Electric Motors in the Home Workshop (Workshop Practice)

A VERY GOOD read practical and informative some information a bit heavy but a good book

I bought this book some time ago and read it on and off. Having now aquired a small lathe with a 3 phase motor I used the information from the book to convert it to single phase operation, I do not have 3 phase available. After digging out the star point and resoldering to give a delta setup, I connected a spare capacitor and tested, the motor ran fine. Now ordered the parts for the phase converter etc.(in the book) all for around £25. Yes I could just buy a motor controller and will do in the future, but there is something very enjoyable and satisfying in being able to do it yourself, also unlike electronic controllers this is simple to put right if anything goes pop!I now have my eye on a spare 5hp three phase motor on the shop floor to try out a rotary converter.

Without being too technical (there are no mathematical equations) this book manages to give a good overview of a range of motors with photos, diagrams, circuit diagrams and tables of values. It covers single-phase, three-phase motors together with speed control, power supplies and some practical aspects of motor maintenance.

Thanks to this book I was able to wire up a reversing switch for my lathe and convert a three phase pillar drill to single phase for around £20! Very very useful information clearly written with supporting diagrams and even maplin part numbers (although I think these might be out of date). I can't recommend this book highly enough for the price!

Maybe not quite as much useful information as I have been used to from this series of books. Could do with less time spend on obscure motor types that the typical workshop owner is unlikely to encounter or have any practical interest in and more time on actual milling machines, lathes etc. Still worth a read however, and inexpensive. I got most of the answers I was looking for from this book.

A very comprehensive guide to the technicalities of running a three phase motor on single phase supply.For a layman like myself the maths was a bit daunting.

Plenty of advice and info for beginners and more experienced engineering hobbyists and professionals!

My husband says he understands more now from reading this, It is full of easy to understand information that is relevant to his hobby

It’s a great book for building your first metalworking shop. I already build wooden furniture. I decided to add metalworking as a sidebar. This group of books really help in the aspect of adding a metalworking shop.

Fantastic reading for those of us who delight in repurposing electric motors to eclectic needs. The contents are a little dated - an updated version could talk about the cheaply available VFDs and fan controllers.

I learned some good stuff but I'm not sure if the information is still current. This is NOT a new book.

Good material

Good info but I would have liked it better if it had better coverage of the US electrical system.