Recycled electric motors

[allanchrister]

Here is a pic of some recycled motors taken from computer printers and other equipment, that may be common to others.  I know that several of the motors are the same size and probably from the same manufacturer, so i was wondering if any of them could be used as a project to make a motorised mill table (mini-mill) or for other uses?

The 2 motors on the left (one has a gearbox on it) seem to be the same, but one (with the gearbox) has heavier gauge wires for it - so I'm guessing that's a high torque 12V motor; the other, lower left, has much thinner gauge wires, although it is the same size motor - so I'm at a loss as to what that is for.

The others - I guess they are all stepper motors, so unless I go into CNC, I guess they aren't too much use to me.  Interesting though - if I turn the motor with the worm gear, it turns the other with the ordinary gear - so it is acting like a generator.

Anything I can do with these, guys?

Allan

[DMIOM]

Allan,

first thing I might suggest is to re-size your photos before posting - 4000 x 3000 pixels makes it somehat unwieldy to view.

Stepper motors don't necessarily need full CNC - there are several threads on here on using them on mills for power feeds and rotary table controllers, and there is also the possibility to build an ELS (Electronic Lead Screw). Having said that, a quick look at you photo shows, I think, 5 wires from the stepper.  Unfortunately 5 phase steppers need special drivers and most hobby-level drivers are only for 4 lead steppers.

I suspect the most useable for power-feeds etc. would be the DC motors with a suitable PWM controller.

Dave

[Bluechip]

Allan

Ditto Re: re-sizing ...

The stepper looks like the ones in Epson printers ..

Have a look here for the one you have, I can't see all the Part #.

http://www.eminebea.com/content/html/en/motor_list/pm_motor/index.shtml

If it has 4 connections it will be a Bi-Polar motor.

If 5 or 6, most likely 4-phase + either one or two common connections, used Uni-Polar. ( Although I have 6-wire Uni-Polar as Bi-Polar by ignoring the Commons ).

Having said that, they're not much good, not very powerful.  

I doubt if you could drive a leadscrew or machine table with one.

BC

  

[allanchrister]

Thanks Bluechip and Dmiom,

I have resized the pics - sorry, didn't realise they would be so big!  Smaller one attached again.

So, I should throw the steppers back in the dumpster, and find a PMW thingy to operate the PM motors.  Any comments regarding the one with the thicker wires compared to what seems an identical motor with much thinner wires ... or just test them as they didn't cost anything?

Anyone recommend a UK supplier of a controller suitable who will send to Germany?

The other items scavenged include the computer power supply.  Now there are a lot of websites showing how to rewire those for power supplies, so I guess all I need is the controller..

Allan