Can I Use a Router Speed Control on this Moter (Please see photos)?

vtcnc said:
^This reply should be considered first before you dive into the electrical part of the project.^ The size of the motor, rpm needed, etc. is highly dependent on the application. What exactly are you trying to achieve here? There are small buffing wheels and big buffing wheels, the extreme ends of the buffing wheel size spectrum shouldn't even be on the same tool let alone the same motor.

With that said, you have received some sound advice on the electrical side. If you are considering a purchase of a router speed control, why not purchase a cheap tool to run the appropriate size buffing wheel for your application? Harbor Freight may be your best friend in this case.
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VT, this first one is an experiment. I got this juicer for $10.00 at a garage sale. If this works, I will then probably make a heavier duty unit -- for heavier sanding and lapping -- with a router as the motor. My materials need to generally be run with water, for cooling, as one of my plastics will warp with too much heat.

Below is a photo of a benchtop wet lapping machine that I'm trying to replicate or approximate. These are used a lot in the jewelry and rock industry. That sucker costs $550.00. Heck, I can make one for less than $100. I'm really having a lot of fun experimenting and also saving beaucoup bucks.
lnGLoll.jpg
 
Good news the motor has brushes. Did the unit that the motor come out of have push buttons to control the speed? That's another clue that it is a universal motor. The bad news is 150 watts. That translates to about 1/5 hp (750 hp is about 1 hp). That's pretty wimpy. Also, the motor has a fan. which means that it has to run at a certain minimum speed or it will get mighty warm.
 
Do Good, yes, it has a two-speed switch, high and low. We'll see how it works. If not enough torque, I'll explore the router option itself, which would have much higher torque and hp.

Thanks! I'll pick up one of those speed controller things today and see if it works.

Take Care.
 
Update. Bummer. I plug it in and the speed controller had no affect on the speed. On the FULL setting, the motor turns at the regular speed. On the Variable setting, the motor doesn't turn at all, even turned to high. Any thoughts? Any other inexpensive way to slow down a motor like this, if this won't work.

Thanks Again,

IGTY
 
I Gotta Tell Ya said:
Any thoughts? Any other inexpensive way to slow down a motor like this, if this won't work.
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2 pulleys and a belt.

As for the speed control, Harbor Freight has a very high D.O.A rate on electronics (just look at the reviews on this item) so I would test it. See if it has output on the variable setting. If no voltmeter available, plug a lamp (incandescent) into it.
 
Hmm. Are there coils in the rotor( the part that turns) ? If there is, it should be a an universal( why it does not work, I can't you an answer right now). If it doesn't, then it most likely a shade pole. To get the two speed, there are two coils. There should be a third wire (excluding green that is connected to the frame which is ground). A single coil gives it a slow speed ( on some fans the other coil has more turns so it gives you a med speed), both together give you fast speed. One problem with shaded pole motors they have a low start up torque which fine for fans. Universal motors have a high start torque which is good for drills. Other than that either there something wrong with this motor or I'm missing something. Sorry about you buying the speed control, but you will still be able to use it for something. Sorry about being long winded, but I'm trying to keep the explanation as clear a possible.
 
Update #2:

Okay, here's what I found. The company that makes the juicer from which the motor comes is called Juiceman. They make two similar models called The Juiceman and The Juiceman Jr. The more expensive models has two speeds, the Jr. model only single speed. It does not appear that the speed control will work on the two-speed model, but it worked just fine on the single-speed unit. I also tested the unit on a incandescent lamp and it did fade the bulb.

Okay, fine and good. But still some issues.

1) Even turned all the way down on the speed control unit, the motor still turns too fast. It sounds like it's in the 4000-5000 range. I need it much, much slowly, ideally down as low at 1000 rpm. A couple questions: A) Could you run two of these speed control units in series, thereby lowering the rpm even more? 2) Is it possible a higher-quality speed control from a reputable maker would lower rpms more? A router usually runs over 10,000 rpm, doesn't it? How much would a good speed control lower that speed?

2) RPM: Is there an easy, inexpensive way for me to get a reading on how low the rpm is going on this unit? Excuse my ignorance.

3) Below is the specs for the motor used in various models on the market. Should this motor be relatively easy to find online?
Motor specifications
  • Motor type: Permanent magnet DC, rectified for AC use
  • Voltage: 115V (US plug)
  • Maximum rpm: 2,800
  • Minimum rpm: 800
  • Motor torque: 48 oz-in (0.339 N-m)
  • Watts in: 245
  • Watts out: 154
  • Running current: <1A
  • Motor shaft outer diameter: 0.312″ (5/16″) stainless steel
Thank You!
Scott
 
If you are using a permanent magnet dc motor, a good way to lower the speed is with a step down transformer. This has the advantage of maintaining current, and therefore torque. Be careful not to demag the motor field with too much current.
 
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