Bridgeport motor conversion - buckaroo article

I use a 3 phase ballast motor which I start with a phase converter. After the ballast motor starts I throw a switch that disconnects the phase converter. The 3 phase ballast motor generates the third leg giving full 3 phase power. The " Black Box " phase converters will start the motor but without the ballast motor you only get 2/3's power. The Phase-O Matic has the instructions on how to wire the ballast motor. I have been using this for 20 years to operate 4 3 phase motors.

 

I could be wrong here but I thought a three phase motor will run on single phase once started albeit not as well. Most static convertors I thought just used a capacitor to energize for starting purposes. If I remember right I think I remember seeing one local old timer with a rope starter before on one of his small 3phase motors.

 

I knew a guy that operated a small machine shop in his back yard, 6 or 7 machines, he would start a large 3 phase motor with a small 110 volt motor that he held in his hand with a V belt driving the larger motor. This got the 3 phase motor spinning fast enough to run and generate the third leg.
My neighbor had a shop down by El Mirage that he ran with an old 20 horse ballast motor.
There is a guy about 1/2 mile from me that paid $30,000 to have 3 phase installed by Edison. He really got pissed when h saw a RotoPhase settup for about $2000 operating the same amount of equipment.
If you have more than one 3 ph. machine you can turn the second one on and it will generate the third leg for full power