Lathe Spindle Motor Upgrade

BuildIts FeedMachiningTools

Motor bracket laser cut and bent from .188" steel by SendCutSend:


Crufted NEMA-56-size Clearpath servo motor - integrated motor drive, plugs straight into single or 3-phase mains.



1:1 belt to the spindle:  





Pile of junk being replaced:



Spin-down comparison vs the original motor from 900 RPM:






Comments from Blogger

Anonymous — February 05, 2024 at 05:22 AM
Thank you for sharing :). Cool upgrade!
Tim Blakely — February 10, 2024 at 07:28 PM
Very cool! Lots of inertia in that original Clausing motor apparently... I admit I haven't done much turning beyond your typical tiny 7x10 lathe; beyond precise SFM/leadscrew control, what's the desirability for quick spin-downs?
Ben Katz — February 10, 2024 at 07:46 PM
Yeah, lots of inertia and no brake. It's particularly useful for single point threading - instead of disengaging the half nut at the end of the thread and waiting for the number to come around on the threading dial to re-engage, you can just leave it engaged, stop the spindle, and reverse the spindle back to the start if the thread. Also nice for things like measuring and power tapping
Anonymous — February 12, 2024 at 03:38 PM
Dude, where does one cruft a clear path. V jealous.
TCW — February 17, 2024 at 01:45 PM
Nice Job! are you concerned about loosing out on the low speed torque though?