Sean
Best to join the Holbrook group on groups.io and ask for advice as to the best way to go about this.
**LINK** https://groups.io/g/holbrook/topics should work.
Fitting VFD drives is a reasonably regular topic and there is a fair bit of experience as to what works well, what doesn't do so well and what is a metric boatload of effort for little return!
My impression is that there is rather more to it than a simple swop. Doing it the right way is said to be fairly straightforward but there is a fair amount to do. Going about it wrong can leave you with a monster motor and gear box sitting the base of the machine from which it appears that only a serious crane (or semtex) can extract it. "Lift lathe from motor and gearbox assembly" sort of thing.The motor and gearbox unit is built along standard Holbrook lines as in "design twice as much cast iron in as everyone else uses". Then double it!
There are also potential alignment issues.
Consensus seems to be best not to disturb things unless you have to. If all is working well leave well alone as the standard speed range is sufficiently comprehensive that the infinite variability of a VFD doesn't bring that much to the party. If all is in good order and to tools sharp chatter isn't an issue with a Holbrook. All that cast iron stays where its put pretty effectively.
If you've not got a manual best to get hold of one from Tony at http://www.lathes.co.uk so you have a decent wiring diagram to work from. Holbrook wiring and control gear tends to be both splendiferously Steam Punk in appearance and somewhat complex in layout with lots of exposed 220 and 440 volt connectors. Mr Holbrook seemed to think that hiding things behind panels weighing significant fractions of a hundredweight was ample protection against unskilled fingerpoken with no need for namby pamby insulation and non conductive boxes.
A weightlifters belt is advisable!
Clive
Edited By Clive Foster on 22/08/2022 13:25:50