Remember when you were the new guy? New guy's progress and circuit breaker size question.

twooldvolvos

twooldvolvos

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Thanks to all the members who replied to my posts with my newbie questions. Your experience is very helpful. I know that I have been very slow in my progress but I have limited time and am probably overly cautious. I might note that I am enjoying the journey, reading the "How to Run a Lathe" book and finally understanding what some of the tools my father left me are for.

So, I have become comfortable enough with the lathe to finally turn it on. I wheeled it over to the only 220 outlet I had in my basement and got ready to plug it in. But alas, the male plug on the lathe did not match the female outlet where my dryer is plugged in.

Now I have decided it is time to make room for the final resting place for my lathe and to run a proper circuit breaker dedicated to the lathe. The picture where you see my drill press is where I intend to put it. An advantage of this location is that it is close to my breaker box so I will have easy access to the power.

I am wondering if any of you could recommend what amperage of a 220V breaker I should use? The motor is a Reliance 3 phase 1/2 horse power. I will be using a WNY Phase Converter & Supply model SC01 to convert it to run off of 220V household power. I have tried multiple times to get this info from the phase converter company but have not received a reply from them.

Thanks for your input.

TwoOldVolvos

P.S.

You might notice on the lathe picture that I have installed the Aloris tool holder that I purchasedIMG_2761.JPGIMG_2762.JPGIMG_2763.JPGIMG_2764.JPG with the lathe. I needed to get a proper T nut that fit my compound. I purchased one from Rich Brown (330.723.2890) that fit nicely. I also had to run a 9/16 18 die over the T nut end of the stud to repair some damaged threads. Now to find a few more tool holders. I have only the AXA-1 at the moment. I didn't realize how expensive some of the tooling can be.
 
You are on your way. Nice lathe and drill press!!
 
Did you do a motor swap? The plug you showed is a single phase 240 volt plug so I'm a little confused.
Anyhow, with a simple static phase converter you will only get 2/3 the motor power so about 1/3 HP or about 3 amps at 240 volts. You would probably want a 5 amp breaker. A lathe that size should probably have at least a 3/4 HP motor though, 1/3 HP is underpowered
-Mark
 
Your phase converter should have a data plate on it. Take a photo of that and post it, as it would help.
 
Don't worry about being quick with this, you'll enjoy the hobby for a long time and there's no reason to rush anything.

If it were me I'd replace the plug on your lathe with a modern L15-20P and install the corresponding outlet.

Amazon.com: NEMA L15-20P Locking Plug : Industrial & Scientific

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The outlet should be wired to a 20 amp 220 volt breaker like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Q220-20-Amp-...5752&s=hi&sprefix=20+amp+cir,tools,202&sr=1-8

The cord can wire directly into the phase converter but you may want to have a cutoff switch in line for convenience and so you don't end up having to unplug it or use the breaker to power it off. I have one of these on my Seneca Falls and it reminds me to power everything down when I'm done as well as being a backup emergency switch.


Don't be afraid to ask more questions if you need to, we were all where you are now (except maybe with not as nice a lathe)
Your father would be proud....

John
 
markba633csi said:
Did you do a motor swap? The plug you showed is a single phase 240 volt plug so I'm a little confused.
Anyhow, with a simple static phase converter you will only get 2/3 the motor power so about 1/3 HP or about 3 amps at 240 volts. You would probably want a 5 amp breaker. A lathe that size should probably have at least a 3/4 HP motor though, 1/3 HP is underpowered
-Mark
Click to expand...

Mark, As you can see I am not knowledgeable about the power requirements of my lathe. I purchased the lathe with the motor and phase converter already installed. The seller plugged it in and it seemed to run fine. The details of the setup are:

The converter info is:
Brand: WNY Phase Converter & Supply
Model: SC01
Serial#: AD07A
H.P. Rating: 1/4 - 1
Voltage 230

The electric motor it will be powering info is:
Brand: Reliance
Type: P
FR: L56
PH: 3
HP: 1/2
HZ: 60
RPM: 1725
Volts: 230/460
AMPS: 2.2/1.1
AMB: 40
Time Rating: Continuous
INS Class: A
CODE: N
S.F: 1.25
S/N: P56G402N-CY

I assumed that I could plug into any 220V outlet. The female receptacle in my picture was from my cloths dryer. The male plug I showed was from my lathe converter. Am I wrong? Thanks for your help.
 
twooldvolvos said:
Mark, As you can see I am not knowledgeable about the power requirements of my lathe. I purchased the lathe with the motor and phase converter already installed. The seller plugged it in and it seemed to run fine. The details of the setup are:

The converter info is:
Brand: WNY Phase Converter & Supply
Model: SC01
Serial#: AD07A
H.P. Rating: 1/4 - 1
Voltage 230

The electric motor it will be powering info is:
Brand: Reliance
Type: P
FR: L56
PH: 3
HP: 1/2
HZ: 60
RPM: 1725
Volts: 230/460
AMPS: 2.2/1.1
AMB: 40
Time Rating: Continuous
INS Class: A
CODE: N
S.F: 1.25
S/N: P56G402N-CY

I assumed that I could plug into any 220V outlet. The female receptacle in my picture was from my cloths dryer. The male plug I showed was from my lathe converter. Am I wrong? Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

No, you're right. You can just change either the plug our the outlet and it should be fine, I just suggested upgrading the plug if you're wiring a new circuit but that's optional. I didn't realize the phase converter was already installed, you may want to ensure it was done correctly but most likely it's fine if it was in use before. 20 amps is about the smallest 220v single phase circuit normally used, it will provide sufficient protection for your application.

John
 
Ah I understand now- yes just change the plug and you should be good to go. Current draw somewhere in the range of 3-5 amps is my best guess
As john said, a 20 amp breaker may be the smallest you can find locally, 10 would be good if you can find one
-Mark
 
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