Out with the old...

And in with the new!

As in a new (to me) Rockwell DP! Its a Rockwell Drill Press Series Number 15-017, which I know Jack, and a few others here on GJ have.

Found it on CL, listed for $65. no pics (How not to sell anything on CL...)

So I did some Googling on it, and decided to call and see what was what... (That's when I found links to Jack's and several other DP's of the same model)

The Rockwells are well regarded, and it is a US made DP with similar capacities as my 35 YO Taiwanese DP.

Drawbacks: only 4 speeds, vs 16 on the old DP
no lift on the table
non rotating table. (That I will miss)

I went to see it anyway expecting the worst...

I was floored. It's in incredible shape; the rust, what little there is, is light surface rust, the table top is PRISTINE, not a single divot! The guy admitted he's had it for years, (got it for free) and NEVER used it!

Spindle tight, Quill tight, I'm going to guess, the runnout will be low to unnoticeable.

I don't think its been used much at all.

I asked what his best price would be.

"Give me fifty and take it out of here!" (He sounded desperate to get it gone! a few minutes later he said he was glad to see it going ot a home that would appreciate it...)

I shook his hand, sealing the deal, and handed him the cash.

I'd brought a cart and we wheeled it out to the villager (Our 17 YO old van; that van is somewhat like A_Pmech's Transcamaorbird (Sp?) in that it swallows EVERYTHING we put in it (we always laugh when the back hatch actually closes on something we didn't think it would, and it has carried literally TONS of gear and masonry...), and loaded it in (yes the back door closed!)

It will get unloaded tomorrow, but here are some spoiler pics until I can get better ones tomorrow.







And this is what it will replace: looks like all the other import DPs doesn't it? (I bought it new; it was my first major tool acquisition at the time...) Its been worked hard, but I can probably sell it for more than what I paid for this one.





It's deficiencies are the main drawbacks:

Only 4 speeds, vs 16 on the old DP - I have several options: instal an intermediate pulley and get to 16 speeds; Replace the current (small) 1725 RPM motor with a 1050 RPM 1 HP I have, or go whole hog and put in a variable speed Treadmill motor.

no lift on the table. I can build a lift screw, and even use a small reversible gear reduction motor on the screw...


Non rotating table. that is the toughest, so either an X-Y table, or see if I can find a rotating table that fits the post (no, my old DP won't fit, different post diameter...). Short term my "DP Vise" is so heavy (An old semi beat mill vise) I can just let it slide where I need it and clamp it in place if need be.

Nice score, Outlaw.

I passed up an early 30s Craftsman DP at an estate sale due to the high price (175.00) and i'm still kicking myself about it. It was in amazing shape!! I should of gone back the last day and paid 50.00 for it since it would of been a huge upgrade to the DP at my workplace, but i didn't and still have a junky DP to look at.

Hope it works out well for you!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123924&highlight=spring

If you look at post 15 in the above thread you will see how I counterbalanced the table with an airspring.

lg
no neat sig line

Thanks Bigcaddy!

Larry, thanks for the suggestion! I'll check into it, but I'm not sure it would work in my case, as my DP (Mill) vise is pretty massive! 6" wide jaws, better than 4" opening, and nearly 4" tall off the deck. I'd bet the vise alone is over 30 lbs...

Besides I'm looking forward to a powered table raiser, if I can sort that out...


On the other table issue, I may have another option for a rotary table:

I have one I picked up to try to put on a smaller early (late 30's, early 40's) Craftsman DP, and it collar diameter is just slightly larger that the hole n the Rockwell table. I may be able to bore out that hols and simply drop the table into that hole and have a screw to cinch that tight.

Wow that is in great shape and you stole it! Makes my $150 for mine seem expensive! I bought a NOS low speed pulley on ebay for $80, but there is a used one for half that right now: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170880696265

It is easily removed, there is a hex screw just under the pulley that you remove and the pulley slides up off the shaft. Installation of the other pulley is the reverse. Its nice to have options Otherwise, a intermediate pulley on a cam into the end of the DP shaft (I think someone on here did this with a Craftsman DP). You can't move the head up or down with that setup, not that one every really needs to since the table is adjustable.

You will find a little bumpout with a hole on the bottom left hand side of the drill press head. This was originally for mounting the light. Mine doesn't have a light, but is a handy place to put the drill chuck in to hold it when not in use!

Regarding the table, they did have a tilting table as an accessory for these DPs and was Part No 15-800. They also had a production table (larger area) which was 15-850. They also had option for the raising mechanism, Part No 1008 but it was for the production table only. Finally, they also had a counterbalance option for those with non-production tables, part number 1030. Most of these were on the 15" drill presses and not the "Utility" drill presses like ours. As far as I know all parts are interchangeable between the two, as well as some 17" DP parts. See page 22 of the link to the 1963 Delta Brochure for the options, now if I could only find a place that had a bunch of these for sale!

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2688

Owners Manual:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2548

Wiring Diagrams:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2549

Counterbalance Info:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2374

15" Utility (what ours is) Drill Press Brochure:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=1702

15" Drill Press Brochure:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=1699

A helpful place for part if you need something quick (expensive though!):

http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/delta/delta-17.html

Thanks for that info buening!

I got it out of the Van, and started cleanup but I'm waiting for the new rechargeable batteries I got for the camera to finish charging to get better pics...

This one does have the high speed pulley, which actually surprised me, not sure why though... I did some rpm to SFPM for the 29 std fractional sizes and looked at the results I'd get with the High speed, the low speed and with the high speed on the 1050 RPM motor I have on a shelf, and there are gaps in all of the above for commonly drilled materials. Moving it to a 16 speed doesn't improve things a lot after running the same data against my old 16 speed, so I'm strongly leaning towards a Tread mill motor and a digital tach on the spindle. (several ways to skin that cat these days...)


I did chuck up a piece of ground stock in the chuck. Not great runnout, inside the chuck but the spindle and outside of the chuck do indicate very good. I'll give this inside s a good clean and see where we are... I'm nor too troubled as I would prefer to get a 5/8 chuck for this. (Spoiled by my old DP...)

This thing runs real quiet also, which is nice.

Some Maroon had one of the stop thumb wheels on the wrong side of the cast in stop, so I did an R&R to get an added inch of travel on the quill... About 4-1/4" of working travel compared to my old DP's 2-1/4"!

I also got the head up to the top of the post so its not making me bend over to see what is going on (and I'm not particularly tall...); it was down by 6"!

Great find for $50! Subscribed to follow the motor upgrade.

Very nice. A steal for $50!

he stole it! watch out guys, he may be armed!!

I cant wait to see what you do with it, I may be interested in the original motor if you do go a different route with it. the 15-017 I just picked up is missing the motor and motor mount.

also, could you just swap pulleys with the taiwanese model for more speeds?

I have the bench top model of your drill, the preferred method to adjust the drill to table clearance is to move the head instead of the table. The head rides on a key mounted to the column (on bench models), so it always stays centered to the hole in the table. The problem is the the head weighs around 100 lbs and is no fun to lift. I made a counter balance spring assembly using a Mcmaster Carr compression spring, window sash pulley, aircraft cable and pvc tube to keep it in. It was under $20 for it all. It only takes one hand to adjust the head height now. The cable could be ran down through the head case to the table and double the length of spring(s) since your column tube is longer. I used a compression spring, however an extension spring ( garage door) could be used if it is fastened to the base. It is fun to impress friends and family of how strong you are!!

nine4gmc said:

he stole it! watch out guys, he may be armed!!

I cant wait to see what you do with it, I may be interested in the original motor if you do go a different route with it. the 15-017 I just picked up is missing the motor and motor mount.

also, could you just swap pulleys with the taiwanese model for more speeds?

Click to expand...

Thanks guys!

He could be indeed, but that wasn't necessary in this case!

Nothing on the old DP is a fit for this one. My son and I were discussing the possibility (he really thinks I'm downgrading with the loss of the table crank and rotary table...) that we could move the table with it's lift assembly if the tubes were the same, but they are not. The intermediate pulley on the old one is a funky design that uses a sliding plate but the deal breaker is the pulley has different belt spacing...

I have two Treadmill motors to pick from right now, so I'll see where I get with that first. drilling speeds is my #1 priority. until that happens, I can't get rid of the old DP. everything else I can work around...

Here is my base plan currently:

Rockwell Floor press To do:

Speeds, first!
High Speed pulley
680 1250 2400 4600
High Sp w/ 1050 RPM Motor Slower @ 60%:?
408 750 1440 2760
Slow Speed Pulley
470 780 1300 1950
Treadmill motor and RPM counter?
2nd pulley?

Add a light! (inside underneath, there is a spot, or outside, on an articulated elbow (Factory)…
(Powered?) Screw lift for the table (2-3/4" column)
Rotating table? Add to existing, or replace? (2-3/4" column)
5/8" Chuck!

And finally some "upright" pics:

The Head; the only cleanup so far was a quick stab at the chuck, and the top 6" of the post so I could raise the head where it belongs:






And the Table; Not a mark on it! (A virgin!)

It appears yours is a later model like mine based on the rocker switch. Early models had the Run/Stop pushbutton. At least your table has a handle/nut. Mine is just a bolt and nut, meaning I have to use a wrench to loosen and lower the table. My quill lock has a small handle making it easy to quickly lock the quill in place, whereas yours has a bolt. Below is a pic of one on ebay for example:



I too am interested in your motor swap and tach if you plan to go that route. I had thought about picking up a 3ph motor and VFD for mine, but forgot about the treadmill motor.

The one thing that bugs me with mine is the feed handle. I tend to prefer a 3 handle feed instead of 2. I believe Jack Olsen already made that change to his.

I have a similar Rockwell that I bought used 18 years ago. I added a new chuck and fixed the return spring. Mine is now a dedicated mortiser, since I have a newer Delta that has a table lift on it.

Is your chuck a Jacobs 34-33C? If it is, this drill press had shaper attachments available. Very slow rpm for a shaper, but an interesting option.

The Chuck is a Jacobs Multicraft, and marked DC8K33 = No.33 taper

The Owners Manual PDF I have shoes a threaded chuck, so this must have been a production change...

Thats something I haven't done yet is remove my chuck. The manual shows using a wrench to remove a nut on top of the chuck, and then using a brass rod and hammer to get the chuck off the tapered shaft.

Hey I got 1 just like that................................. The 17 year old Villager I mean.

Jacobs 33 is a tapered shank, that also has a threaded collar. You can unscrew the chuck from the taper by using the collar. The collar usually has a hole in it for a pin that's used for the wrench.

Thanks Harvey. So you can either tap it off or essentially twist the chuck off? My chuck has threads but no nut

Try this link: http://www.google.com/imgres?start=...&tbnw=198&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:30,s:201,i:211

The drill chuck is on the left. By turning the collar, you will force the chuck off of the taper. If you don't have the collar, I would try a chuck drift key.

That makes sense! Any idea where one could find a replacement nut?

OK, made some progress today!

The trick to using a treadmill motor for a power tool and getting the desired variable speeds, is controlling the motor. This is my first treadmill conversion (I've been planning on this for a couple of years for other tools as well; This DP made it mandatory to get one done...), so it's a learning experience for me, and I'm trying to document what I'm leaning as I go:

There were three major pieces of the original TM controllers including the user interface panel and associated circuits. That user panel I know was not needed, but I tried to get it all hooked up to "reverse engineer" down to what I actually needed. I was thinking I would need the two small cards ay least and wasn't sure if the tach/counter would be of any use at all.




Before doing that one board had a couple of caps crushed, so I knew that needed repaired.


You can see the replacement caps laying on the board loose, and the crushed cap a bit behind them.



After the repair:



I mocked the whole thing up, and made a temporary power cord for it, and tried plugging it in. The lights came on and it seemed to go through a self check then the main display showed PO" and did nothing, so I did some basic trouble shooting to see where power was going and pretty much concluded it was on the main user interface board.





So I tried figuring out where the bundle of fine control wires went and did. I was able to isolate it to 2 relevant wires for the PWM (Pulse width Modulator that does the actual speed controlling) adn the relay

I tried a couple of things with those and got now where. So is that board bad also? I looked up the significant parts and what they did, (Google search for the part nos..) and back traced the lines and tested what had power and how much. I was expecting the relay (30 A unit) and the transformer to be part of what was needed to make this work.

After an hour of so of screwing around and realizing that the transformer was NOT putting out any where near the voltages needed to run the motor, and I realized the relay was dumping the power directly to the last board, and that there was a separate 3 wire connection that was clearly labeled as motor control... I pulled that board out and looked it over and concluded that it was in fact the motor controller by itself.

I should have gone there first and looked that board over relay close, as it was marked MC-30 and there are MC-60 boards readily available on Eprey and other sources to run these motors.

Basically it's power in, power out, and the three wire connector goes to a pot (10 K worked fine). (Yes, I could have bought one and did plug and play, where’s the fun in that? )

I hooked that up (the pot with test leads…) and plugged it in. Nothing. I cranked the pot to one extreme; still nothing. Then the other way; nothing and I started to set the pot down and BANG! The motor fired up! I should have been expecting that, as I had read that without a mod, they hat to be at one end or he other of the pot, but I wasn’t expecting the pronounced delay…

I turned it down and the motor seemed to turn off, and then catch as it spun down. The flywheel was still on it so it spun down slowly. I played wit hit a was satisfied it would do what I needed. I shut It off, unplugged it and revered the leads. (you are supposed to be able to reverse these motors, but they won’t be quite as efficient) I stood back, and hit it real quick and the flywheel rolled off! I had done that on purpose as I wanted the flywheel off, I did not want the mass there, and reversing the motor was supposed to be a good way to get it off. It was!!!

So here it is in it’s bread board” setup. I need to get a pulley sorted out for it, and I think I can make do with a single pulley, I need to do some more testing and some math to see where I am with this, but it spins REAL FAST at top speed…



The next step after the pulley is the tach. (the stock one is worthless, as it is intended as a speed control, not a tach...)

what type of rpms are you expecting with the DC motor and what kind of torque does it have?

nine4gmc said:

what type of rpms are you expecting with the DC motor and what kind of torque does it have?

Click to expand...

Good question and one I was looking into last night. Not sure for this one yet, but published speeds for similar motors range from 3200 to 4600 on the top end.

Torque on DC class motors is VERY good, We once took two electric erasers, one AC (mine) and one battery powered DC and connected then nose to nose, the DC one could actually reverse the ac motor even given a running start. I was shocked for sure.

These Treadmill motors tend to have HP rating form 1.5 (the one I'm using now) and 2.5, maybe more. The typical motor in a DP is what 1/2 maybe 3/4 HP? Not really even a contest there...

I do need a spindle for a 15-017

I did some testing on the Treadmill motor today and it will spin in excess of 5000 RPM for sure Not sure how much, as the mech tach I used doesn't go that high... it will also spin down to about 200 rpm, reasonably, and has good torque even at that low sped. I loaded the output shaft at that low speed and was not able to bog it down at all.

I'm having less fun working on the gear reduction motor for the powered table lift I want. I have what seems like a good candidate Gear motor, an old Dayton with 4 wires and 2.8 RPM output. Why 4 wire unless its' reversible?

It runs fine with CW rotation using the yellow and black at line voltage and red and blue tied together. Google was not my friend for trying to look this up as the "normal" flip black and red wires does not get me reverse, just a bad sounding groan...


Hopefully someone on GJ knows the proper reversing hookup... (I don't want to continue to play games and burn the thing up..)

OK, I found this diagram and got it going.

Red/blue tied together and line on the other two, gets CCW,

Yellow blue tied together and line on the other two, gets CW,

OK my (much simpler) diagram for the Dayton 4 wire motor using a 3 position (center off) DPDT switch (Now I just need to find the switch. decent switches are a pain to get these days..):

OK making some progress on this DP again. I’ve been sidetracked…

I picked up another treadmill and the motor was an easier fit as it’s an American made motor, and the shafts are 5/8 instead of metric! I used the motor choke and a filter cap from this TM, and used the MC30 I had from the last one.

The box is one I got at a yard sale, a few weeks ago, and almost everything else were parts I have around.

It was a good thing I went into everything, and the connecting wires at the main on/off switch and inside the motor had gotten hard and cracked and were showing bare copper:




I had to start with a way to mount the box for the motor control electronics. He box may seem big, but it will probably at some point in time get a digital tach added indicating the spindle speed. That will make the front panel size seem more appropriate, but the box does get filled fairly well except for the left side.

The Bracket:



The back panel; The square hole is for a three prong receptacle that was salvage from an old power strip. I always knew it would come in handy someday…


Showing the receptacle side, but it goes in from the back…


Like this: Prewired as it sits behind the choke and filter cap…


More to come;

The main box; The transformer looking thing is the choke. The cap was something I’ve not seen in other setups, but since this motor came with it, I left it in the circuit. The MC-30 Motor Control board is at the back left.


The back side of the front panel showing the speed control potentiometer, and the “start switch”. The MC boards won’t start the motor except at full speed so I added a momentary switch to “short” the pot, and that will start the motor at whatever speed it was last set at.


And the front side. One more switch got added later, as I changed my mind on the location of the light switch.


The box mounted, but wiring incomplete.


All wired up including the front panel.



Final look of the front panel the middle switch controls the receptacle on the back, and will control a transformer for the 12V halogen bulb I will mount up inside the housing later. The night light sticking up in back is just a way to test the light switch circuit.


And the Motor in its trial mount. I need to finesse it a bit more, but I could use t if I had to.


Lastly a You Tube vid clip (a little over a minute) with a demo run:


<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LR_6Ch37DrQ?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

great work, and thanks for taking time to write it all up for us!!!

It was late last night when I posted the pics so I didn’t feel up to typing all the rest of my thoughts/plans:
This particular motor is slower than the other one I was planning to use. 3200 RPM vs. 6000+ so top speed isn’t what it might be, but in reality isn’t needed much… I think a 2” pulley, or better still a sheave stack with a 2” starting pulley for the 5/8” motor shaft is in the future; that way I can get slow without grinding on the motor so much. Currently I have a single 3” pulley, and can go from near stopped to about 2400 RPM on the 4” pulley I’m currently running (second from the largest on the spindle sheave) which is higher than I ever ran my old 16 speed DP. The belt isn’t long enough to go onto the 5-1/4” pulley.

While this motor is rated are 3200 RPM, I’m not sure it’s actually limited to that, as the old RPM gauge I’ve been using shows over 4000 RPM…

I also did some voltage testing, and FWIW, under no load, the voltages ranged from a low around 15 VDC, to over 100 VDC. The rating there is again only 90, but I’ve seen motors rating shown dual for 90V and 120, with different HP ratings. Speaking of which this one is rated at 1.7 HP @ 90 V. That higher voltage may explain the apparent higher speeds?

The other nice thing about this motor is that it came with a plastic 4 blade fan for cooling, but the fan is larger than the motor casing, so I need to figure out a shroud for it or it will shred something and self destruct someday… I was at a hardware store yesterday, looking for a smaller diameter fan blade, (it is larger than the OD of the motor case) or something to use as a shroud, and it looked like a 4-6” plastic PVC coupler would do the trick, but the small end is too small. The search continues… I’m not really sure if the fan is needed, unless I use it for long periods of time, but this one doesn’t have a thermal overload switch, so discretion is probably the better part of valor in this case.

This project will be a good “dry run” for when I do the same to my little Clausing V. Mill…

Awesome. I'm bookmarking this thread for my files......I might try something like this one day. Thanks!

i pictured your voice would have sounded more like smokey the bear.
very cool DP mod!

.

Very nice find!

the preferred method to adjust the drill to table clearance is to move the head instead of the table.

Click to expand...

I guess I just never learned the preferred method. In fact, I can't remember seeing typical homeowner DPs designed to raise/lower the head instead of the table. Those DPs with cranks seem usually to move the table up/down instead of the head. I always assumed it would be easier to move the relatively light table rather than the much heavier head. In fact, if the head moves, wouldn't that mean no need for a moveable table? What am I missing here?

jack vines

Resurrecting this old thread, as I'm starting into adding a treadmill motor and controller to my cheap old DP.

Mine uses the MC 60 motor controller, and I found this:

https://ctmprojectsblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/mc-60-control-treadmill-dc-motor-wiring1.jpg

Dead simple!

Out of all the parts in the treadmill, this is all you need to save:



Now to get that flywheel off, find a control box and figure out how to mate the metric MIC motor to my made in USA DP.

When I wire it up, I'll add a DPDT switch between control board and motor for a reverser. Being able to reverse the DP will be great for using left-hand bits.

The odd thing above the MC60 board is a gear motor/linear actuator. It's low-voltage DC, reversible. If I can find a wiring diagram (sure I can) and a longer rack for it... table lift! For a table I can lift with one hand....

I'll have the best $20 drill press in the neighborhood!

@Outlawmws : What did you settle on for a tach? How and where did you mount the sensor and magnet? What pulley arrangement did you use?

Nice that you got an MC60 instead of an MC30 board Timm!

if you get a DP vise of any size on that table, well, they get heavy quick!

If you sort how to bench wire it (I did that before committing to any actual design packaging) and reverse it, the fly wheel should fall off (Watch your toes...)

Do you have the 10K (IIR) pot needed for the variable control? and I had to include a "start" button (momentary switch) to "kick start" it.. the only annoyance.

Beerhippie said:

What did you settle on for a tach?

Click to expand...

My ear and eye, - You can get a tach "gun" as cheap or cheaper than messing with a hard wired tach, and I have not bothered to order one yet. With you doing a lot of SS I'd recommend that. I need to get of my dead ***... The only time I think about it is when I drill big big holes, and that's not as often anymore.

Beerhippie said:

What pulley arrangement did you use?

Click to expand...

I still have have the original single 3” pulley, and can go from near stopped to about 2400 RPM on the 4” pulley I’m running -I've never changed the belt or needed to, it's all done with the controller and motor.

What are the motors specs on yours? you may want more "Slow down" on the thing than me -mine was a lot slower motor than many.

Other useful parts of the Treadmill:

• The Belt - its a decent mat between an upper ot loser toolbox, or tither similar purposes. bench top work mat?
• The "Slide plate" that keeps the walker/runner's weight from sticking the belt to the base: sliding under a car for an oil change
• You already figured out the option for the table tilt to a table lift.
• Some of the harness may be useful for wiring the board to switches and Pots.

I dismembered one TM that was mostly;y aluminum - I think I got about $80 for the aluminum?

Morning, all!

@Outlawmws :

The MC60 is a lot simpler a project starter than any of the others. I lucked out for once. I've already made the simple modification to allow for fine speed control--a simple matter of soldering a cut lead on one resistor (R47) back into place.

I have several choices of potentiometers. These are a couple:



Those are both 10K. I'm hoping to use that nice cast-aluminum enclosure for my controller, but will have to cut the backplate of the board down to fit and the choke would have to be mounted externally. I've been saving that enclosure for years looking for a good project.

These are the parts that are going into the scrap metal bin:



The bracket for the motor mount is still on one of those so I'll be cutting it off this morning--but first I think I'll rig up a bench test. The treadmill was still working just fine when it was given to me--the owner has spinal cord problems and couldn't safely use it. He'll have to buy himself a new coat rack now.

I may cut out some of the longer pieces of steel tubing for future welding projects. The rollers look like something worth saving, but I really need to fight that impulse--I already have one Conex full of "just in case".

I had to go dig the belt out of the dumpster this morning. I have several project tools boxes that need liners, and while this doesn't look as nice as cork or felt, it's perfectly functional and I already own it.

There isn't any speed rating on the motor data plate. It's rated 1.3 hp continuous @ 95VDC, 2.3 hp max. That should hog some steel.

One small concern:



Those fins on the back of the flywheel are the cooling fan. I think, with the open construction of the motor housing and being mounted vertically, it will get plenty of cooling air just by convection. It is over-heat protected, so we'll find out.

I'm tempted to cut the pulley portion of the flywheel off and see if I can salvage the other pulley from the drive roller. . Those big flat belts are very grippy and long-lasting. However, the motor I'm currently using on the DP is also MIC, so there's a chance the sheave stack from it will fit the shaft of the DC motor.

I'm hoping to have this mod up and running by this evening--but I need to get out from in front of this screen and get at it!

Beerhippie said:

Morning, all!

@Outlawmws :

The MC60 is a lot simpler a project starter than any of the others. I lucked out for once. I've already made the simple modification to allow for fine speed control--a simple matter of soldering a cut lead on one resistor (R47) back into place.

I have several choices of potentiometers. These are a couple:



Those are both 10K. I'm hoping to use that nice cast-aluminum enclosure for my controller, but will have to cut the backplate of the board down to fit and the choke would have to be mounted externally. I've been saving that enclosure for years looking for a good project.

These are the parts that are going into the scrap metal bin:



The bracket for the motor mount is still on one of those so I'll be cutting it off this morning--but first I think I'll rig up a bench test. The treadmill was still working just fine when it was given to me--the owner has spinal cord problems and couldn't safely use it. He'll have to buy himself a new coat rack now.

I may cut out some of the longer pieces of steel tubing for future welding projects. The rollers look like something worth saving, but I really need to fight that impulse--I already have one Conex full of "just in case".

I had to go dig the belt out of the dumpster this morning. I have several project tools boxes that need liners, and while this doesn't look as nice as cork or felt, it's perfectly functional and I already own it.

There isn't any speed rating on the motor data plate. It's rated 1.3 hp continuous @ 95VDC, 2.3 hp max. That should hog some steel.

One small concern:



Those fins on the back of the flywheel are the cooling fan. I think, with the open construction of the motor housing and being mounted vertically, it will get plenty of cooling air just by convection. It is over-heat protected, so we'll find out.

I'm tempted to cut the pulley portion of the flywheel off and see if I can salvage the other pulley from the drive roller. . Those big flat belts are very grippy and long-lasting. However, the motor I'm currently using on the DP is also MIC, so there's a chance the sheave stack from it will fit the shaft of the DC motor.

I'm hoping to have this mod up and running by this evening--but I need to get out from in front of this screen and get at it!

Click to expand...

It passed the bench test with flying colors! Low speed, 0.5 on the pot scale, is so slow I could literally count it by eye. Fast looks to be around 2,500-3,000 rpm. Yep, folks, we got us a metal hog! If I can use the sheave stack from the old motor, I'll be able to step up or down depending on what I'm drilling--but, like Outlaw, I've rarely changed the belt settings for much of anything.

To start the motor, I have to turn the pot up to about 2. Then I can turn it down all the way to 0.5, which is as slow as it'll go.



Ours go to eleven!



The control board is sooo close to fitting:



A little file or grinder work and it'll slide right in there.

I'll be cleaning that front panel up and removing most of the label sticker. I'll try to save the numbers around the speed pot. The forward/reverse switch will mount in the hole where the second pot was and the on/off on the lower part of the panel--or visa-versa. The choke will have to sit on top, but that shouldn't be a problem.

There will have to be two 2-conductor cables from the control box to the motor, unless I can find a 4-conductor cable in 12 AWG (the motor is rated for 18A). Of course, I might just use a length on flex conduit and pull wires. That might look better. I have a small electrical box to mount to the bottom of the motor for connections there--remember, this has to not freak out OSHA, so needs to be pretty tidy and as close as possible to NEC.

BTW: To remove the flywheel, I just clamped the exposed ***-end of the motor shaft in a vise and turned the wheel off by hand. It took no effort to break it loose. Not a much fun as doing it Outlaw's way, but a little more controlled. Just remember that it's left-hand threaded.

Great progress Timm!

I like that control pane! cool/retro!

Yeah, knock off a few corners off that card frame and it looks good to go!

Is "2" high speed? if so you can reverse two of the wires so the scale makes sense.

I wanted to be able to keep a speed setting which is why I added the "start button" If its not clear where to do that I can look it up again I think.

If you don't need the start switch (spot for it in the "frequency": hole) maybe use that hole for a light switch? There are some cool LED "ring lights" that give great light 360 degrees around the chuck. IIR they were posted in the vintage DP thread.

It's great your drive pulley fits! I got lucky with motor #2 and it was 5/8", and I had a pulley "out of stock"