Newbie just acquired a Sharp Mill and has some questions

[bnelson1980]

Hi there,

First off I'd like to say that I excited to be a part of the forum and hope I can contribute in some way soon.

I am a total newbie when it comes to machining. I just acquired a Sharp Mill that I am trying to find information on. I don't see any model numbers or anything anywhere. The mill is missing some parts. My goal is to get it up and running and then tear it down and clean it and so on. I'd like to know if anyone can tell me anything about this machine. Is it a Sharp LVM 50 or what? Is there a certain place I should be looking for a model number? What am I missing on the machine? I can tell you right off the bat that I am missing a motor, knee mill crank, drawbar, on/off switch. I think there are a couple other handles I am missing. I just moved the mill into my garage yesterday and haven't had a chance to really start researching everything. I'm going to try to find a manual online and so on. I plan on purchasing a phase converter from American rotary so I can run the mill in my garage. As far as the motor, what should I get? I was thinking of purchasing a 3HP 3-phase because I have heard with the phase converter it will drop the horsepower down a little. Or, should I just go with a 2HP 3 phase?

I really appreciate any help on this. any advice is much appreciated. Things to do and things to stay away from is also what I am looking for tips on.

Thank you!

 

[ACHiPo]

Welcome! Can’t help on the Sharp, but I’m sure someone here can. It’ll be a capable machine when you get her running.

 

[Chipper5783]

As far as the motor - you'll need one that fits. The horse power is not a big deal (2 HP or 3 HP). How is the machine designed for bolting up of the motor? It looks like you have a Reeves style drive - if so is it complete and what are the motor requirements to mate up with that drive. The power drop with a rotary phase converter is minimal (with a static there is a significant reduction in how much power the motor can generate).

Single phase or 3 phase? Perhaps the motor that fits will make that decision for you. So is there any other existing power equipment on the mill - and what power do those other devices require? I mean your table feed and perhaps a coolant pump? If they are 3 phase, then you should probably stay with 3 phase. If the other devices are single phase, then you can easily go either way. If you are intending to have other 3 phase machines - then take the plunge, buy the rotary phase converter and make that a 3 phase machine. 3 phase is extremely common in industrial equipment and it just seems that one machine begats another, then another and so on (I'm up to 8 at the moment with at least a dozen motors).

The knee crank? There are plenty offered on ebay. Check what sort of face spline you mill has (or what ever the drive connection is). I have a Cinci Toolmaster which came to me without the knee crank - it is different than the ones offered on ebay - so ended up modifying/making a replacement.

Of course, you also need a lathe now - to make those missing handles, the draw bar - and for generally anything else that comes along.

Did you get any tooling with that? The tooling can really add up the $$.

 

[MikeInOr]

I would recommend looking at a VFD instead of a phase converter if the head is the only 3ph motor on the mill. Not only will it convert from 1ph to 3ph but it will also give you speed control. A VFD is much smaller and just less hassle all the way around. A 3hp VFD will usually be cheaper than a rotary phase converter.

I built a 10hp rotary phase converter about 20 years ago. I still use it for my 7.5hp radial arm saw. All my other 3ph machines run on VFD's (4 of them). A 7.5hp VFD is getting affordable and I will retire my rotary converter some day. Fractional hp through ~5hp VFD's are usually quite affordable.

2hp should be fine. With a VFD you will get full power out of a 3ph motor... with a rotary converter you will also get near full hp out of a 3ph motor, close enough you will never know the difference.

I don't know anything about Sharp mills. Is that a belt drive head? If so do you have the pulley that went on the motor? Start with the bore diameter in the pulley. 5/8" shaft is a Nema 56 frame motor. 7/8 is 143 or 145 frame.
Take some measurements on the mounting holes for the motor and use this reference to figure out which motor you need: https://www.surpluscenter.com/images/techhelp/nema2.pdf
I think the motor mounts to your mill via a face mount??? Face mount motors are referenced with a C in the frame designation. So a 56C or 143C motor will be a face mount motor.

 

[mikey]

Sharp is still in business and may have a manual. They can also help ID the mill and that will help sort the parts you need. As far as I know, the LMV's all have an R8 spindle. The specific LMV model depends on the table size. Check out the website: http://www.sharp-industries.com/manual-machines/74/3

 

[bnelson1980]

As far as the motor - you'll need one that fits. The horse power is not a big deal (2 HP or 3 HP). How is the machine designed for bolting up of the motor? It looks like you have a Reeves style drive - if so is it complete and what are the motor requirements to mate up with that drive. The power drop with a rotary phase converter is minimal (with a static there is a significant reduction in how much power the motor can generate).

Single phase or 3 phase? Perhaps the motor that fits will make that decision for you. So is there any other existing power equipment on the mill - and what power do those other devices require? I mean your table feed and perhaps a coolant pump? If they are 3 phase, then you should probably stay with 3 phase. If the other devices are single phase, then you can easily go either way. If you are intending to have other 3 phase machines - then take the plunge, buy the rotary phase converter and make that a 3 phase machine. 3 phase is extremely common in industrial equipment and it just seems that one machine begats another, then another and so on (I'm up to 8 at the moment with at least a dozen motors).

The knee crank? There are plenty offered on ebay. Check what sort of face spline you mill has (or what ever the drive connection is). I have a Cinci Toolmaster which came to me without the knee crank - it is different than the ones offered on ebay - so ended up modifying/making a replacement.

Of course, you also need a lathe now - to make those missing handles, the draw bar - and for generally anything else that comes along.

Did you get any tooling with that? The tooling can really add up the $$.

As far as the motor - you'll need one that fits. The horse power is not a big deal (2 HP or 3 HP). How is the machine designed for bolting up of the motor? It looks like you have a Reeves style drive - if so is it complete and what are the motor requirements to mate up with that drive. The power drop with a rotary phase converter is minimal (with a static there is a significant reduction in how much power the motor can generate).

Single phase or 3 phase? Perhaps the motor that fits will make that decision for you. So is there any other existing power equipment on the mill - and what power do those other devices require? I mean your table feed and perhaps a coolant pump? If they are 3 phase, then you should probably stay with 3 phase. If the other devices are single phase, then you can easily go either way. If you are intending to have other 3 phase machines - then take the plunge, buy the rotary phase converter and make that a 3 phase machine. 3 phase is extremely common in industrial equipment and it just seems that one machine begats another, then another and so on (I'm up to 8 at the moment with at least a dozen motors).

The knee crank? There are plenty offered on ebay. Check what sort of face spline you mill has (or what ever the drive connection is). I have a Cinci Toolmaster which came to me without the knee crank - it is different than the ones offered on ebay - so ended up modifying/making a replacement.

Of course, you also need a lathe now - to make those missing handles, the draw bar - and for generally anything else that comes along.

Did you get any tooling with that? The tooling can really add up the $$.

As far as the motor - you'll need one that fits. The horse power is not a big deal (2 HP or 3 HP). How is the machine designed for bolting up of the motor? It looks like you have a Reeves style drive - if so is it complete and what are the motor requirements to mate up with that drive. The power drop with a rotary phase converter is minimal (with a static there is a significant reduction in how much power the motor can generate).

Single phase or 3 phase? Perhaps the motor that fits will make that decision for you. So is there any other existing power equipment on the mill - and what power do those other devices require? I mean your table feed and perhaps a coolant pump? If they are 3 phase, then you should probably stay with 3 phase. If the other devices are single phase, then you can easily go either way. If you are intending to have other 3 phase machines - then take the plunge, buy the rotary phase converter and make that a 3 phase machine. 3 phase is extremely common in industrial equipment and it just seems that one machine begats another, then another and so on (I'm up to 8 at the moment with at least a dozen motors).

The knee crank? There are plenty offered on ebay. Check what sort of face spline you mill has (or what ever the drive connection is). I have a Cinci Toolmaster which came to me without the knee crank - it is different than the ones offered on ebay - so ended up modifying/making a replacement.

Of course, you also need a lathe now - to make those missing handles, the draw bar - and for generally anything else that comes along.

Did you get any tooling with that? The tooling can really add up the $$.

Thank you for the information! I'm on the hunt for a motor now. Below is a picture of the top of the mill where the motor mounts.

As far as additional tooling, here's the story of the mill. My father in law owns a machining business. I have always been fascinated by their capabilities. They have mills, lathes, CNC's waterjets, wire EDM machines and so much more. I recently told my father in law that I was thinking about buying a mill and learning how to machine. My father in law offered me this mill that was sitting in the corner of the building for the past 5 years. They took some parts off of it, buts everything is mostly there. He said if I want learn, the shop could teach me, but he highly recommended that I take this mill, tear it down, clean it, buy parts and put it back together. He said I would learn so much just by doing that. Then I will take a couple days of vacation here and there from my job and go work at the shop and get trained on the mill. Once I am comfortable enough, I can make a couple bucks on the side doing some milling from my garage for him.

As far as additional tools, he said they have a lot of collets and all that around the shop that he can scrape up and give to me. I feel very blessed and fortunate for this opportunity. I don't mind putting in a couple grand on this. I work in an office all day, but I like getting my hands dirty and working on cars, engines and so on.

 

[brino]

I have nothing to add, but stopped by to say:
Welcome to the Hobby Machinist!

-brino

 

[bnelson1980]

Here's a picture of the top of the head where the motor mounts.

 

[Chipper5783]

You are going to need a better step stool to stand on for taking pictures. Does that shop where the FIL works have any other Sharp mills of this model that you can look at? I found a picture of a motor name plate on the internet - it shows as 3 HP, "DESING CNS-C-112". As others have posted above, you may have a "C" face mount. However, there are other face mounting arrangements. Sometimes you can make up an adapter plate to use a motor that is more available (that lathe is going to be very handy to help get the mill going, and for many other tasks).

Good luck with making some $$ on the side.

 

[bnelson1980]

I would recommend looking at a VFD instead of a phase converter if the head is the only 3ph motor on the mill. Not only will it convert from 1ph to 3ph but it will also give you speed control. A VFD is much smaller and just less hassle all the way around. A 3hp VFD will usually be cheaper than a rotary phase converter.

I built a 10hp rotary phase converter about 20 years ago. I still use it for my 7.5hp radial arm saw. All my other 3ph machines run on VFD's (4 of them). A 7.5hp VFD is getting affordable and I will retire my rotary converter some day. Fractional hp through ~5hp VFD's are usually quite affordable.

2hp should be fine. With a VFD you will get full power out of a 3ph motor... with a rotary converter you will also get near full hp out of a 3ph motor, close enough you will never know the difference.

I don't know anything about Sharp mills. Is that a belt drive head? If so do you have the pulley that went on the motor? Start with the bore diameter in the pulley. 5/8" shaft is a Nema 56 frame motor. 7/8 is 143 or 145 frame.
Take some measurements on the mounting holes for the motor and use this reference to figure out which motor you need: https://www.surpluscenter.com/images/techhelp/nema2.pdf
I think the motor mounts to your mill via a face mount??? Face mount motors are referenced with a C in the frame designation. So a 56C or 143C motor will be a face mount motor.

I will look into a VFD as well. I went to the VFDS.com and started searching. The pully that was connected to the motor is gone as well.