Comm Lathe?
 

Being new to the world of electric touring, I wanted to know what is the purpose of a comm lathe and what is a good one to get? Any info would be apprecciated.

After a a couple of runs on an electric motor the brushes begin the wear the comm down where they run. In extream cases causing a major grove on the comm. Comm cutter aka motor lathe will true that comm and keep it fresh. round and better power

Can you recommend a good one to buy?

they're all the same. how deep is your wallet? i personally like my hudy executive with diamond bit.

It's not just about brush wear and marking on the comm. The comm being absolutely true round is very important. The comm lathe takes care of all of the above.

The Cobra ones seem to the best bang for the buck. Keep a eye on the for sale forums, I just got one for $50 used with two bits.

hudy's are the sweetest!!!! but cobra will do the same thing, just with less damage to ya wallet

Hey Alberto


I Like the MILF song,she's definitly a MILF!

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question about a comm lathe and Power Supplys. can you run a lathe on ur Power Supply?

if you can regulate the voltage out ya power supply, like down to 2 or 3 volts yes. If not you need a charger with a motor run output or a 3 cell pack will do just recharge the pack when needed

most power supplies kick out like 13.8 volts. way too high for a motor lathe. in fact you will most likely fry the drive motor on the lathe or cause personal injury :lol: :lol: :lol:

As long as it's an adjustable voltage model,most P/S's are 12 volts I don't think you want your arm spinning at 12 volts.OR you have a 55T slave motor on your lathe only then you can run it straight off a regular P/S.

How often should the lathe be used?

It really depends on the type of racing you do and at what level your at,when I'm at a club level race I can usually get away with starting out with a fresh motor and just cleaning the motor out between rounds,but at a regional or national level race I generally have a newly cut motor for every round.

For a lathe, make sure you get one with U-blocks or V-blocks. DO NOT get one with bearings.

If you use side by side packs, then you can attach the alligator clips from the motor to 3 cells in your pack and power your lathe. That should give you 3.6 volts which is fine.

Make sure you buy a lathe with a diamond bit. Carbide bits wear out over time, but a diamond is forever (sorry for the cliche ;) )

The trend for most brushes in stock motors is that they actually pick up performance on the second or third run. As long as your running stock, you can cut the comm every 2 runs if you're racing. And every 3-5 runs during practice. If you are racing 19 turn, then cut the comm every run for racing and 2-3 runs for practice.

What do you use to clean it and how? Sorry about the newb questions...I am new to electric.