A question for the owner of a recent Cowells 90ME lathe

[rolgiati]

My Cowells lathe is almost forty years old, from the days when it was not a 90E or 90ME, but a "10-200A Lathe with Auto-traverse".

I read in the recent 90ME data sheet from the Cowells site that the lathe now comes fitted with double pulleys on both motor and countershaft, giving the lathe two speed ranges.

I think this might be a worthwhile upgrade to my machine, which I could easily machine myself, and in the hope of avoiding tedious calculations, could a kind soul who has such a machine give me the outside diametres, for both speeds, of those pulleys ?

 

[SmithDoor]

I would just use large pulley and use DC motor. A good DC motor and controller will give 60 to 1 speed change .
Best way to size motor is toque at low and high speed.

Dave

My Cowells lathe is almost forty years old, from the days when it was not a 90E or 90ME, but a "10-200A Lathe with Auto-traverse".

I read in the recent 90ME data sheet from the Cowells site that the lathe now comes fitted with double pulleys on both motor and countershaft, giving the lathe two speed ranges.

I think this might be a worthwhile upgrade to my machine, which I could easily machine myself, and in the hope of avoiding tedious calculations, could a kind soul who has such a machine give me the outside diametres, for both speeds, of those pulleys ?

C

 

[rolgiati]

I would just use large pulley and use DC motor. A good DC motor and controller will give 60 to 1 speed change .
Best way to size motor is toque at low and high speed.

Thank you but this does not help me.
I do no want to change the the AC motor for a DC one, but upgrade my setup to the current Cowells configuration.

 

[SmithDoor]

I do not know what there currently using.
I have used this on other lathes and work great.

FYI 60 to 1 gives a speed range 2,000 to 34 rpm

Dave

Thank you but this does not help me.
I do no want to change the the AC motor for a DC one, but upgrade my setup to the current Cowells configuration.

 

[rolgiati]

I do not know what there currently using.
I have used this on other lathes and work great.

Sad to say, your replies do not address the original question, and are to me completely useless...

 

[SmithDoor]

At least I try
Good luck

Sad to say, your replies do not address the original question, and are to me completely useless...

 

[rolgiati]

Gat an answer on the Model Engineer forum, if it can be of use to anyone here.


The driven pulleys on the countershaft: 73.99mm, 57.62mm.
The motor pulleys: 26.59mm, 45.09mm.
These diameter measurements are across the 'top' of the Vee (max. dia.) and are by digital calliper. Access to the motor pulley in situ is a bit awkward, so say give or take 0.02mm.

 

[Gerald Pierce]

Hello,

I purchased my Cowells ME90 about 20 years ago. I took measurements of of the two step reduction pulley on the countershaft.
My measurements are close to you posted to what you posted. The spindle is .5000, (12.7 mm), in diameter, length is 94.75 mm

The motor shaft for the pulleys is about 20 mm length. You could make a new countershaft, however replacing or increasing the length of the motor shaft may be a problem.

My photo shows the belts used, MB 410. These are available from Cowells, I ordered two spares 8 years ago.

Your lathe is countershaft is very different than my ME 90.

If you need additional measurements, let me know.

Gerald Pierce
Fairview, NC USA

 

[rolgiati]

Thank you for the info;
As you say, our setups are very different, mine uses two MB330 belts both from motor to countershaft, and from countershaft to spindle.