# Birmingham Mill Runs in reverse in low gears



## Plum Creek (Jan 15, 2014)

I needed to use the low gears for a larger end mill and notticed that it spins in the opposite direction to the fwd gear. Is this normal? 
It had a rotary fwd Rev switch on it when I got it, but I put a VFD on it and havent taken the time to sort out the logic and wire it back in. I can easily reverse the machine with the VFD but want to make sure that things are operating correctly. 
Thanks in advance


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## Charley Davidson (Jan 15, 2014)

It's running correct & you have to reverse it with your VFD. Back gears change direction.


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## Starlight Tools (Jan 16, 2014)

+1 on what Charley stated, my BP clone runs the same way, forward for high speed range, reverse for low speed range as there is one extra gear in the works so need to change motor rotation to get correct output direction.

Walter


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## chuckorlando (Jan 16, 2014)

If you aint paying attention it will make you swear your bit aint sharp. "Why wont this thing drill" ahahahahahahahaha Yea I done that


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## Plum Creek (Jan 16, 2014)

Thank you guys so much. Thats good news to me, I couldnt determine from the manual I downloaded. 
This sounds like a good time to reinstall the fwd/rev Rotary and the e stop to the VFD.
Just out of curisoity is does Bridgeport run the same way?


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## Tony Wells (Jan 16, 2014)

Yep. The step pulley as well as the Reeves drive models do operate the same way. Every clone I have run does as well.


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## LEEQ (Jan 17, 2014)

Be sure to add reversing switch in a manner friendly with the vfd. I believe you can use the original switch as a 12v input to the vfd. I don't think there are any vfd's that allow switches between the vfd and motor. Read up on yours and don't forget the qualified helpful guys you might find lurking about the electrical forum. Also use the search as this topic comes up from time totime. I just use my vfd for reverse and speed control on my step pulley, but I sometimes think about this mod. It looks original and would be less button pushing to attain reverse. It would also put an off switch at a lesser reach for me when oh sh&* happened.


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## Charley Davidson (Jan 17, 2014)

LEEQ said:


> Be sure to add reversing switch in a manner friendly with the vfd. I believe you can use the original switch as a 12v input to the vfd. I don't think there are any vfd's that allow switches between the vfd and motor. Read up on yours and don't forget the qualified helpful guys you might find lurking about the electrical forum. Also use the search as this topic comes up from time totime. I just use my vfd for reverse and speed control on my step pulley, but I sometimes think about this mod. It looks original and would be less button pushing to attain reverse. It would also put an off switch at a lesser reach for me when oh sh&* happened.



Thanks for this post, I was gonna post the same thing (sorta) but got too lazy. You can have the switch between the motor & VFD but you can't use it. I need to redo mine with a remote for the VFD before I forget and accidentally use the switch.


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## Plum Creek (Jan 17, 2014)

LEEQ said:


> Be sure to add reversing switch in a manner friendly with the vfd. I believe you can use the original switch as a 12v input to the vfd. I don't think there are any vfd's that allow switches between the vfd and motor. Read up on yours and don't forget the qualified helpful guys you might find lurking about the electrical forum. Also use the search as this topic comes up from time totime. I just use my vfd for reverse and speed control on my step pulley, but I sometimes think about this mod. It looks original and would be less button pushing to attain reverse. It would also put an off switch at a lesser reach for me when oh sh&* happened.



Thanks, I had the logic sorted out when I first installed the VFD but now I am going to have to get back in the book. I also want to add a braking resistor while I am at it. So nows a good time to take care of all three. I loved chuckorlando's comment, becaust I know at some point thats going to be me. I also need to stop using the drawbar nut wrench to rotate the bit when I am eyeballing the endmill location. I get distracted and leave it up there, thank goodness for soft start. Thats going to be an issue in reverse though!


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## barrydc1 (Jan 21, 2014)

chuckorlando said:


> If you aint paying attention it will make you swear your bit aint sharp. "Why wont this thing drill" ahahahahahahahaha Yea I done that



No way, never, have I ever done that! Nor have tried to chamfer the backside of some roundstock in a lathe and wondered why my bit was sooo bad, and realized I had forgotten to turn the lathe in reverse!


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## george wilson (Jan 23, 2014)

I have to reverse my HLVH to quickly run collets in. It starts up so fast,I didn't see it was running in  reverse once. I wondered for a second why the tool would not cut!!


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## bptactical (Jan 29, 2014)

I watched a know it all twerp (secretaries kid) who had been a shop gopher try to fly cut a dirt bike head in reverse.
That was interesting.


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