Adding a VFD to my Enco 13x40 lathe
I decided to take the plunge and add a VFD to my Enco 13x40 lathe. The main reason I chose to do so was because there is chatter when I cut threads, which has been attributed to the use of a 2-pole single-phase AC motor on the lath. So I have switched to a 4-pole, 3-phase AC motor. I hope it will work out OK. The maximum speed is higher, so I'm a bit concerned about that. But I can reduce the speed with my VFD, and I can choose an appropriate gear range. So I think it will be fine. I had to make a spindle adapter to adapt my new motor to the old pulley. I may choose to detail that more in the future, but I didn't take any pictures while it was apart, so I'll not tell that part of the story for now. My plan is to have everything work through the standard lathe controls, rather than running everything through the VFD panel controls. I intend to use a potentiometer to control the speed, rather than using the up and down arrows o...