[NickWelford]

True - I can easily stop the spinning of an item running slowly on my top pulley setting. Not so easy if it is running fast though.
On the lower pulley settings (there are 5) the torque is tremendous.
In reality, I seldom change the pulley over - it encourages me not to take hugh bites at the wood! Top speed is plenty - 3500 revs, IIRC.

 

[boysie39]

Its also another way of getting more money out of you I think.
You either have to buy a transformer or it will be fitted with an Inverter I think its called which will put an other couple of 00 to the price.
By the way Ive come across another lathe exactley the same as that in the picture by Axminster, Its called the Bernardo and its made (or supplied) by a Co. in Germany Maschinen-Wilhelm. So your guess is as good as mine REgards Boysie.

 

[John Peck]

The same lathe is sold in Canada by Busy Bee Tools (www.busybeetools.com) and in the United States by Lagua Tools. Laguna has a video demonstration of the lathe at their web site - http://www.lagunatools.com/lathe.platinum1.htm

 

[John Peck]

Sorry for including web sites in my last post -- didn't mean to offend.

 

[DaveL]

Hi John,

Welcome to the forum.

No need to apologise, you URLs have been caught by our spam trap, this will stop once you have a few more posts to your name.

Here is your post in full:

The same lathe is sold in Canada by Busy Bee Tools (www.busybeetools.com) and in the United States by Lagua Tools. Laguna has a video demonstration of the lathe at their web site - http://www.lagunatools.com/lathe.platinum1.htm

 

[CHJ]

Possibly a daft question but when it comes to electrickery I am a moron. What is the man difference between a DC motor and a 3 phase motor? Why would one be better than the other? All the electricity on the ships I served my time in was DC and all I can remember was that we were warned that it was more dangerous than AC.

Pete

Pete The danger from your ships power was because if you make the circuit you have continuos current flow and you can rarely let go because of muscle spasms clamping onto whatever you caught hold of.

With AC power, due to the fact that the power passes through zero volts as it alternates you tend to get thrown off the contact as your muscles react to the on/off stimulation.

DC/universal series motors (with brushes) loose torque at lower revs due to the reduction in power supplied to slow them down (old style sewing machine motor)

Modern Permanent Magnet and various other hybrid design DC motors can achieve high torque in cars, stepper motors etc. but they do need complex controllers to provide the power feed at optimum in a similar manner to the frequency changing/current/voltage control going on in a 3ph speed controller feeding a 3ph motor from single phase.

(I will probably be shot down in flames for the above but I have tried to explain things in simplistic form)


Have a look at Wiki for starters.

 

[Bodrighy]

Thanks Chas, the loss in power / torque at the lower revs explains the need to change the pulley ratio. That I can understand. It's all theory at the moment as Axminster haven't got one in stock anyway. Maybe a VB6 will come on the market at the same price. :roll:

Pete

 

[CHJ]

........ Maybe a VB6 will come on the market at the same price. :roll:
Pete

If the shed's going with you I think you will need some stronger floor boards :lol:

An interesting insight into what considerations lathe manufactures apply to the design of a new motor can be seen Here for the Nova DVR.

I read Bottom Line as cost of production, or I may just be cynical.

 

[Bodrighy]

Hi Chas,

Reading that from a layman's viewpoint there would seem to be little difference between the AC & DC motors with possibly the DC being better for torque. DC seems to have been the preference for lathe motors for many years because of this. I can't see when this was written mind so it may be out of date by now with new technology. Plus I may be reading it all wrong.
At the moment the only 2 lathes that are on a par price wise (that I can find) seem to be the new Axminster one and the Record CL4 but the Record is 1/2 the horse power and needs a bowl attachment to have any diameter over 12". The only other one is the Fox which has manual variable speed which I want to avoid even though it is 1/2 the price, as I know little or nothing about them.
Working on the premise of getting the biggest and best for future proofing there doesn't seem to be any other lathes in the market apart from these two without jumping over the grand barrier which I daren't do.

Pete

 

[CHJ]

.......Working on the premise of getting the biggest and best for future proofing there doesn't seem to be any other lathes in the market apart from these two without jumping over the grand barrier which I daren't do.

Pete

Pete, in the link that John Peck gave the Laguna branded version specifically says 2HP output (axminster doesn't indicate input/output) and if you consider that is twice as powerful as my machine I don't think you are likely to find it wanting.

The lack of swivel head can be overcome by positioning of the headstock at the right hand end of the bed if you don't want to lean over the bed, suitable shed positioning and perhaps a free standing tool rest if very large diameters are required of course.

It is certainly attractive at that price.

 

[CHJ]

A belated welcome to the forum John, suddenly realised that I have been using your link and referring to you without the courtesy of saying hello.

 

[Bodrighy]

I must admit Chas that it is more attractive than the Record. 2x the power, much heavier and a better speed range.
I don't like working off the side as I find it sets off too much vibration with the off centre freaky wood that I often use. I have an 16" x 12" x9" piece of yew that I am loath to cut down and I daren't try and do anything with it over the side on my CCL even though it's bolted to a 6" thick plank of Iroko with 3" x 3" legs. Not sure the bearings would cope very well either

(Whatever I get I am going to have to do something about my 'shed' tho' having seen Cornucopias set up size isn't a problem it's stability. I should have time and a bit of cash to put something together over the next few months.)

Pete