Lathe Motors??

[Mosey]

I have a South Bend 10K, with an old 1/2 hp motor. I also have a very nice heavy duty GE 1/2 hp motor not being used. It is 208-220/440, and I'm on 120vac most places in the shop. I do have some 220 outlets for larger hp motors, like table saw, 220v Swiss mill, etc., but not close to lathe.
Question is, can the 220v motor somehow be wired to 120v without a lot of trouble, or do I have to add another 220v outlet? (will cost as much for the electrician as a new motor) As you can see, I don't know much about power wiring ???.

 

[Tin Falcon]

I would say it depends on the motor. I have seen water pumps designed to be wired for 220 or 110 as is the motor on my grizzly sander.
A local motor repair shop should be able to tell you if it can be wired for 110 as likely a good industrial electrician.

Re reading your post if it is labeled for 220/440 it will probably not do 110/120
Tin

 

[kvom]

You can get a boost transformer, which might be simplest. Wiring a new outlet is pretty simple unless you need to demolish a wall or something.

 

[chucketn]

Why not convert it to dc variable speed with a 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hp treadmill motor and controller? I have picked up several from the local Freecycle groups.
I have one such configuration running my X2 mill with 2 1/2 hp.

Chuck in E. TN

 

[crab]

208 440? Might be a 3ph motor.If so you will need 3ph wiring or a converter or vid.
Crab

 

[Stan]

Crab has it right. 120 volt is single phase and 208 or 440 are 3 phase. It might be a good motor for a 10K if you buy a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive). For 1/2 HP you can get one that will convert 120 single phase to 220 3 phase.

 

[Swede]

Are 208 V motors always three phase? I thought these voltages were nominal, meaning if a motor is labeled 115V, it'll run fine on anything from 110 to 120V. Mains voltages vary from place to place and apparently have gone up over the years. Most home outlets are now 120V, it seems, rather than 110 or 115.

If it has a big run capacitor on the outside, that's a good sign that it's one phase, but lack of a capacitor doesn't necessarily mean that it's three phase. Most motor wiring covers have a diagram on them, and sometimes, the wiring itself is labeled. If the wires are printed T1, T2, T3 or similar, it's three phase. If you've got a simple pair of wires, it's going to be one phase, but it might be 220V or 110V.

I am a huge fan of VFD's which have gotten cheaper and easier to use... Variable Frequency Drive. If I'm ever faced with a machine tool motor refit, I'll use a VFD and an appropriate three-phase motor. The torque even at low RPM's exceeded my expectations, and I love being able to dial RPM. But this can be pricey. Not the motors, which can be bought surplus very cheaply, but the VFD's.

Anyway, rewiring an outlet for 240V isn't too bad so long as there is a 240V line in the wall. You may want to investigate it a bit more. Good luck.

 

[Stan]

Are 208 V motors always three phase? I thought these voltages were nominal, meaning if a motor is labeled 115V, it'll run fine on anything from 110 to 120V. Mains voltages vary from place to place and apparently have gone up over the years. Most home outlets are now 120V, it seems, rather than 110 or 115.

To answer your question. Yes any motor marked 208 will be three phase. Over the last century domestic voltages in North America have slowly crept up. Originally 110/220 to 115/230 to the now standard of 120/240. On old motors, you can expect to find any of these numbers. A variance of 10% is usually accepted as OK for motors, assuming that the motor is not on continuous duty at max load.

Three phase has been, and still is, distributed in a wide variety of voltages.

 

[el gringo]

I agree with Chuck in Tenn;
I have a 'thrift shop' 1 1/2 horse and controller running my 9x36 South Bend. It replaced the 2 hp 'thrift shop' motor and controller. I didn't protect the controller properly and chips entered and fried. Keep some kind of fan on the motor for cooling. Due to rotation problems I used a small pancake type.
Ray M