VFD Who uses them?

Mark Williams

Mark Williams

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Three phase motors are a dime a dozen at my local junkyard. Actually a 5hp for $25 or less. Brand spankin new.

What's a good price for a VFD?
 
I don't Mark. The cost of the phase converters is too high. If anyone has plans for a good low cost converter.....it would be great. It shouldn't be too hard to make from another motor, I just haven't looked into the idea.
 
Mark,There is a company in Winston-Salem that makes a great controler.It gives you speed control and three phase.I'll look it up in my papers from the last show.It was not cheap,but was affordable.Came in sizes fron 1 to 10HP.
SA
 
Thanks stacy. I could probably make my own if I had a good set of schematics. But sometimes it's just easier due to time constraints to bite the bullet.
 
Well, heres my advise....make one for me ;)

Like you said...bite teh bullet. I saw a damn near new 3 phase motor for 10 bucks at a 2nd hand store. I asked around and was told...."that aint no good for home"...

BUT - if you could find out how hard it is to make a converter we may be onto something!! ;)
 
Looks like chinese to me....... I'll have to print that stuff!
 
Shoot , That looks like a piece of cake.

No kidding. Looks like less than an hour build time. If I'd known it was that simple, I'd have done it long ago!

I see no reason you can't make one converter and run it to a bus so you can use a number of different motors (one at a time).
You might want to grab that new motor, make the converter and then start collecting motors for machines :)
 
I use the VFD and love it,, I can crank the RPM's up and down too.

peter nap said:
Here's a start Mark. I haven't had time to really go over it but will shortly.

http://www.metalwebnews.com/howto/ph-conv/ph-conv.html
Click to expand...

that is a good one.
I didn't read it all but it should boil down to this.


if you can get 3PH motors cheap a rotary converter is easy to make.
the rotary converter is just a self start(on 220) 3 ph motor basically.
the more 3 ph motors in line the truer the 3 ph you'll get from 220.
the 3 ph motor will create the 3PH to the next motor.

on your first 3 ph motor (now a converter) you just have to get it turning, say using a 110 motor if you want, the next motor is hooked up in parallel to the first 3 ph converter you just made..that's the basics of it.
 
Mark, if you can build it - do it! I had the same situation, piles of good 3 phase motors being sold at scrap prices at the local steel yards, I built a rotory phase converter about 11 years ago and never looked back. I have managed to get a 7.5 H.P. for $21 and it still had the manufacturing tags on the leads, it had never been hooked up to anything :D

Those rotory converters are surprisingly efficient. I can run my welder, the 7.5 H.P. converter, a 5 H.P. motor, a 3 H.P. motor, and a couple of smaller blowers, all at the same time on a 50 Amp circuit! I don't know how I get away with that, but I just shut my mouth and go with it ;)
 
I'm there man. looks like what Don said would be ideal. Just run a dedicated wiring curcuit around the shop with 3 phase recepticals and put corresponding plugs on everything and , Viola'! peanut butter sandwiches :)


Edited because Chuck Burrows said he didnt want to be partners with anyone who spells "Viola" "wala" :p
 
Mark, if you can build it

I can't imagine anyone NOT being able to build one Kevin. This is one of the millions of things that I haven't looked into building because.... :o I'm too lazy to look into it. Gotta try it now.

Good thread Mark !!!!! ;)

If there is enough interest, maybe we should get a sticky put up while a few of us build them :confused:
 
You know what's cool is that the idler only needs a little start to get going. I like the idea of a lawn mower pull rope. Just bolt the rope assembly either on the motor or on the side or a box that the motor is mounted in.
 
For those not wishing to build their own controllers, you can buy them at any number of places. Here's one that has good prices. In fact, you can get a motor, and control from them for the price of a DC controller itself.

http://www.dealerselectric.com/
 
White Christmas my foot....I'm dreaming of a 7.5 HP boring machine (Home built of course)
 
even if you can't get used motors a 1 hp 3ph motor brand new is like $89.00
the toque is better also in 3 ph

for starting that way just put a 2 shiv pulley on it and notch it out for the rope..
 
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