Quote History Originally Posted By Morgan321:
I’ve seen a few YouTube videos about retrofitting DC motors with pwm speed controllers into machines for lower speed operation. DC motors are very compact for their power, the speed controllers are dirt cheap, and the motors are commonly removed from treadmills.
I had no idea you could get a motor and VFD so cheap, that’s pretty cool.
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Yep, and I looked for other options. There are a ton of similar rigs for sewing machines, but nothing close to that price for just a VFD and motor.
The problem with DC motors is that speed is controlled by lowering the voltage. The lower the voltage, the less torque the motor has. That wouldn't work very well on a bandsaw. PWM would probably be better, but you're still reducing power along with speed. The ratio on my saw is .844:1. To run at 300 inch per minute, the motor needs to turn at 253 RPM. That's pretty slow, but no problem for a VFD.
I was cutting up some 3/8 aluminum bar for a project yesterday. It sure was nice - no burr, and no aluminum flying everywhere.