Delta 46-460 Speed Control

Re: Delta 46-460 Speed Control

John C Lucas

I will try to remember to look at mine in the morning and see if I have any suggestiins

Re: Delta 46-460 Speed Control

Dick Coers

One suggestion I have seen is to go into the controller and look for cold solder joints or loose connections on the control board. Also the reverse, on-off switches, and pot have also had issues. I thought I read about a diy replacement for the controller, but haven't found it yet.

Re: Delta 46-460 Speed Control

Mike Brazeau

One of our Golden Horseshoe Guild members has resurrected a dead controller on one by troubleshooting some of the power control devices on the PC board. I have sent him a link to the thread to see if he can add anything. When he was first looking at the dead one which showed signs of overheating, we used mine as a reference. Tried to measure DC voltages and the meter went crazy. It is a pulsed DC motor. Sure would be nice to get a schematic of the system.

I just added a bed extension and stand to mine that came from the dead one. Makes a nice setup.

Just curious

Dick Coers

Have you turned bowls on the lathe? One of the theories circulating around is the electronics just can't handle high torque loads and builds too much heat in the controller. This leads to controller failure. So I'd be interested in how you use yours. Mine is several years old, and hasn't turned anything much bigger than a Christmas ornament on it. My Oneway does the bowl work.

Re: Just curious

Barry Rockwell

Dick, I have turned just about everything on it. It has been my "second home" lathe for about 6 years, so when I've been in San Diego, about 5 months of the year, it has been the only lathe available to me. Seemed to have plenty of power to do anything I could fit on it, until the problems began last spring. Not being much of an electronics genius, I don't think I could trouble shoot a light switch, let alone this controller board. I was really hoping it was just the potentiometer, but no luck.

Re: Delta 46-460 Speed Control *LINK*

Bill Howatt

I found a parts site that indicates the motor is DC so it is likely a brushless DC motor so replacing the controller with a standard VFD which drives a 3-phase motor isn't an option. There is also a comment from a user that indicates that it may well be unavailable or discontinued.

I don't know how inter-changeable brushless DC motor controllers are with different motors.

I don't know how hard it would be (mostly mechanical mating the motor to the lathe) to replace it with a regular VFD and 3-phase 1HP motor for same or less cost such as from the link below.

Bill


A VFD and Motor Supplier

Re: Delta 46-460 Speed Control

john lucas

Haven't had time to take mine apart. The manual that comes with it is useless. Not parts or any description of the motor. If it is DC which I think it is you should be able to buy an aftermarket DC control. Making it fit in the existing housing may be interesting.

Surplus Center wants about $300

Dick Coers

for up to 1hp 90v DC motor controller with reverse. Not much difference from Delta parts. $590 on Amazon buys you a new lathe.

Using part number

Bill Howatt

I am all wet, I think, referring to the motor as a brushless DC instead of just a regular DC motor.

However, if you Google the part number there seem to a number of repair parts places offering the controller but it is over $250 and they indicate they are available. The controller number seems to be used for Porter Cable etc as well.

I was using this search string: 5140059-15 Speed Controller Is that it?

Bill

Re: Just curious

Mike Brazeau

About four years ago with the help of the local manufacturer's rep for Delta, we were able to get a replacement controller for one of our guild lathes. It had failed after less than two years of once a month use and a bit of woodshow stuff. Feedback from the Delta Sales Manager at the time was that people were stressing the controllers turning bowls or other heavy turning by not going to the lowest belt position to get maximum torque. I believe the one that I mentioned failed for that reason.

Re: Delta 46-460 Speed Control

Mike Brazeau

Problem is that it is not a standard DC motor. If a DC motor could be found in the required configuration, then one of the DC controllers could be used. Same of course for AC with a VFD. Busy Bee in Canada , pretty much = Grizzly in USA had an 18x47 " lathe about 5-6 years ago that also used pulsed DC motor. Similar issues in trying to replace. They reintroduced with 3PH AC and Delta controller like the Powermatic and Jet. All likely out of the same Far East factory.

Type 1 or 2 ???

Bill Howatt

I am aware of that lathe motor issue which used a brushless DC motor. I couldn't find any reference that the Delta being discussed indeed had a brushless motor but I couldn't find anything that said it didn't.

However there is a 46-460 Type 1 and Type 2. This site shows brushes listed in the Type 1 parts list (item 69) where the Type 2 list doesn't show brushes. The controller box appears to have been changed in the Type 2 and is much more expensive.

You can select the Type 1 or 2 list from this link:

http://www.deltamachineryparts.com/?s=46-460

My thought right now is that if its Type 1 it is regular DC and Type 2 is brushless DC. The brushless DC cable should have more wires I would guess because it drives individual coils and has sensor feed back to the controller.

Bill

Re: Type 1 or 2 ???

Larry

Have you tried Ebay?