# Using a washing machine motor to make a powered tool?



## Lance.dBoyle (Mar 25, 2017)

I've ripped out the motor and wiring from a broken electolux washing machine (the motor is fine, it was the electronics board in the machine that went wonky). I was hoping to use it for a belt sander or some other stationary power tool. The specs read 195V, 300 Hz, AC-EL, Cl.F, 3 A rms, 17500 RPM, .CO., 410H11, and 9:36.

I understand some of the numbers and others I've looked up but there are a few there (eg, 410H11, and 9:36) that I don't get. The thing that set off an alarm bell though was the 17500 RPM. Most of the tools that I have seen max out at 1700 RPM but 17500! 

Correct me if I'm wrong but that sounds like it would set the sanding paper on fire. 

Can I use this thing for something? I suppose that I would have to gear it down or slow the rotation down some how. I have never worked with electric motors before or built a power tool out of a motor so any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Cheers,


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

first you need to figure out where you're going to get 195v at 300 Hz.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*What is the supply voltage ...?*

What voltage did you plug the machine into on the wall? Was it 60 cycle 120 V the standard in the USA? That motor doesn't seem to be any part of any washing machine I've torn apart. And 195 Volts is not any standard voltage used on any motors I've seen... 

So, the short answer is No.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Welcome to the forum, Lance! What you have there is a fairly decent paper weight, or if you do any veneering you can set it on a board to press down on small inlay work. Other than that I'd say not likely, as Tom and Woodnthings said.

David


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## WesTex (Jan 5, 2014)

The OP may live where those specs are the norm. The motor may be useful as more than a veneer weight. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Pretty sure that's a DC motor, AC motors don't usually spin that fast. It would also make sense for a later model machine to use a DC motor for easier speed control, and 190v seems to be a pretty common voltage for DC motors. The 9:36 almost sounds like a gear ratio, if the motor has a built in gearbox to step up the torque and lower the speed. This is all a wild guess though, I can't find anything from what I'm guessing the model number is and there's not much to give a concrete answer on that nameplate. 

If I'm right about the voltage and gearbox though, you've got a variable speed, hi-torque motor with a speed range of 0-4000rpm, assuming I'm right about the imaginary gear ratio. Throw in a DC speed controller and you've got a pretty handy motor for a drill press or lathe.

Again though, wild guess based on assumptions, there's pretty good odds I'm talking out of the wrong part of my anatomy


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## Lance.dBoyle (Mar 25, 2017)

Thanks for the replies. A lathe sounds interesting but is a low priority and I just bought a drill press. Sorry I should have mentioned that I'm in Europe where we use 220. 

I saved all that I could from the machine including what I think are some water pumps, the control boards and a few other small things that were wired up (maybe a compacitor) I can't quite tell what they are because they don't say on the specs. I'll investigate more. 

If it is a DC motor then there should be an AC-DC convertor in the entrails somewhere (I'm assuming the speed control was handled by the circuit boards.

One of my projects is to make a vacuum dust collection system for my very small shop in the basement. I want to put the collection bin and fan outside under my deck (save space and reduce noise). Would this type of motor be useful for a dust collector and would it tolerate the cold (I would house it in a water tight box and blow whatever didn't fall it into the bin out under the deck). 

cheers.


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

I differ from all above. This motor could be used to build a router, if you can figure out how to supply the drive voltage. The RPM range of most routers is 10000-25000 RPM. See for example:

https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/boschtools-ocs/combo-pack-routers-1617evspk-27718-p/


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Lance.dBoyle said:


> Thanks for the replies. A lathe sounds interesting but is a low priority and I just bought a drill press. Sorry I should have mentioned that I'm in Europe where we use 220.
> 
> I saved all that I could from the machine including what I think are some water pumps, the control boards and a few other small things that were wired up (maybe a compacitor) I can't quite tell what they are because they don't say on the specs. I'll investigate more.
> 
> ...


How are you going to get the input voltage?

George


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## Lance.dBoyle (Mar 25, 2017)

GeorgeC said:


> How are you going to get the input voltage?
> 
> George


The washing machine took 220 so I'm assuming that either there is a voltage converter in the guts that I took out or that 195 is the low voltage input. Often appliances here say they can handle 210 to 240. As I've mentioned, I'm not certain what the other parts do since they aren't labeled well, just some specs and manufacturing numbers. I'm looking for schematics for the machine which might help identify the parts. 

I've found out the motor is a motor inverter but haven't found any other info yet. There is another part that I'm curious about called an interface suppressor 10A but I don't know what it does. 

Here is a diagram of the electrical parts and what they are, as well as a picture of the motor.


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

Lance.dBoyle said:


> I've ripped out the motor and wiring from a broken electolux washing machine (the motor is fine, it was the electronics board in the machine that went wonky). I was hoping to use it for a belt sander or some other stationary power tool. The specs read 195V, 300 Hz, AC-EL, Cl.F, 3 A rms, 17500 RPM, .CO., 410H11, and 9:36.


It looks like you have got a squirrel-cage AC induction motor that runs on pulse-width-modulation (PWM) drive. But you say the drive is fried, so you either build a new drive (are you electronics guy?), or buy a new one.


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## Lance.dBoyle (Mar 25, 2017)

There was a problem with the heating element control not the motor but as you suggest both the motor control and heating control are probably on the same circuit board or one (the heating control) might be on the main interface board. Either way it would mean repurposing the motor circuit board which is beyond my ken. If I can control the speed with a knob or just slow it down to a useable rpm then I'm willing to learn. I just need to know if this is possible and what I need to do it. 

I'll look at some youtube videos to get an understanding. 

cheers,


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

Lance.dBoyle said:


> If I can control the speed with a knob or just slow it down to a useable rpm then I'm willing to learn. I just need to know if this is possible and what I need to do it.


To get this type of motor to move takes much more than turning a knob. It is a servo-drive with PWM electronics. It automatically switches the drive frequency to 6-7 times input cycle. You have to purchase a PWM driveboard especially built for this motor to get it moving.


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## Lance.dBoyle (Mar 25, 2017)

I found a guy on Youtube who likes motors. I'm not certain that it is the same type of motor I have but from his description it is pretty similar. He build a regulator to stabalize the rotation. For those interested here is the link to the main video. He has made related videos about building the regulator and about the wiring of the motor but I haven't seen them yet. 

Thanks for your help all.


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

Another guy who explains these things pretty extensively is Jeremy Fielding on YouTube..


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## Bob La Londe (Aug 28, 2017)

Its a 3 phase ac induction motor. It is driven by a variable frequency drive. 17500 at 310hz is about right for a two pole motor. (with some slippage) In the washer I just tore apart there was a pretty obvious drive assembly connected to the motor that has NL input marked and a Gnd/5V signal voltage input marked. It would make a fair motor for a light duty high speed milling machine with a spindle that can handle around 8K rpm with a 2:1 pulley reduction. 

You may or may not be able to repurpose the drive in the washer, but you could drive the motor with a number of different off the shelf VFDs with either a pot control, onboard control, 0-5, or 0-10VDC signal input. Other inputs are available as well including RS485 on some I have seen. 

The cat's meow though would be to repurpose the control that's already in the washer. On mine the motor drive was a separate assembly from the washer controller. Has 5 wires (plus grounds) to the motor. 3 are obviously the 3 legs of the motor, and two go to a speed sensor (I assume) of some kind on the back shaft of the motor. On the input side there are grounds and a cover safety switch. A 3 pin connector with 3 wires. Two of which are clearly marked GND and 5V. There are two more inputs clearly marked N & L. Those are you line voltage in. On my controller the line voltage in is 110V (125 most places actually). 

My next step is to see if the controller is a sourced part or an OEM part. If its a third party sourced part specs and setup information may be available for it. 

I actually have 4 machines in my shop running 3 phase motors off variable frequency drives, and I have retrofit and programmed the VFDS for two of them, so I am pretty familiar with the basics.


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## Bob La Londe (Aug 28, 2017)

Same basic motor and what is obviously the motor controller on my tear down.

The motor controller was in a plastic shield/box in the bottom of the cabinet.

Given the intended speed of the motor I would suspect it doesn't develop much torque under 8-10K rpm.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

Use it for a boat anchor and spend a couple of shekels and buy a proper motor. Could be more trouble than it's worth, IMHO.


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## Cr4163r (Apr 10, 2021)

I have successfully used these motors on ac power. They are three phase induction motors and you will need a vfd. Teco westinghouse model L510 is what I used and it can go to the full 310hz.


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## Cr4163r (Apr 10, 2021)

Cr4163r said:


> I have successfully used these motors on ac power. They are three phase induction motors and you will need a vfd. Teco westinghouse model L510 is what I used and it can go to the full 310hz.
> 
> This one: VFD, 1hp, 115V, Single Phase Input, IP20, Medium D


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