Love of lathes.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Alan D. Yes the brushes on my motor are in constant contact and as you say operating the lever once the motor is running has no effect whatsoever.

I share your views Big Al when it comes to running a lathe in reverse; this is obviously safe if the mandrel has a tapered nose and locking ring but for a straight threaded mandrel I too won't risk it. I can't see a reason I would want to run the lathe in reverse anyway.

I need to resume work on the lathe proper cleaning it and getting it ready for new paint; I can sort the motor out later and I still haven't excluded the idea of installing a top quality Brook 3 phase motor hooking up to a new VFD which would give increased power and variable speed? This brush motor is not standard equipment so I wouldn't be losing anything regarding originality or character and the motor is mounted out of sight. It wouldn't hurt to modernize all the electrics because the starter currently installed is of the old dash-pot style and the old steel conduit looks a mess.

Kind regards, Col.