Is there such a thing as a reversing thread lathe- step on a different (or different section of) the pedal and have it slowly reverse direction? Cuz if so, I really, really want one!

Pesco Ergo Sum

Yeah, that is what I dislike the most on my Pac Bay wrapper.

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Do a search, it has been covered here before

Bring the otor to the other side and it will go the opposite direction

I purchased a simple selector switch and put in inline with the pedal and the motor. It works very well but my entire machine is homemade.

If you make the belt in a figure "8" it will turn in the other direction. You may want to get a slighty larger "O" ring.

Ed Smith
Flat Rock, NC

I think what he wants is to be able to reverse it with a controller so you can back off a few turns and then go forward again.

I would think you could use a selector switch hard wired into the 2 wires that come directly to the motor where you have the normal coming in and then a 2 direction switch with the polarities reversed on one of the switch directions

[www.rodbuilding.org] this is for a renzetti lathe

William is right- just want to have the capability to back up a few turns. If I have to get up to go flip a switch, then I might as well just hand roll it back as I do now. My arm isn't long enough to grab a thick enough part of the rod to make reverse manual twisting all that easy when working the pointy end of a long blank!

Bruce,
If you like, just drop me an e-mail at

hflier@comcast.net

I have a few ideas.

1. It is possible to put a reversing switch in some of the sewing machine motors used on rod wrappers. Not all of them but some of them.

2. Anothe roption is to use the Dayton right angle gear motor. These units use a similar high rpm ac motor as is used by the typical lathe, but the motor comes with 4 wires coming out of it. i.e. 2 brush wires and two armature wires. It is trivial to wire these 4 wires with a reversing switch to easily reverse these motors. On the lathes that I made using these motors, I put the reversing switch in a small box on a cord and have the box and switch follow me down the lathe as I wrap, so the switch is always at hand to reverse the motor.

3. Currently, all of my wrapping motors use Pitman 30 Volt DC gear motors. I use various rpm motors. some are 300 rpm, some are 500 rpm, and some are 1000 rpm.
I designed and built a 0-30 volt power supply that is controlled by a commercial foot pedal using a gear driven potentiometer . The foot pedal both turns on the power supply and then increases the voltage as the pedal is depressed. This gives me a very high torque 1 rpm starting torque that builds to the final desired speed of the gear motor. For most of the simple wraps, I use the 1000 rpm motor which really takes care of the long butt wraps very well. It is also smooth enough on the bottom end to take care of the typical common wrap.

But if I am doing a fancier wrap, I will use one of my other motors, either the 500 rpm, or the 300 rpm, for the most precise 0-1 or 2 rpm that are ncessary for intricate wraps.
I have my power wrapper on rollers, so I roll the rod by my wrapping station. I keep the power supply box with its reversing switch in front of me, so it is always at arms reach. i.e. I don't move up and down the rod as I wrap or build the rod. I stay in one spot, and move the rod by me.

Summary,
I had the identical concerns as you. When I first started building, I used a slip clutch on my wrapping motor so that I could grab the butt of the rod and back it up for wrap corrections. But as time went by, I yearned for a more automatic and easier way to do these corrections. So, I went through all of the various types of motors on my wrappers that I have listed above.

My current system, uses the DC gear motors, which I think is close to being ideal. No need for multiple pulleys, or big and little pulleys on the motors. Very small motors, one to one cogged belt drives from the motor to the head stock, and excellent low speed operation and very good starting torque. But of course one of the best features is the easy way to reverse DC motors. Simply swap the power leads to the motor and the motor changes direction. This is easily accomplished with a double pole double throw switch which is cross wired. So, flip the switch and the chuck turns one direction. Flip the switch and the chuck turns the opposite direction.
If you move up and down the rod, it is easy to put the switch in a little box at the end of a cord that may follow you the builder up and down the rod.

Here is an example of one of my current 1000 rpm 30 volt motors and head stock.
[www.rodbuilding.org]



Good luck
Roger

This is one of my earlier wrapper, with a 300 rpm motor, a 3 inch Taig chuck in a Taig head stock, with a cogged belt drive.
Note, the foot pedal on the floor. Note, the small black box on the table which contains the power supply and the reversing switch.
Also, note the rollers that I use to roll the rod by my building station.

I how have a 12 foot one piece building bench with a 10 foot aluminum based wrapper. I have 5 feet open at each end of the lathe, and I simply put 2 rollers under the wrapper base to roll the lathe past my work station.
I just use scrap solid glass rod blanks for 1/2 inch rollers under the wrapper and these work very well to move the rod by my building station.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Take care
Roger