Some of our members have access to a lathe, and with a little creative tinkering, it's possible to rig up a pretty efficient way to drive a generator or alternator for testing. Just remove the lantern post tool holder, and fabricate a bracket that can be bolted onto the compound rest in its place. Then mount an old crankshaft damper or any other type of pulley into the chuck, add a belt, and you've got a variable-speed drive for a generator or alternator. Depending on how particular (or anal-retentive) you happen to be, a complete charging system can be simulated once the unit is spinning.
Jerry
