Running a 110V lathe with 220V + step down converter

[Natti Eder]

Hello woodturners,
I live in Israel (yeh!), new to this hobby and looking to buy my first lathe.
I have an opportunity now to buy a lathe in the states (the prices in the US market are about 60% off the ones here..) and deliver it back home to Israel in almost no shipping costs.
The model i'm interested in is the Delta 46-460, it's a strong (1HP) Midi lathe with generous swing over the bed (12.5"), costs $650.

The problem is of course - the Current, the lath is originally wired for the US electricity network - 11V/60Hz but the current we get out of the power outlets is 220V/50Hz.

Does anyone know if there's a way to operate such a device under these conditions?
I know that a step-down converter is needed, but what a about the current frequency? will it mess up the variable speed controller?

thanks!

 

[Bill Boehme]

I believe that the motor is a DC motor. The electronic controller converts the AC to DC so I think that the difference between 50 Hz and 60 Hz may not be very significant. You would need a heavy duty step up/down power transformer. The little voltage converters for small appliances are not adequate.

 

[Natti Eder]

I believe that the motor is a DC motor. The electronic controller converts the AC to DC so I think that the difference between 50 Hz and 60 Hz may not be very significant. You would need a heavy duty step up/down power transformer. The little voltage converters for small appliances are not adequate.

Thanks Bill,
So what you're saying is that the motor is a DC motor? that can make things less risky.
I might lose 16% of the speed (running it on 50Hz instead of 60hz) but in any case the upper speed range of the lathe is rarely relevant for the regular woodturning, right?

 

[Bill Boehme]

You might not lose any speed. The most important thing would be having a large step-down power transformer that is suitable for this task. That might cost more than the lathe unless you can find a used one. I think that you should consider one that is rated 5 kVA or higher primarily because of the reactive impedance of the motor. Here is the kind of transformer I'm thinking about although it would be preferable to have a 50 Hz transformer: Square D transformer

 

[Natti Eder]

that might be a very valuable comment. Thanks also for the ebay link.

On a different note -
I was expanding my model search, and currently there are 3 optional models, all of them 0.75-1 HP in about 500-650 USD:
- Delta 46-460
- Nova Comet II
- Turncrafter commander 12"

Could you please share me your experience or knowledge about those tools and help me understand if any of these models stands out above others?
The perspective I look for is quality, durability, and operating experience.
This is really hard to make a decision without test driving it!

 

[Bill Boehme]

I have turned on the Delta. It is a very nice machine. I don't have any hands-on experience with the other two lathes, but I have heard lots of good comments about the Nova Comet II. Hopefully somebody familiar with either of those lathes will respond.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I have the Delta and as Bill said it is a very nice machine and that 1hp motor make a difference

 

[Natti Eder]

Update:
Unfortunately the Delta (+G3 Chuck, bed extension and a step down converter) is over my budget, so I boiled down the list into 2 finalist: Nova comet and the turncrafter 12”.
The first one offers a deal of lathe+chuck at 550$, the later offers lathe+extension at 520$ so price seem similar.
Now, what would you choose -
A 3/4 HP lathe from a good brand (nova), or a 1 HP machine from a less known manufacturer??

 

[John Torchick]

I vote for Nova. The Turncrafter looks like a bunch of other lathes with a different paint job and label. Different price, too.

 

[Hy Tran]

Coming very late to this discussion, so I hope my reply is not irrelevant.

I've turned on a (small) turncrafter; I was not impressed--slow to respond to the variable speed control. Adequate for pens, not much more than that.

For a second lathe, I bought a Nova Comet ii. It doesn't have as much power as the Delta midi, but it still is quite good; I've been able to do 10" platters, with only a bit of slowing down if I'm hogging a lot of wood. (It's not a 3hp Robust AB...). The only modification I made was to cut off the screw for the pulley cover and replace with a magnet (you'll find out what I mean if you buy this lathe!).

The deal where it comes with a chuck is a good deal--the chuck is quite good.

 

[Natti Eder]

Coming very late to this discussion, so I hope my reply is not irrelevant.

I've turned on a (small) turncrafter; I was not impressed--slow to respond to the variable speed control. Adequate for pens, not much more than that.

For a second lathe, I bought a Nova Comet ii. It doesn't have as much power as the Delta midi, but it still is quite good; I've been able to do 10" platters, with only a bit of slowing down if I'm hogging a lot of wood. (It's not a 3hp Robust AB...). The only modification I made was to cut off the screw for the pulley cover and replace with a magnet (you'll find out what I mean if you buy this lathe!).

The deal where it comes with a chuck is a good deal--the chuck is quite good.

Thanks for this review Tran!
You'll glad to hear that eventually I've ordered the comet2, yes - the deal which include the G3 chuck, and now waiting for it to arrive to my garage workshop.
Happy turning!