Help needed - 240v electric

[Puglet1]

I am looking for a good pillar drill. 
I have been offered one which is currently 3 phase but the seller is running it on a WEG VFD. He wants to keep the VFD and is suggesting that I buy a new one. Maybe a cheap Chinese one?

 I have no understanding about electricity . What do you think?

[johny]

keep looking😁

[KevinR]

As Johny, Keep looking.

"Cheap" Chinese stuff is usually a false economy.

With a VFD, you need to know what power you are going to need to provide - A 3 phase pillar drill is likely to have a 1.5Hp (ish) motor, which means you will need a VFD with a higher power output (2KW) to drive it, so not the cheapest.

Then, if you are not competent with electrics, you MUST get an electrician in to wire up the VFD, all adding to the cost.

[ahebron]

I bought a 2nd hand 1/3 hp WEG 3ph motor to run my Southbend Lathe. Original motor was 1ph 1/3 hp
Then I bought a 1.5kw VFD from Aliexpress
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005072919468.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.58.35e81802tcPvcK
I got it running on basic start and stop and speed control.
With the help of Google Translate I managed to get it running forwards and reverse, external speed control and set the motor parameters.
Since the original VFD purchase I have bought from Aliexpress a clear lid enclosure, 10 turn potentiometer and an electronic tachometer for the lathe.
From what I have read with the chinese VFDs get double the motor rating.
I will be mounting the enclosure on the wall above my lathe so I can see that it is behaving and will put the speed control pot with the motor direction switch where it is at present just beside the gearbox easy to reach. The enclosure will be well ventilated but the VFD is going into it because the screw terminals are not covered and there will be various wires about the place.
When dealing with Aliexpress I tend to buy from sellers with the greatest number of sales and good reviews. Over the years I have bought plenty of stuff form the site and it has all been decent gear.
 

 

[Puglet1]

Johny and Kevin R. Good advice thank you. 

I was thinking along those lines but needed reassurance about the ease and efficiency of fitting a VFD.

 I guess I should continue my search for a single phase pillar drill.

Can anyone recommend a good one which isn’t likely to stop whenever it faces a thick chunk of metal?

[Puglet1]

2 minutes ago, ahebron said:

I bought a 2nd hand 1/3 hp WEG 3ph motor to run my Southbend Lathe. Original motor was 1ph 1/3 hp
Then I bought a 1.5kw VFD from Aliexpress
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005072919468.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.58.35e81802tcPvcK
I got it running on basic start and stop and speed control.
With the help of Google Translate I managed to get it running forwards and reverse, external speed control and set the motor parameters.
Since the original VFD purchase I have bought from Aliexpress a clear lid enclosure, 10 turn potentiometer and an electronic tachometer for the lathe.
From what I have read with the chinese VFDs get double the motor rating.
I will be mounting the enclosure on the wall above my lathe so I can see that it is behaving and will put the speed control pot with the motor direction switch where it is at present just beside the gearbox easy to reach. The enclosure will be well ventilated but the VFD is going into it because the screw terminals are not covered and there will be various wires about the place.
When dealing with Aliexpress I tend to buy from sellers with the greatest number of sales and good reviews. Over the years I have bought plenty of stuff form the site and it has all been decent gear.
 

 

ahebron. It looks like you have managed to sort out you lathe which seems to be running similarly to the pillar drill I have been looking at (forward / reverse, speed control etc). Unfortunately the chap selling the drill wants to keep his WEG VFD to fit on his new drill. He paid about £120 for his VFD and is unwilling to part with it.

Thank you for posting!

Pete.

[ahebron]

Have a look at the Bosch PB40 bench drill.
I have used one and was impressed but it might be too small for what you want

[JohnD]

 Clearly there is experience and knowledge here!    I have an old Zyto lathe, which in size is adequate for what I do, but it's run by a cobbled together leather belt drive that won't change  across the various drive pulleys and the traverse, the  cross slide and tool post are all wobbly or only partly functional, from age and wear.     I've been looking to  replace it, but so often potential candidates run off 3-phase.    Which is a better solution; a 3 to single phase converter (inverter?) or replace the motor with a single phase one?   Either would appear to be about the same cost.

John

[PeteH]

Given the option I would go for a single phase motor by and large converters are less overall efficient. My (1946) lathe has the motor drive on the wall above. I binned an old pillar drill some years back motor burned out Replaced with a £50 Aldi offering which has so far exceeded expectations👍

Pete

[Peter Truman]

I have a cheapie GMC pedestal drill I’m happy with it esp as it was a freebie from a club mate who upgraded to a very old totally free standing pedestal drill.

Funny enough the sons Father in law has just been over from Taiwan where he’s VP of a large Eng manufacturing Co who make good quality elect tools for all the major quality makers He said the GMC wasn’t a bad one but we can do better! Here’s hoping

[ahebron]

19 hours ago, JohnD said:

 Clearly there is experience and knowledge here!    I have an old Zyto lathe, which in size is adequate for what I do, but it's run by a cobbled together leather belt drive that won't change  across the various drive pulleys and the traverse, the  cross slide and tool post are all wobbly or only partly functional, from age and wear.     I've been looking to  replace it, but so often potential candidates run off 3-phase.    Which is a better solution; a 3 to single phase converter (inverter?) or replace the motor with a single phase one?   Either would appear to be about the same cost.

John

If you want/need speed control then 3ph motor with a VFD that is 1ph input 3ph output.
Just be aware that VFDs are noisy electrically and audibly.
On my lathe when I had it apart I replaced the (70yr old) leather belt with an inverted ribbed belt as found on cars driving alternators etc
 

[Wagger]

In 1992 I worked for a company who were removing metalworking machinery from schools and colleges in order to sell on to Engineers like me who had big sheds. Loads of us had been made redundant back then.

I replaced 3 phase motors with single phase ones, or fitted phase converters in the premises. The company was G & M Tools in Ashington West Sussex. My son worked for them and has is own business and has some machinery. Check 'The Tool Squirrel' online, but he is at Beaulieu this weekend.

I did work on two CVT type spped systems too.

Variable Frequency control is the new way but SCR controlled hand braces fitted in a cradle are very torquey. Noisey though. Probably 'Hen's Teeth' now.

I have seen motor generator sets for sale in recent years, DC to single phase and Single to 3 phase. Some ar useful for power outages.

[Colin Lindsay]

My Father-in-Law bought me this one a few years back; he bought one for his business at the same time and reckoned they were a bargain. His factory is set up for three phase but he must have decided this was good enough as a straight plug-in model. It's performed very well so far and certainly does everything I need for the cars.

[rogerguzzi]

Hello 

          There a loads on Fleabay it just depends what size you want and how much you want to pay?

Not sure why you would want reverse on a pillar drill? 

Roger

pbx pbxb350dp bench pillar drill | eBay

[Puglet1]

Wagger, rogerguzzi, Colin Lindsay, ahebron, Peter Truman, PeteH, JohnD.

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice on this subject.

 I have read all responses with interest and at this moment I am continuing my search for a single phase pillar drill.

Your support is appreciated.👍

1 hour ago, rogerguzzi said:

Hello 

          There a loads on Fleabay it just depends what size you want and how much you want to pay?

Not sure why you would want reverse on a pillar drill? 

Roger

pbx pbxb350dp bench pillar drill | eBay

Was considering reverse on the drill for the purpose of tapping holes.

[PeteH]

1 hour ago, Puglet1 said:

Wagger, rogerguzzi, Colin Lindsay, ahebron, Peter Truman, PeteH, JohnD.

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice on this subject.

 I have read all responses with interest and at this moment I am continuing my search for a single phase pillar drill.

Your support is appreciated.👍

Was considering reverse on the drill for the purpose of tapping holes.

Can I say, from BITTER experience, that unless you are planning on tapping huge numbers of holes. I would never recomend machine tapping. It is a guarateed way to break taps, however carefull you are, there is a tendency to produce ragged threads, even with the best lubricants and (proper?) machine taps are (or where) far more expensive than the standard comercial/DIY offerings. As an Aprentice and Journeyman. I spent manny (less than) "happy" hours using a spark machine to remove the broken taps from very very expensive forgings, castings and fabrications. Getting a decent outcome is hard, not imposible, to acheive.

Pete

Edited August 31, 2023 by PeteH

[Puglet1]

PeteH.

That’s good to know. From my point of view I thought it might have been a good idea….. I now stand corrected. 
Thank you for your advice.

[68vitesse]

Think reverse would be useful if you had to drill out broken studs, you would need to buy left hand drill bits, the very action of drilling and heat generated will often back the broken stud out.

Regards

Paul.

[rogerguzzi]

2 hours ago, Puglet1 said:

Was considering reverse on the drill for the purpose of tapping holes

Hello as PeteH says not worth the risk!!!  but you could just use it to start them upright by hand in the Drill Press

Roger

[Wagger]

Reversing a pillar drill can result in the chuck unscrewing. I only ever use a pillar drill to start tapping a thread turning it by hand after I have set all square.

[Graham C]

Puglet, have you considered Machine Mart for pillar drills, sometimes they have offers.

Graham

[PeteH]

Machine mart have a simple 5 speed one on offer at present @ 120quid and by the look of it a further reduction to around £108.?

Pete

[JohnD]

My apologies Puglet for crashing your thread!

Yes, I have a MachineMart (Clarke) pillar drill, from the cheap end.  Machine Mart Power Tools and Machinery: Clarke, Dewalt, Makita, Ryobi, Bosch - Machine Mart

Never learnt the need for different speed, but its there!

John

[Puglet1]

Graham C, PeteH.,JohnD.

 I will take a look at machine mart now. JohnD - thanks for the link👍

[GrahamB]

3 hours ago, JohnD said:

Never learnt the need for different speed, but its there!

It is dependent on the peripheral speed of the drill bit in m/sec which should be optimised, and not excessive, for the material being worked.  So high speed for a small drill bit and slow for a large bit.  However, for most of the holes that I drill, I just select the middle speed and keep it at that !