[SEL] OT? Lathe HP question

[jbcast at charter.net]

> But I don't know what HP to put on it. 2,3 or 5HP? Inverters are pretty 
> good at giving full torque even at slow speeds so oversizing the motor 
> to accomodate low speeds shouldn't be necessary.

Curt, I don't think an inverter is a substitute for  gear reduction.  My 12"  lathe  has a 5hp, 1750rpm motor, it turns 19rpms in low. Do the math, torque is being multplied 92 times. Full output direct drive is not even  close. On interupted heavy cuts the motor will bog and break loose, damaging the tools.
J.B. Castagnos