Thread: Australian Source for Variable Speed Foot Controller - Drill

Im no electron but I’m guessing you could fit a VFD than adapt the dial to to something on the ground.

What speed range are you looking for??

Ideally you want to set the pulley speed to somewhere in between the range you want so that your going either side of 50hz

No sure of your drill quality, more so the motor hanging off it. I’m guessing you have a 1 phase drill.

I’m sure an electrons will pop along for the right advice.

Always interesting to see you projects.

Out of interest, what are you doing that you need to have the speed controlled by foot?

Originally Posted by W&KO

Im no electron but I’m guessing you could fit a VFD than adapt the dial to to something on the ground.



Out of interest, what are you doing that you need to have the speed controlled by foot?

Hello W & KO,

The foot controller is part of converting a manual bead roller via an electric drill. This allows keeping both hands free to move the material by not having to crank a handle by hand.

As per this and a couple of other YouTube clips for a range of different manufacturer's bead rollers - accessed 4th December 2020 from Motorizing a Woodward Fab Bead Roller on the Cheap! Part 1 - YouTube.

It looks like I can buy some from China or the US of A. Whether they are compatible to 240 volts or not? Well that is another thing.

Another option could be to take a page out of the old Singer sewing machines my Grandmother had and make a foot treadle operation?

Kind regards
Lionel

Sewing machines have a foot peddle to regulate speed, probably can be used for thid purpose

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello W & KO,

It looks like I can buy some from China or the US of A. Whether they are compatible to 240 volts or not? Well that is another thing.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hi Lionel,
assuming your drill is brushed like the one in the video, it's got a universal motor in it (can run on DC or AC). Which means more power more speed, so you need to control the power rather than the frequency.

Most foot controllers these days use a method of power controller called phase angle control which does some magic and reduces the power without affecting either the voltage or amperage.
Long story short phase angle controllers are usually "universal" in voltage. To meet insulation regulations in most of the world things have to be insulated up to at least 600V, so most foot pedal controllers will handle 240 Volts.
However saying all of that, it would be better to get a 240 volt units.
I searched fleabay with "foot pedal controller 240v" and got a heap of hits around the $30 mark

Cheers Glen

For a simple hand drill speed controller it is not necessary to get into the technicalities of phase angles, PWM, triacs and SCR controllers.
A lot of hand drills already have a speed controller built into the normal trigger switch, but if you want to use it with your foot, then something like the following is all that you need:

1 PC SEWING VARIABLE SPEED FOOT PEDAL SWITCH CONTROLLER ( Rhomb ) | eBay

As posted by Mario.