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Machine Treadmill motor and tach for older Beaver 700 Drill Press

Machine

VicHobbyGuy

Ultra Member
I've been wanting "something a bit better" to replace my small benchtop drill press in my basement shop. Last weekend I spotted a 'project' drill press on the local online used listings, and grabbed it.
No motor or stepped motor pulley but otherwise OK after wire brushing off the rust.
Beaver/Rockwell Model 700 benchtop drill press - nothing extraordinary, but it does have a quill lock and a depth stop which my 'Mastercraft' lacks.
Finally I had a destination for that treadmill motor that's been under the garage bench for a few months.
So, treadmill motor, controller and tach. I already had the parts on hand as I'd thoght I was going to install that motor on my 7x14 lathe.
Nice cheap project with lots of play value. DP-$30, motor=free, AC controller=$25, Bridge rectifier= on hand but only a couple of dollars and you can salvage one from the treadmill board if you are 'stuck on a Sunday', Tach $20, small sheave for motor $10 at Princess Auto, Link belt=on hand, Hammond plastic project box=on hand .
mini-drill press tach.jpg

Just FYI if you are planning a similar project: Most of the AC motor controllers are 220v units which work fine on 110v. If you want the motor to run before the (500k) pot is turned halfway, replace it with a smaller value pot. Also, the magnetic 'pickup' for the tach I have is very 'particular' about orientation and distance from the magnet so you may have to experiment a bit with your mounting setup. The good news with the one I bought is that the pickup has a small LED on the back which flashes when it's getting a good signal - this makes troubleshooting from the back of the machine easier. I put the magnet just above the stepped pulley on the drill, and used a slice from a bike tube as an elastic band and a dab of adhesive to keep it in place.

Controller and treadmill motor info at 'AussieShed' on Youtube:

Controller: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B082ML24LH/ or https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002074105818.html

Tach:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001483922542.html? NB- It's easier if you get a tach like this one that uses AC (110v) input. Some require a separate power supply board (very cheap, but 'just one more thing')
 
Wish I had a source for free DC motor as I'd love to do this for my lathe.
Folks want genuine money for the treadmills I see.
edit... upon closer inspection of FB Marketplace looks like some are free.
@VicHobbyGuy is any treadmill a candidate?
 
Wish I had a source for free DC motor as I'd love to do this for my lathe.
Folks want genuine money for the treadmills I see.
edit... upon closer inspection of FB Marketplace looks like some are free.
@VicHobbyGuy is any treadmill a candidate?
You are right. There are two types of treadmills available. One that is 70% of original sale price, and the others that are free. If you keep your eyes open you can get them for free. And the nice thing is the rest of the machine is mostly metal, so can go in a scrap bin. I think any motor will work, although I have kept the controls from the donor treadmill for running things. I'm considering converting my vertical band saw for metal with the motor I have, although I'm not convinced of the need yet. The porte-saw does 90% of my cutting needs.
 
You are right. There are two types of treadmills available. One that is 70% of original sale price, and the others that are free. If you keep your eyes open you can get them for free. And the nice thing is the rest of the machine is mostly metal, so can go in a scrap bin. I think any motor will work, although I have kept the controls from the donor treadmill for running things. I'm considering converting my vertical band saw for metal with the motor I have, although I'm not convinced of the need yet. The porte-saw does 90% of my cutting needs.
Hmmm the belting could be good for a thickness sander project I'm brewing up...
 
Wish I had a source for free DC motor as I'd love to do this for my lathe.
Folks want genuine money for the treadmills I see.
edit... upon closer inspection of FB Marketplace looks like some are free.
@VicHobbyGuy is any treadmill a candidate?
I've only grabbed a couple, and the DC motors were similar but not identical. I don't believe the HP ratings on the motors (marked 1.5-2HP), and I doubt that they would be powerful enough for lathes larger than the 7x and 8x variety. I think that the older the treadmill, and more expensive the treadmill was originally, the better for re-use. Most treadmills also have small AC 'incline' motors, but I can't think of a use for those. I took the fan off the motor that I put on the drill press, becasue I was concerned about it sucking up chips/dust foo the DP table and shooting it into the motor. My drill press use is very 'intermittent' so I don't think that overheating will be an issue. In a treadmill the motor is working in a pretty tight space.
 
On the treadmills I've gotten, both had 'decks' of hi-density particleboard with a low-friction coating, which could see project use. Luckily my neighbour welds, so I had a place to 're-home' the steel box tubing from the frames. :) I didn't find the controllers very amenable to simplification as they needed more than a simple potentiometer for speed control, but some of the parts (wire, ferrite, power switch, resettable breaker, etc..) were useful.
 
I have a couple of treadmill belts under the garage workbench. Take 'em away! :)

I have been told by other members that treadmill belts make great way covers, HD drawer liners, and perhaps even bed covers.

Some of our members even lurk around the corner at the landfill waiting for treadmills to show up so they can scarf the belts.
 
Ok now you have me jonesing for one!
Like they used to say..."You snooze, you lose" :) When I phoned the donor, his first sentence was:"Wow, that was quick!; I just posted the ad!" I've found the same with online selling here - list something good for $5 and it can sit for weeks; free, it's gone within a couple of hours. The reason I grabbed this one was that the donor offered to help me load it. Those things are heavy, and I play my 'senior card' a lot these days. :)
 
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