I have a lathe I rebuilt from an old combo machine. Northern tool #143352. I only have the lathe portion working as I plan to get a stand alone mill. My question is about the lathe motor though. It is 3/4 HP and uses a belt system to adjust the speed. ~600 RPM to about ~1800 RPM. Some material requires a slower speed though so I was wondering if I could use a variac like the one in this photo.
http://www.weisd.com/store2/PHI48-1205.jpg
Will it cause any undue stress to the motor? Has anyone else ever done anything like this to achieve slower speeds? How would it affect the torque if at all?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
http://www.weisd.com/store2/PHI48-1205.jpg
Will it cause any undue stress to the motor? Has anyone else ever done anything like this to achieve slower speeds? How would it affect the torque if at all?
Thanks for any help you can provide.