¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

ctrl + shift + ? for shortcuts
© 2025 Groups.io
  1. Atlas-Craftsman
  2. Messages
Single Messages Topics Expanded Polls

Re: Tachometer for 12" Atlas

 

And your machines are much happier, too. ?The Atlas was designed for less than 1 HP, and there are lots of parts - the back gears, the bull gear lock pin, etc. - that could easily be broken by too much power.


-----Original Message-----
From: Andrei <calciu1@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Feb 14, 2019 4:50 pm
Subject: Re: [atlas-craftsman IO] Tachometer for 12" Atlas

He mentioned 3hp. I am happy with 1hp for my machines

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Ralph Hulslander <rhulslander@...>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2019 4:05:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [atlas-craftsman IO] Tachometer for 12" Atlas
?
Why 3hp? Besides that is what treadmill motors are.

I doubt these lathes and mills need much more hp than what they were designed?for.

One might be throwing money at things that don't really need it.

Of course I upgrade both my mill and my 14" Delta bandsaw with a 3/4 hp BLDC motor.

I will also do my 12x36 Craftsman lathe.

Ralph

On Thu, Feb 14, 2019 at 3:26 PM Andrei <calciu1@...> wrote:
do you mind doing a show and tell on the 3Hp motor conversion? I have been thinking of getting a DC motor for my lathe and for the horizontal milling machine i have.?
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of ncwonline@... <ncwonline@...>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2019 3:11 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [atlas-craftsman IO] Tachometer for 12" Atlas
?
Just had a look at the ELS link and saw this >> Spindle Optical Sensor.

Would that not do what you need if you go with the ELS?

If you are going that route, ELS, why not also upgrade to a larger DC motor? I have converted my Bridgeport mill and my craftsman 12" lathe to 3 HP DC motors using ether LEESON & Pacific scientific motors from treadmills. These are full on commercial treadmill motors not the usual plastic junk treadmill motors.

For speed control I am using KB electronics units. These can be wired into a control unit that can output PWM style signal and thus might be controlled by a ELS style control unit.

I have had my lathe re-powered with the 3 hp pacific scientific motor and KB controller for about 6 months and it is the single best mod you can ever do to your atlas/craftsman lathe. I simply love love love it.

If I were to do that now though, I would look into a 3 phase motor and VFD control instead of the DC. I think if you could score a good used 3 phase motor and use a new VFD it would be affordable.

~

Join [email protected] to automatically receive all group messages.