Washer and dryer motors are usu. induction motors and aren't easily "speed controlled". Instead, consider motors that come with speed controllers. Example: Sewing machines, variable speed electric drills, etc.
A few years ago I got the bug to build a robot. I visited the B&D service center and came back with several refurbished 12 volt variable speed drills ($9 each without batteries). Since I was doing computer control, I junked the housings and the trigger speed controls (kept for spare parts) and just used the gear reduction DC motors with a homemade programable servo controller. Ran the whole robot off a deep cycle
12 volt battery.
The point, for your application, is that old, refurbished, or Chinese cheap, cordless drills are a valuable resource for variable speed DC gear reduction motors. You can even rig a screw adjust on the trigger to set the speed. You can clamp the driven shaft directly in the drill chuck.
You probably have church members who have cordless drills lying around with dead batteries. They might give them to you if you ask. It is trivial to wire them to run off a car battery.
Ive been snagging treadmills from along side of road & using them for parts conveyer on back of punchpress. All of the treadmills Ive found regulate speed with an expandable pulley system similar to a reeves drive. Maybe I need to start cruising Spehros neighborhood!
Ceiling fan with variable speed control. I would think the speed range would be about right. Probably someone has one in the garage.
|Would like to build a variable speed, revolving shooting gallery for a fall |carnival our church puts on annually. | |Some have suggested old washer or dryer motors, but I'm not certain if they |will work with a speed control. | |Any of you wise folk have suggestions? | |Cheap and available would be important as this is charity work and cash is |at low ebb at my house. | |Many thanks, Dave | |
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