# Busy Bee B2227L Lathe Mods



## whydontu (May 24, 2022)

Just finished putting a tach on my BB B2227L lathe. And in typical BB fashion, YMMV.

B2227L nameplate speeds go from 115 to 1620 rpm. Brand new tach reads 135, 239, 396, 625, 1104. (I didn’t try 1620, it trips the breaker).

So is the new tach buggered? Nope, dug out my trusty Hasler mechanical tach to get a second opinion. New tach and Hasler are within 1%.

So the thought crosses my disjointed mind - are the nameplate values for 50Hz, and  are off because it’s connected to 60Hz power? Nope, that would be 20%, and the values are out about 14%.

BB must have saved $$ by changing the motor / input shaft pulleys, or saved money by not making a correct nameplate. Odd thing is the new version CX708 nameplate is correct.


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## Proxule (May 25, 2022)

Came to the same conclusion on my king 1236. Matters not now that the VFD and tach are on there. Just found it amusing.
Nice work!


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## VicHobbyGuy (May 25, 2022)

whydontu said:


> (I didn’t try 1620, it trips the breaker).
> 
> 
> 
> Why does it do that?


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## David_R8 (May 25, 2022)

@VicHobbyGuy I suspect that at 1620rpm the current draw is too high for a 15A breaker.


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## Susquatch (May 25, 2022)

whydontu said:


> Just finished putting a tach on my BB B2227L lathe. And in typical BB fashion, YMMV.
> 
> B2227L nameplate speeds go from 115 to 1620 rpm. Brand new tach reads 135, 239, 396, 625, 1104. (I didn’t try 1620, it trips the breaker).
> 
> So is the new tach buggered? Nope, dug out my trusty Hasler mechanical tach to get a second opinion. New tach and Hasler are within 1%.



Nice work!

And REALLY nice mechanical tach! Makes me want to go flog my 3 boys till one of them confesses and tells me where they hid mine! Two of them have boats so I'm guessing one of them left it in their boat and it turned into ugly iron oxide and they are afraid to tell me!


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## VicHobbyGuy (May 25, 2022)

David_R8 said:


> @VicHobbyGuy I suspect that at 1620rpm the current draw is too high for a 15A breaker.


Yes, that was my assumption as well. IMO, there's something 'not right' when a 500 watt ("3/4HP") AC motor is tripping a 15A breaker. It sounds like it can't even spin the chuck with the high speed gears (?) selected. Anyway, off topic...
Is a variable speed drive in the plan? Why a tach on a 5 speed machine with the speed selectors on the front panel?


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## VicHobbyGuy (May 25, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> till one of them confesses and tells me where they hid mine!


A piece of advice from a senior member of the 'golden age club' : Don't accuse family members of hiding your stuff. You will probably embarrass yourself when the missing item turns up!!  .....as in : "Your glasses are on your head, dear!"


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## whydontu (May 25, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> Yes, that was my assumption as well. IMO, there's something 'not right' when a 500 watt ("3/4HP") AC motor is tripping a 15A breaker. It sounds like it can't even spin the chuck with the high speed gears (?) selected. Anyway, off topic...
> Is a variable speed drive in the plan? Why a tach on a 5 speed machine with the speed selectors on the front panel?


Lack of breakers - my shop is in my garage, lower floor of my townhouse, also has my work office. Only two 15A breakers for all of the outlets and lights in both garage & office. Laser printer, heater, and lathe uses up all the juice. And I’m in a strata townhouse so making changes in electrical needs council approval. Being elected Pope would be easier.

Tach was installed because it was in one of my spare electronics drawers. Had to do <something> with it.

I’m kicking around the idea of replacing the stock AC motor with a VFD/3-phase or DC/PWM variable speed motor. Combining a multi-gear speed change with a variable speed motor would be the best of both worlds. True variable and true torque multiplication.


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## whydontu (May 25, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> Nice work!
> 
> And REALLY nice mechanical tach! Makes me want to go flog my 3 boys till one of them confesses and tells me where they hid mine! Two of them have boats so I'm guessing one of them left it in their boat and it turned into ugly iron oxide and they are afraid to tell me!


The Hasler tach is one of my best thrift shop scores. Mooching at the Value Village boutique, it was sitting forlornly in the housewares aisle, with a $12 sticker price. You know the Ikea “start the car!” ad campaign? That was my reaction to the tach.


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## VicHobbyGuy (May 25, 2022)

whydontu said:


> Lack of breakers - my shop is in my garage, lower floor of my townhouse, also has my work office. Only two 15A breakers for all of the outlets and lights in both garage & office. Laser printer, heater, and lathe uses up all the juice.


Ah, that makes sense now. If I have the heaters on in my garage, I can't run the compressor. It's amazing that the lathe doesn't trip the breaker if you are doing heavy cuts. It would be interesting to clamp  an AC ammeter on the power cord and get some numbers.
I'd be running power from somewhere just for the machine tools, I think. Do you have outdoor outlets on a separate breaker?  Laundry room circuit? As you say, it's difficult with the strata setup.




whydontu said:


> Tach was installed because it was in one of my spare electronics drawers. Had to do <something> with it.


I know that impulse well. 


whydontu said:


> I’m kicking around the idea of replacing the stock AC motor with a VFD/3-phase or DC/PWM variable speed motor. Combining a multi-gear speed change with a variable speed motor would be the best of both worlds. True variable and true torque multiplication.


Variable speed is very nice. On my 7x lathe it's easy to wind up the rpms on facing and parting cuts as the tool gets closer to the center. One advantage of 'baby' tools..


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## Susquatch (May 25, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> A piece of advice from a senior member of the 'golden age club' : Don't accuse family members of hiding your stuff. You will probably embarrass yourself when the missing item turns up!!  .....as in : "Your glasses are on your head, dear!"



I guess "beat them into a confession" wasn't dry enough humour....  

True story - I once asked everyone (neighbours, sons, daughter, wife, etc) who had my Dewalt 20V Drill. Nobody confessed. So I started doubting myself. Turned out I had wanted one so badly that I actually came to believe I had one! But a futile search for the manual said otherwise. I ALWAYS keep manuals in a dedicated place. No empty box either. 

On the plus side, my bride felt so bad for me and my bruised ego that she went and bought me one. And it wasn't even my birthday! She is awesome! I felt kinda guilty though..... For about 5 minutes.


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## Degen (May 25, 2022)

A VFD helps lower in rush current, its helps reducing the overhead required to start the motor.


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## VicHobbyGuy (May 25, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> Turned out I had wanted one so badly that I actually came to believe I had one!


That is pushing the envelope...


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## Tom O (May 26, 2022)

That’s the power of positive thinking?


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## Susquatch (May 26, 2022)

It's a REALLY NICE DRILL!


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