I've got the mill, now what?!!

papakeith · Post by **papakeith** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:48 am

I picked up an older milling machine for a total cost of $0 this weekend. Now that I have it I need to get it up and running.

The only sticking point I have is that the motor is a 3 phase motor. My house/garage/barns aren't wired for 3 phase. What are my alternatives to get this beast up and running?

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:52 am

papakeith wrote:What are my alternatives to get this beast up and running?

CJ! This one's for YOU!!

dons · Post by **dons** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:07 am

Yeah, I would like to know the answer to that too. Some sort of electronic controller, single phase motor / 3 phase generator combo, or just a new motor ?

hngrflyr · Post by **hngrflyr** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:17 am

How many amps does the motor draw? I have an AC inverter that will convert single phase to three phase, that I could be persuaded to part with. The maximum output is 8 amps. It comes complete with hook-up instructions and operation manual.

Bob Severns

papakeith · Post by **papakeith** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:56 am

cjensen wrote:CJ! This one's for YOU!!

yup, that's who I'm trying to fish for here! We talked about it breifly some time ago. Now that I actually have the mill it's time to get a plan and act on it.

Bob, I have no idea of the amp draw. it's a pretty large motor though.

Here's a picture:

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 12:01 pm

You can get a static or a dynamic phase converter but they ain't cheap. Some people use another 3 phase motor hooked up on singe phase. Kick it to get it started and use the third wire to generate the third phase for your mill. (Poor mans phase converter) This is not a perfect three phase source but it works. You would have to derate your motor's horsepower a little bit as well.

If this is a 480 volt motor, you will also need a transformer to boost the voltage and three phase transformers ain't cheap either.

Look on the motor for a stamped data plate that should list it's voltage and current requirements.

Here is a link to some good example and a diagram of how to get it connected. This one even has a self starting rotary motor...
http://www.metalwebnews.com/howto/ph-conv/ph-conv.html

prestwich · Post by **prestwich** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:37 pm

It might take a bit of work, but I've always thought this conversion to DC was a sweet solution to the problem:

http://www.truetex.com/dcdrv.htm

papakeith · Post by **papakeith** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:09 pm

hmmm I wonder if a treadmill motor would have enough oomphf?

jim_geo · Post by **jim_geo** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:23 pm

How about just find some different motors.

hngrflyr · Post by **hngrflyr** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:51 pm

A milling machine motor needs the capacity to run both directions. Three phase motors do that easily with simple switching. Many single phase motors can only run one direction.

Bob Severns

aparchment · Post by **aparchment** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:58 pm

PK you've been duped! That's not a milling machine -- it's a cake mixer!

jim_geo · Post by **jim_geo** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:01 am

I didn't know that.

prestwich · Post by **prestwich** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:45 am

I'm not a machinist, but I didn't know that a mill needed to run in reverse, either. I know our old manual Bridgeport has the FWD/REV switch, but I've only ever used reverse for low gear, which goes through a transmission and still turns the spindle clockwise. I don't think the CNC "EZ-trak" even has a reverse option. I know the machining center can do rigid tapping and needs to be able to back out the tap, but I'm curious about when else you'd need for the spindle to turn CCW.

papakeith · Post by **papakeith** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:31 am

Cake mixer?! So that's why the spindle spun in such a wide arc. I thought that was odd

Oh yeah, besides the mill I also picked up a hydraulic Greenlee knockout set, and a roper whitney punch set. Go ahead guess how much. . . .

hngrflyr · Post by **hngrflyr** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:29 am

I was a machinist for thirty years in connection with my many other duties before retirement.
Not all cutters are right hand rotation. There are cases where turning the opposite direction is a better option. When you speak of CNC equipment, CNC machining centers can perform jobs that cannot even be done on manual machines. Many jobs that are routine for these machining centers would have been done by hand by highly skilled pattern makers just a few years ago.

Bob Severns

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:45 pm

Piece O' Cake!

We can whip up some ghetto fabrication and get this 3 phase unit spooling up in no time... regardless of direction of rotation!

That is one HELLUVA cake mixer!

CJ

TomNativeNewYorker · Post by **TomNativeNewYorker** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:01 am

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF?PM ... &PMCTLG=00

colt45 · Post by **colt45** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:11 pm

If you dont have it running yet. I would suggest a Variable frequency drive.
Much cheaper and you will have variable speed to boot. I use a Teco fm50 on my 1 hp mill.

Tim

svanarts · Post by **svanarts** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:07 pm

colt45 wrote:If you dont have it running yet. I would suggest a Variable frequency drive.
Much cheaper and you will have variable speed to boot. I use a Teco fm50 on my 1 hp mill.

Tim

to Rivetbangers Tim!

Who incidentally is not a bot.

Post by **Spike** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:50 pm

Uh oh, did I accidentally whack him in a request to join? If so, I apologize for that.

RivetBangers.com

I've got the mill, now what?!!

I've got the mill, now what?!!

Re: I've got the mill, now what?!!

Re: I've got the mill, now what?!!

no way!