How to: Wire a Cheaper VFD for a 2x72 Belt Grinder Build 

Thanks Vincent. I can't wait to check out your build. Should be fun for you. Ill be making those brackets tomorrow if all goes to plan. :)

Awesome ill check the store tomorrow evening hope be placing a order. :-)

Awesome dude!! 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻

Awesome Dan, thank you so much for this info, AND all the info on your fantastic website. That is where I learned all of this stuff from. YOU are the MAN! :) Hope you are well my friend.

Im borrowing this post hopping to get a good respons(: Im Looking at a grinder with an equal setup and o e thing Im interested is exactly being able to change the direction on the motor to ge the belt going backwards, more expensive modells seems to have this feature but this cheap dont to my understanding. My understanding of electrobics aint the best but i had it also in the back of my head that switching the wires would accomplishe it. Is there a smart way one could wire that up to a single switch? Like having double wires going to the motor and by a turn of the switch change the polarity. Perhaps it would need 2 switched that both world as on switches one for forward and one for reverse. I do have friends that can help me do the actuall work so that i dont electrocute myself but they dont have experience from this so hopefully a can get some guidence here If i understand the possibility correct or not(:

​@@grimmner consult your specific manual on external control options. Swapping polarity at the motor is not typically recommended with a switch

Glad to help Byron. Hope the build is going great. That little VFD is still in use in my shop and running strong. Woot!

Thanks John, hope all is well with you up there. Starting to get HOT.

@@HouseMadeUS yup its summer weather for us now. Hopefully the hurricanes will stay away from us, don't want 2020 to be a total bust.

Awesome, thank you!

Yeah man! Thank you Kyle! 🙌🏻 🤜🏻⚡️🤛🏻

Yeahhhhhh! Alright let’s see this beast running!! 💪🏻😁

Thank you for watching and supporting my work. 💪🏻

Awesome Bobby, thanks for the info. Hope you are well my friend!! :)

Thanks Adam, very helpful! 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻

The cheaper one on Amazon

Thanks for this Adam. I just used this to wire up the motor. I now have a working VFD and motor!

Thanks for this, all my motor wires are white, but labeled.

Life saver man, my motor came with all the wires in red so its been a guessing game since. Luckily they are all labeled so this will save me more time and frustration.

Thank you. 🙏🏼

Happy to help!

Yeah I agree, I see the instructions and there is so much to learn. Also I was looking at the HZ rating and my motor should only go to 60 so I will have to adjust that. It said I was up to 65. Not sure if that will hurt the motor or ??

I am with you Jeff. Glad it worked out. Thanks for hanging out!

Doood -- "Buy once, cry once" is the rule to live by. Always buy the best tool possible. Cutting corners is almost never worth the cost in performance. I will save for years to get the right tool for the job. That said, if there's an alternative that's THAT much cheaper, and it has a ton of people saying it works well, it's worth the time to investigate.~$280 difference on a VFD is good $$ that can be spent on other parts needed. Get a good 2-3hp reversible TEFC motor and you can always buy an upgraded VFD if the cheap one craps out some day.

Good suggestion. I'll try that next time.

Oh very cool. Magnet is a great idea!! I might just steal that idea! I think my next batch of ring terminals will be sans plastic also. 😁 Hope you are well my friend. 👊🏻

Ted, I'd love to pick your brain about wiring the VFD to the Bridgeport. I have an early 1949 model round ram J-head and since I recently moved my shop to a rural area north of Houston TX, I no longer have 3 phase power. I have a couple of VFD's I bought for my cnc plasma and router tables I'm also in the process of building. I just need to hear and see how other people have done the same thing.

Yes the preferred VFD is made in Florida! Can you believe that? 🇺🇸

Mike Housewert Always try to buy something home grown. That translates to jobs for your neighbours! Everyone benefits! 🇬🇧🤜⚡️🤛🇺🇸

Good idea. I agree with him on that. Makes sense to be safe always. 💪🏻😁

Great news! Glad it helped! 😁👊🏻

I appreciate that very much Al. Thank you.

With the right VFD yes. It works

Thank you! 🙏🏼

You're welcome.

Ahhh very good. I was about to call it a thing-a-ma-jig, which is close. 😂

I need it. Saves time and material. But that's just me. I know not everyone does.

There are 110 VFDs that upscale 110 single phase to 220 3 phase. They work great!

Glad it helped! 😁👊🏻

It’s not loud until you start pushing steel into it. That said from far away it sounds more like white noise if that makes sense? I say go for it and grind all night! 😁

Good to know Pete. Thanks for sharing, did you have any info on how you programed the remote switch? I would like to take a look. Thanks again.

@@HouseMadeUS ....It should be on your inverter instruction that came with your inverter....First, you have to access the programming mode. See page 16 (Parameter Setting Procedure).... parameter P50 (x1 terminal), change to 19 for e-stop; P53 (x4 terminal) change to 5, forward; P54 (x5 terminal) change to 6, reverse; The forward and reverse should be on default 5 and 6 already...The only parameter you have to change is P50, default was 13 change to 19....On page 5 of the instruction, you have to purchase a 10 Kilo Ohms potentiometer, wired to com, Vl1/cI, and 10v/5v., this is for your frequency/speed control.... I ran total of seven (7) 20 AWG control wires for to the VFD. The terminals I am referring to are on page 5, see VFD schematic diagram, common, X1, X4 , and X5. I installed a separate box for 220VAC power. Ensure to programmed all parameters prior to wiring all switches. I had issues with the proramming when I had the switches in closed, and tried programming the parameters and the VFD will not store the data. The terminals are located on the top portion of the inverter. It is hard to see the terminal designation on the circuit board... Forgot to mention ..Parameter P10....change to 2; and P11...change to 2; Here's the link to my VFD powered grinder......ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-F_IH57VvJCs.html

I applaud you! $5

Yeah that must be nice. Shalom my friend! 👊🏻😁

@@HouseMadeUS and the same to you too Brian

Glad you are building the machine. Yes I live in Naples, my old shop is still there, but I have recently bought a new building in Fort Myers (more for your money situation) - Cheers and enjoy the build.

Awesome John, thank you for your business and support!! Yes!!

@@HouseMadeUS I believe that the motor should be fine to run on plus or minus 10% of its rated Hertz

Thanks Carter! 👊🏻

Yes that is correct. 2 legs of 110 make 220.

We do not, just run them right out of the box

Thank you for watching. Glad it could help.

A standard box connector and some clear silicone caulk will work perfectly. An soow connector will work even better if using that as your supply/feed, however, you might have to enlarge the knockout to accommodate a 3/4" connector. S step drill will accomplish the task no problem

Hi Richard, thank you for your help man. After I read this I swapped out the 40amp for a 30 amp and made a dedicated circuit for the grinders. That way I am not sharing the plug with my bigger gear. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and give direction that I can use! Many Many thanks.

@@HouseMadeUS Humility is an attractive quality, even if you have to work at it.

I've since dropped it down to 14 gauge.

I do not have 220 in my shop can this be plugged into 110outlet​@HouseMadeUS

No not this one.

That is correct.

No programming required.

Make sure to look at the wiring diagram. That is very helpful, colors do vary which is why I tell people to use the T numbers.

They are swappable, if your forward goes in reverse swap them out. Just different phases of the same voltage.

@@HouseMadeUS Thank you!

Hi Jonathan, this VFD has a separate control box already. It pops out and they even give you a 6ft long cord. All the buttons work. No need for anything more! 💪🏻😁

@@HouseMadeUS Yeah i was stupid and bought a Morphon one before you posted the video. And the control I have doesn't have a dial for the potentiometer, just arrows. And I'd like a large emergency stop. The low volt part isn't the same as yours, or any videos I find online. No worries, just thought I'd ask. Thanks for the reply

Wire motor into star not delta

Best thing to do is to enclose the VFD in a box. That’s the best way. Glad it helped Robert. 💪🏻

@@HouseMadeUS Yes you can. They make special vfd cable that should be used if mounted further away.Belden 29501 14/3, plus Ground, Shielded VFD 1000V UL Flexible Motor Supply Cables $3/ft from Wire and cable your way.com This is used for the wire that runs from the VFD to the motor.

About 237v

Did it work previously or is this a new installation?

Yeah the 14 gauge works great. The motor and VFD don't pull a lot of amps so 14 gauge is perfect.

What about the 50 amp breaker?

Metal fabrication and knife making mostly. 👍🏻

lol - Now there's a guy who doesn't need a 2x72. ;-)

Thanks Gene. I appreciate that!

Haha! Yeah I am not a quick learner. I do eventually get it. LOL.

I don't think there is a power difference at all. I still run this setup next to the KBAC units and it holds true. Still very impressed. ⚡️⚡️⚡️

220 you get the full 2hp from the motor. More efficient too. I highly recommend 220 vs 110.

Glad you liked it!

220

Yes it will work.

I actually use 14 now. It works great

Yes

It’s what I had laying around. I wouldn’t go 16. 12 seems about right. Thanks for watching.

No, 14 or 16 must not be used. The upshot of the comment below: 1) check your electrical system a) is the panel stab-lok, or federal pacific, in poor condition? Consider upgrading if so b) is your system wired with knob and tube or BX? Take steps to ensure that it's safe, especially K&T c) is your system properly grounded? See below 2) 20amp breaker is really 16 amps a) use 12 gauge (#12) wire, 10 gauge for long runs to mitigate resistance b) residential ckt breakers are not rated for continuous use, so #12 is recommended if not compulsory 3) Grounding a) at the very least, properly ground your ckt supplying your grinder, and bond your water heater if needed In my experience, 12g is the minimum on a 20a ckt. 10g would be better in order to decrease resistance especially if using a cord in lieu of hard wiring. 16 amps is 80% of 20a, and the VFD has a 12a output. Since residential ckt breakers are not rated for continuous use, it's best to over build for better protection from overheating. Furthermore, I would HIGHLY recommend taking note of both how old and what brand of panel you have as older homes may have Stab-Lok, or federal Pacific panels which are hazardous. One more point about older homes is many are wired with BX which technically has a grounding system, but many are not wired properly, and the grounding wire is so thin it's often broken. So, check your system thoroughly, and if tying into ungrounded or substandard grounding, at the very least ground the system you are installing by running a ground wire from your metal box to a water pipe then bond your water heater if it already is not. Sorry for the long winded comment, but safety first. I'll put the upshot at the beginning for those who would rather not read this all the way... 😜