Going back to post #1, CERTAINLY it is possible to drive a DC motor with a DC power supply. BUT it may not provide satisfactory operation, and it may not be at all efficient. "DC Power Supply" covers a very broad spectrum of circuits and control schemes.

So the very first question, which must be answered, is "what is the application?? Powering an air compressor is much different than powering a vent fan or a band-saw.

TS stated the application in post #3.

 

TS stated the application in post #3.

I provided an answer for that application in post #17. I have used a bandsaw with that exact set of speeds: Fast and Slow.
It seemd that the statement the TS made in post #3 got lost along the way.

 

I provided an answer for that application in post #17. I have used a bandsaw with that exact set of speeds: Fast and Slow.
It seemd that the statement the TS made in post #3 got lost along the way.

I provided the answer in post#2 !
The MC2100 board provideds med frequenct PWM and also isolation.
Made for DC motor control!

 

@Max:, Indeed you did provide an answer in post #2! No question about that, except for the current handling capability of the module.

 

All versions of the MC2100 TM controller should adequate for the 1.5HP motor quoted.

 

I think you’re mixing up three different things here: motor voltage, speed control, and whether it will actually do the job on a metal-cutting bandsaw.

That 166VDC on the nameplate is basically the motor’s rated DC voltage at or near full output, not “any DC source will do.” An old 30V/3A bench supply will make it twitch, maybe spin lightly with no load, but it is nowhere close to what that motor needs to do real work.

For a 1.5 HP, 166VDC, 8A motor, the practical answer is a proper DC motor drive rated for roughly 180V class output and at least the full motor current, preferably with some headroom. A PWM drive is the better fit here than just feeding it from a plain adjustable DC supply. That’s also why the treadmill-controller suggestions came up earlier in the thread.

That said, for a bandsaw cutting metal, I would not rely on electronics alone to get the blade speed down. You really want mechanical reduction too. If you try to get all your speed reduction by slowing the motor way down electrically, you usually end up with a setup that feels weak at low speed and runs hotter than you’d like. A pulley change or some other reduction plus a proper controller will give you a much more usable machine.

So if it were on my bench, I’d do it this way:

Use a real DC motor controller made for this voltage and power level
Add an E-stop and put the whole drive in a safe enclosure
Keep all mains-referenced parts covered, especially the speed pot if the controller design doesn’t isolate it
Use belt reduction so the motor can still run in a happier part of its speed range while the saw runs slow enough for metal

If you’re hoping the BK Precision 30V/3A supply will be the answer, no, not for this motor in any useful way.

Honestly, if the goal is simply “slow and torquey bandsaw for metal,” there is also a point where reusing the old lathe motor stops being the easy path. Sometimes it’s cleaner to swap to a lower-voltage motor or a geared DC motor package from the start. I’ve looked through the DC motor / geared DC motor categories on < Mod: link deleted>before, and that kind of setup makes more sense for a conversion like this than trying to fake a 166V industrial-style drive with a bench supply.

But if you want to keep this exact motor, then I’d stop thinking in terms of “variable power supply” and start thinking in terms of “proper 180V-class DC drive plus mechanical reduction.” That’s the route that actually solves the problem.

 

I think you’re mixing up three different things here: motor voltage, speed control, and whether it will actually do the job on a metal-cutting bandsaw.
Use a real DC motor controller made for this voltage and power level

The TM MC2100 could be considered a "real DC motor Controller" !!
I am pretty ciertain the MC2100 would be capable of running that motor, also in TM applications, constant belt speed is important with variation in load.

 

I had to deal with the same sort of problem at one job quite a few years ago. The limited machine shop was shared among several departments, including the non-technical ones.
The shared bandsaw had only the cheap multi-step pulleys for speed control, with the top speed onlysuitable for possibly cutting thin cardboard.
No matter what some folks needed to cut, they always set the speed to the fastest possible, and pushed hard on the blade.Not only does that not cut steel very well, it also makes a lot of noise and a bit of smoke. It also damages the blades.
So before spending effort on an alectronic speed contol, I suggest first, installing a single speed pulley set to deliver a maximum speed that is reasonabole and not fast.
THEN, investigate the cost of an adequate DC motor and a PWM DC drive, iif a still lower speed is required.

 

It looks like the OP has left the building!
Last seen Nov 4th last year

 

It looks like the OP has left the building!
Last seen Nov 4th last year

Quite possible!!