How to: Build a DC Treadmill Motor Speed Controller for $20
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- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
- I need a DC Motor Speed Controller for my 2x72 grinder build. I found an older treadmill on FB Marketplace for $80 and made it happen using parts from eBay. This was an easy project to complete and it was cheap!
10,000 Watt SCR Motor Controller - amzn.to/2Zl3WmG
Bridge Rectifier - amzn.to/2MOmViv - Jak na to + styl
10,000 Watt SCR Motor Controller - amzn.to/2Zl3WmG
Bridge Rectifier - amzn.to/2MOmViv
I used a 220k pot. But that shouldn’t cause it to spark. Check the brushes and make sure you have it wired correctly from the bridge rectifier. Double check. Where are the sparks coming from?
4000 watts isn’t enough also that sparking is coming from your brushes. You may want to take a look and see what’s up back there. The two things most likely are related but the brushes may have blackened the commutator.
@@HouseMadeUS Why do you say 4000 watts isn't enough? 4000 watts is slightly more than 5 HP .Does the variable resistor size allow the motor to go slower with the 220K you used vs 10K or 100K as others recommend ?Nice setup. I'd never thought of using a computer power supply box.
Just looked at the controller referenced on eBay and it says only use 2/3 capacity of SCR if I understand their note which would allow approx 3HP .
From experience the ratings of the SCR controllers is highly over rated. So by going to 10,000 watts you negate that and more power isn't a bad thing. I bought a 4000 watt controller that didnt push 4000 watts and popped. Cheap Chinese junk. The 10K worked just fine. Thanks.
Never knew this is how you got started with 2 x 72 grinders. Man you have came a long ways. I built a treadmill one back about 7 years ago and keep saying I am going to upgrade to one of your plans. But the damn thing still works and has plenty of power. I did mine different than anny I have seen and ran a jack shaft and geared that 7500rpm motor back down. It makes all kinds of power. I used all the electronics from the treadmill to power it. It is one of two videos I have on my channel. But I am kicking around a house made grinder with possible a brushless scooter motor. You can pick up a motor and controller around $120 for a 2.2kw 48 volt and a surplus 3k 48 volt power supply from ebay used in tella communication for less than $100
Thanks for showing the wiring and what to buy. I ordered the 3 piece like yours from Amazon and this video is a lifesaver on knowing how to wire it up. I'm building a 2x72 belt sander. Again thanks, enjoy your videos..
Fantastic. I followed the instructions and saved my treadmill. The TM's circuitry was all messed up and not working so I just connected this set-up directly to the DC motor. Works like a charm. I don't have the display but I can tell how fast I'm going. Better than forking out a bunch of cash for a new treadmill. Thanks.
Update. After ~20 min of working out, it all of a sudden stopped working. There was what sounded like an arc and then kaput. Damn
At the end of your video you give a glimpse into what it takes to record these videos, a lot of gear to purchase,set up and move around for different shots!
I understand that this is pretty much a paid job but you choose to do this and we all benefit for it so wanted to say thanks!!!!!
Very true! Thank you! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Brian, Thank you for your excellent videos. Just wired up my grinder, using the parts you suggested. No problems, worked without issues!
Excellent!
Got my treadmill running again. Thank you very much!
As an educator, I enjoy your communication style and your ability to communicate In a clear and understandable way. Many people are unable to do that. Thank You and keep on ďoing what you do. You really do it well.
I appreciate this very much. Cheers to you. - Brian
Yes you are right, heck even i can understand this Man.
Thank you so much! I determined that I needed a DC motor for my mini lathe project but have no clue how to wire one up! This helps me immensely!
What a perfect and understandable video. By far the best I’ve seen. I’ll darn sure subscribe
nice simple project. A nice addition is a reversing switch on the DC output. Thanks for sharing this.
Awesome. Thank you. I had been looking for an orphan (free) treadmill at our dump for the last 5 years. I finally spied one in our scrap metal dumpster that had already been dis-assembled and just grabbed the motor and took it home. Same plan with mine, 2x72 sander. DC motor controllers seem to be constructed of solid gold.
Yeah, I switched over to AC because my DC fried out. Its the VFDs that are really expensive. Once you go AC though I think you will see the difference. DC has a cooling problem if you dont filter the air they get dirty on the inside and fry. Just a heads up. Cheers!
I recently dismantled a treadmill for the motor ... no idea what I'm going to do with it yet but thanks for posting. That is so simple!
Thanks for this great video. I watched a few but I found yours the most helpful and well presented. My attempt worked out great thanks to videos like this one.
Well done, sir!! Thank you once again for another very informative video. I love the idea of a dc motor for a belt grinder because of the torque factor. Cheers!
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words. Keep on going! 👊🏻
This is such a great and simple explanation. Phenomenal!
Awesome, glad it was helpful! 🤩
Found you from the podcast love what you showed here I have a treadmill motor and this is exactly what I needed to see.
Awesome, glad it helped out. 😁👊🏻⚡️
Excellent video. Exactly what I was looking for. I'm building a grinder with a treadmill motor as well. Thank you
Glad it could help you out! I appreciate you saying so. 👊🏻
Great video! I like the way you work and explain things. I am on the hunt for a treadmill with good quality motor for use on a lathe. Well done.
Subbed and liked, I look forward to seeing what other content you have. Loved this one great job! Clear and to the point.
Thanks Brian. I like your name, spelled correctly too. 😎 Thanks for liking and subbing!
Great video !!! Thank you for taking the time to produce and post !!!
Great video Brian. Very helpful. Keep em coming!
Perfect video. Watched a few but were always lacking in some fashion. The controller from the old treadmill I have I had robbed to control an extractor for honey. Now I am in the process of building a drum sander. Thanks!
Glad I could help!
This ones a classic, thanks for sharing.
You’re very welcome. Thank you.
Thank you. Ordering parts right now.
Great reminders. I have two computer cases with power supplies I'd forgotten about. After pricing boxes for projects like this, they're looking pretty valuable. One was up for sale and people would, probably, low ball. After I pull the supplies and fans, I'll just "free" the cases out.
SIDE NOTE: Interestingly, one of the two free treadmills I tore apart had a common wall wart charger with its wires snipped and crimped into the system, as a 12volt power source.
The first motor I scored for my dismantling efforts was a 10 amp, 90 volt DC motor ideal for some project. The second has 5/8" shafts on each end and is a true 1.5 horse motor so would make a great variable speed buffer.
I already have a Redwing buffer on my Air Handler station (a floor model buffing station with lights, a blower and filter that really go a long ways to educating you on why you need dust collection off a buffer - the crap in the 12x25 inch filters is alarming.
Anyway, the Redwing is designed for small wheels about 6" in diameter, though there is enough room for up to 10 inch filters, and for this motor. That and the variable speed would really up the versatility of the buffer.
Thanks for the information on the rectifier
Youre welcome Richard. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thank you for the clear, well explained video Brian. It's surprising how difficult it is to come across such videos. How do I know what size potentiometer I need? Does it matter how many hp the motor is? I have a 3hp out of a Peloton treadmill and want to make a thickness sander, among many other things.
nice video! well explained and short enough
Nice work mate! Appreciate your efforts!
Thanks John! 👊🏻
Parts ordered. Thanks for the how to!
Happy to help!
Gracias amigo, me sacaste de un apuro, lo voy a implementar en mi torno.
It's probably best to have it spin in the original direction as it did in the treadmill. It's been a while, but I believe that flywheel just screws on, so if you have it spinning in the opposite direction it could come off.
yes, I have seen those too. got one on my bench right now with a flywheel opposite the pulley, its got a tapered shaft & a draw shaft, so running that type either way is fine.
adding a keyway, set screw or pin would take care of the problem too
Good point. Another thing people dont realize is the bearings wear in a certain direction. Spinning them the opposite direction will inevitably cause rapid bearing wear.
Thanks for the help my treadmill wasn't working and I just couldn't find a circuit suitable for the job now. I know what to use and how to do it.
Very helpful, Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything in details. subscribed 👍
+Laythius - You’re very welcome. Glad it can help.
+Laythius - thank you for the sub. I try to be quick and to the point. :)
Briiaan!, ( as if stewie from family guy was trying to gain your attn.) Excellent, excellent! I'm doing a drillpress rt. now, and have done a large surface grinder in the past, (still operating) with all the treadmill fixins,bulky, hard to protect in a shop setting, gathering metal as we speak, this REALLY looks like the way to go! I've found low/ no grease in the bearings of these motors, it pays to pull the shields, and loadem' up,if you dont, like I have foolishly done, knowingly, it gets me everytime! Great vids I'm your newest subsciber!
Take your motor and hook it up to your car battery.
Do it and don't be shy. Heck you just use your jumper cable even, it won't hurt anybody's feeling especially yours.
Why?
So you will understand what it is like to supply a DC motor to a DC source, better yet REAL DC SOURCE.
Then you will know what it means.
You will never even heard of such whisperring sound of beauty....
Over and out.
Hey thanks Blue. I'll give it a shot. I appreciate your input on this and sharing your knowledge
Thank you for your video, i just bought a Vevor mini lathe and with in a week i want to modify watching guys put treadmill motors on them, i can mount no problem but the wiring escapes me. Not doing it right now but Subbed and saved your informative video.
Thanks Brine
Helped a ton. Liked and subscribed. Thank you!!
Thanks Robert!
great value info. well done. thanks
Very clear explanation
Thank you
Thank you Kenneth. 💪🏻😁
Hey Brian,
Really helpful video!
On the threaded flywheel motors,what do you suggest for fixing flywheel running anti clockwise ?I'm building a linisher
and will probably just use the flywheel as the belt contact driver.
Thanks so much
Very informative, thank you!
Most of these treadmill motors and controllers will come with an inductor in series with the motor. I recommend keeping this and using it because it will make the motor run a bit smoother. Especially if you are just running a rectifier straight to the motor, it will smooth out the pulsed current coming from the rectifier.
I did not know that. Thanks Carson. Is that inductor the metal ring that is in the wiring that goes to the motor itself?
@@HouseMadeUS Most treadmill inductors I have seen have a laminated steel core and look like a transformer but with only 1 winding. I would assume some come with a toroidal inductor though.
It doesn't make a huge different but I've noticed the motors run a bit quieter at lower speeds.
Just got my parts from craigslist free section it was in the basement but i brought tools and a friend disassembled and now im ready to build my variable dc motor for electrical testing :) super pumped
That is awesome!
This is project is very good!
Great teacher
Great Video excellent description and visuals. Question: Why didn't you leave the controller in its on case and drill a hole for the knob in the power supply box. Seems like that way the fan would cool the unit? Cant wait to do my saw now.
thank you very much for this video and links, my treadmill motor has the black and red wires but it also has 2 blue wires. do I just ignore those ? are these motors very good at retaining torque at lower speeds ?
Would be a good idea to connect the SCR to the chassis as a heat sink.. Those can get hot depending on the use. Great video. I may have to build one now.
I have a heat sink on the bridge rectifier and one on the chassis. Its hard to see from the video. None the less, you make an excellent point! Heat kills electronics!
nice job as always. Like the speed ups! Cant tell how many times I stop videos cause the people are so wordy
Yeah I tend to ramble and have learned to edit myself! Shut the hell up Brian and do the work!! Lol. Thanks as always James. :)
Very nice, how would you set up a switch to have forward & reverse?
Cool, thanks
That hole through the center of the bridge rectifier is to bolt it to a heat sink. That's why the rectifier case is bare aluminum. Heat is what kills them.
I enjoyed your video and actually bought the parts and made it to upgrade the motor on my Harbor freight Lathe. I added a reverse switch as well. However I find that the lathe spins well, and reverses directions fine, but it has very little torque. When attempting to rough out a bowl on a soft piece of cedar, it doesn't take much pressure to slow the motor down, even at higher speeds. Suggestions?
Great video, thank you. I have a 24v DC 240W wheelchair motor that I'd like to use. Am I correct that the potentiometer is regulating the DC voltage which translates to motor speed?
Very simply explained. Excellent instructions.
Can this be used to control the speed for a sewing machine? Could I include a foot peddle to regulate the speed? Any suggestions?
I assume it could power a sewing machine as long as it’s a dc motor. Any actuating foot pedal would work for this. You might need to use a different connector but it’s essentially a potentiometer like I installed just controlled with your foot. Good luck.
hey great video! :)
what about 230vac input for a 130vdc motor (1.8A) with your setup? can i use the same scr and rectifier? if not it would be nice to know what prts i need
thx!
Awesome video.
Thanks Bryce!!! 👊🏻
Nice video, how would I add a reverse switch to this setup? Looking to upgrade my old delta with 3hp DC.
Perfect timing, I finally found a donor treadmill and just finished mounting on my lathe. So many videos out there that seem so complicated using complicated boards or expensive controllers, I was sure there is an easier way. my question is if you want to add a switch so you can reverse direction is there a specific one for that. also are the motor controller and bridge rectifier control voltage specifics. my DC motor is rated 120 VDC, I've noticed some control systems are 90 VDC max?
Yeah there is a simple way to do this. Buy a DPDT switch. This will reverse the polarity for you. Very easy to wire up also. Here is the one that I bought.: amzn.to/2Zb8hc0 - Also the SCR controller I bought is rated at 110 which is in line with what you want to use. I bought that on eBay: ebay.to/2N7uOiJ - Very simple to use and install. - Glad you liked the vid. Thanks for commenting.
@@HouseMadeUS Thanks. You already answered my question.
Great tips ... I found a free treadmill advertised, went to see it, it was huge and impossible to move, so I left ... I was still ken on it, so later I dropped them a line suggesting for a fee I'd dismantle it to get it out the door and house ... they ended up paying me! So, I will now be looking to use your tip and possibly make a linisher or wood lathe ?? So many options ! Cheers.
Great video, got the same set up with a 3hp 90V dc treadmill motor. I got the motor on the shredder chipper (did not like the noise and pollution from the gas motor). It worked but under heavier load the rectifier failed and blew up the breaker. Is the motor too powerful for this set up?
Really enjoyed your video. I was able to buy the parts online and fix my treadmill. It is working great now, thx.
What would make the board on the treadmill make a firecracker sound. That’s the reason I had to get rid of the board and go your route. Thx, again.
Great info
Very good way to explain. Vety useful video.
From where can we get this kind of power supply you purchased? Can a computer cpu power supply be used for this project?
Thanks n Likes !!
Love your videos! Subscribed. I do have a question. My treadmill motor is 2.25 hp. It has black, 2 blues and a reddish wire. How would I wire this? Thanks for any help.
I am in the planning stages of using a treadmill motor as the power drive for an electric bicycle chopper. My question is the feasibility of utilizing a handlebar grip throttle control instead of the dial.
Read and article that seemed very complicated and your video Uncomplicated it thanks
hi there, what an interesting thing to do! I could really use some help now though, I was planning on using a 3hp treadmill motor as a spindle, (the main board on the treadmill is broken) so I was thinking is there a way to remove the potentiometer, I was instead going to send a PWM signal(0-5v dc) from an Arduino topped with a CNC shield
Thanks for the vid, questions i have
1. How do you clip the output voltage to not exceed motor rateing...is this done by the potentiometer you added, a bridge rectifier will multiply the AC input by 1.414 factor thus my question,
2. How do you gain "soft start" ...once speed set and you do power cycle, the motor needs to return to speed set from previous use
Thank you
This information was very helpful. Thank you for posting, I'll be ordering my supplies today!
could you potentially connect two treadmill motors up (say about 3.5 chp each) at the point beyond the bridge rectifier or would either the rectifier or the controller not be able to handle the wattage?
I like you, u made that quite simple, though i do have a question, im building a train, and i want it to come with a push of a button and stop right outside my door, what should i do for that?
Great video, very easy to follow. I have a 200 VDC motor from a treadmill.. will these parts produce voltage that high??
Thanks, not sure about pushing 200vdc the most I have pushed is 130vdc. Might be worth a try. Just read the ratings for the controller prior to buying one.
Great video
Thanks John.
I have assembled your SCR set-up, tested it and it works as expected, however, it has been suggested to add a capacitor to even it out. I have a 3300 mf capacitor but I'm ignorant about electronics and I'm not sure if it should be wired to the input AC, the output AC or the rectifier DC and should it be wired in series or across the terminals. Please advise. Also, is it a better choice than a Ferrite cored coil (can't remember what it's called)? Or should I do both? Thanks.
Hey Brian I really appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos !
I have what it think is a simple question, why not use the speed controller from the tread mill to run/control the motor?
That would be a good option too. I wish I would have just done that.
My two motors, the first one runs on 90VDC, 20 A on one and 100VDC and 23A on the other.
I have the controller for the first motor and have used it to run the second motor as well.
The second motor is twice as heavy and big as the first.
When I turn the potentiometer on the controller all the way, the RPM is the uppter teens safe to say. The second motor that runs on 100VDC is far bigger and its RPM is far less and the RPM on it is also in the specs, around 3200.
When I build your set up, I used a higher rating of rectifier with a heat sink along with a fuse, a switch, a large capacitor and threw in a big fat choke as well. I figured it will help reduce the spark armature/spark/brushes contact.
For ease of usage I also installed an outlet on the box so I can just plug in the motor with its own prong right into the outlet.
It is doing what it supposed to do. However the other day I decided to check the out put DC voltage.
I turned the knob all the way and checked the voltage on the outlet. It read 180VDC.
What is the consequence of such high voltage to a motor which runs on much less voltage assuming it is being cranked up all the way?
You got voltage Vs Amperage and total power I suppose is the two multiplied.
I don't know how the math and the physics of it works out.
I have not installed volt/amp gauge to see what it does at various position and load.
These motor certainly run on just regular AC by just directly using the controller without the rectifier. Of course it will have less power and what toll it will have on the motor, plus noisier and more spark.
can you put a switch on either the black or red motor wire to turn it off and on and it go back to the same speed as it was previously running
I know this is not an electrical class but I have a 180v DC treadmill motor and it has a 2800F 250V DC capacitor. I know these large capacitor are for startup when you convert a 3PH to single phase but what is it used for in this scenario?
Can you use the scr in line with the capacitor?
hey brian if i wanted to put a dpdt swintch into this system would i run it between the bridge rectifier and the motor?
I have 2 questions.
Why can't you use a standard household dimmer switch?
I've seen a few vids that mention using a capicator. Where would it be connected?
Awesome tutorial video..
That what I'm looking for
Sir I have small project conveyor with forward/reverse Can you tell me what exactly parts I need for this project thanks..
The links to the parts are down in the description. Thank you!
Question. Could you use this setup, will a few Milwaukee m18 batteries?
Do you have a video for a speed controller with only 3 connections on controller board?
Also how did you hook up the fan?
Hi, I actually built the exact same circuit to run a 1.5 hp treadmill motor on my lathe, it ran perfect with the treadmill circuitry but after installing this build the motor overheats then after a while blows the breaker. Any idea or comment would be greatly appreciated.
Great video. When operating with a grinder is is OK to start at full speed or should you always start at zero and ramp up. Is it OK to keep the power on and have the pot set at zero? Thanks for your help.
Hi Brian, I typically do not start my grinder at full speed just for safety reasons. If it’s at 10 or 30% it’s fine and then ramp up. You never know if the belt had been damaged or compromised or something went wrong and he turned on at full speed and things go sideways real quick. Good luck.
I’m doing this with a 4000 watt SCR and standard 5010 bridge connector. I noticed some videos they use a step down transformer... since I might be running this motor high idk if it’s gonna overheat or not. Also QUESTION my motor has 2 blue wires coming out in addition to the red and black... is this for an on/off switch from the circuit board? Thanks!
Best way to incorporate a polarity switch on this for the dc motor?
I have a question. I used this system to put a treadmill motor on my old ShopSmith and it works great. My question is that when I try to read the output of the rectifier sending current to the motor, I get no readings at all. Any ideas on this?
Kool stuff, but, Dude, hot glue? ...love that stuff!
Brian. i am trying to us a 4000W SCR AC motor controller thru a bridge rectifier to run my 90V 2.65hp treadmill motor. I set i up just like you did in the video and it works. but the motor doesn't engage until i have turned the pot 1/2 round. it is a 500k pot. i was wondering if i replaced the pot with a larger pot, 1M, could i get more fine control? I can only get the motor down to 900rpm. i was hoping for a little better lower end. i want to use this for a lathe modification. any help is greatly appreciated.
Hi im using the same set up but mine motor overheat after 15 min after using why I follow the same sample u did thanks
much thanks for the great video. question is, what if you are using a speed controller with only an one in, one out, and one com? Also the on off rocker i have has three prongs (one being copper).
I'm in the same boat, trying to figure out how to wire this with only three pins on my controller. :(
I understand the setup and configuration. But I feel like im missing something simple. As far as I know I may be wrong, but in all the videos o have watched on this, I can't figure out how the max output is figured. Does 110 ac always come out to the same max voltage on DC with the pot maxed? Does it depend on the type of rectifier used?
Any chance you could show us how to override the maximum speed of a walking pad? Most of them top out at 4 mph but have normal treadmill motors in them.
Man...I’m having a difficult time figuring out how large of a power supply to hunt down on the cheap. What are the box dimensions of the supply you chose?
How do you know if the circuit board is still good?
I broke down my whole treadmill pro form 505 CST
& the light works my motor works but when it was all together it won’t run oh & my control panel light up too .. so I’m thinking it’s the data cable or