Lubrication for speed control?

[Bruce]

I just discussed this with the folks at Shopsmith. They told me to buy a beeswax toilet ring and use some for lubing the speed control. Works well, stays in place and doesn't attract a lot of sawdust.

I didn't know toilet rings were beeswax. Thanks for the tip. I bought a cake of beeswax at Woodcraft a while back and it is a lot stiffer than a toilet ring, which makes it hard to apply and it doesn't stick to the worm gear very good.

Bruce

[Greenvilleguy]

Bruce,

You can carve off some flakes of beeswax and soak them overnight in a little mineral spirits. The result is a butter like consistency. I use it sometimes as a finish.

I don't know how it would work on the speed control teeth, but it would go on easier.

[jbemis]

[quote="rkh2"]jbemis

Seeing that you are new to SS, I would recommend purchasing The Shopsmith Journals by Rick Davis. It is a DVD that takes you through the maintenance and alignment of the SS, both newer ones and older like you have. The shipping cost is high on the DVD by itself, so I would suggest purchasing something along with it that you need which makes it more attractive. In my opinion it is an excellent reference both for a newbie and a long time user. Enjoy your machine. I am attaching a link that tells a little about it, as well a link to some SS info that may be helpful.

Thanks for the links.

I had forgotten about the toilet ring trick. I used to use it on rusty heavy machines.

Still finding more parts to buy fom ShopSmith

[james.miller]

In the traveling academy we were shown how to use TopCote for lubricating the pork chop. Also in Hands On a few years ago on an old Ask Smithy, he said to use Paraffin, just rub a little on and it would flow onto the surfaces under pressure and heat. It said that Paraffin doesn't attract saw dust. You could look through the Hands On archives to find the article.

[eldyfig]

Sawdust Session #11, January 12, 2008
http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... enance.htm

Nick is using silicone spray on the speed control gears and under the speed control handle. Seems alot easier and cleaner than using any wax or grease. Last time I cleaned I didn't have to deal with any heavy crud build up in the teeth.

[a1gutterman]

Sawdust Session #11, January 12, 2008
http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS111/SS111_Mark_V_Maintenance.htm

Nick is using silicone spray on the speed control gears and under the speed control handle. Seems alot easier and cleaner than using any wax or grease. Last time I cleaned I didn't have to deal with any heavy crud build up in the teeth.

I love SS, so don't get me wrong, but they sure are confusing . Nick using silicon on a SS? I thought it was common knowledge that wood and silicon don't mix. On top of that, Rick Davis shows to use TopCote for that particular location, and SS customer service says to use bees wax? How can we decide what is right, when they can not agree?

Blow out the headstock]is[/I] wax; no, the finish problem is with silicon, no problem with wax then?

Use non-detergent 30w; no, use light 10w. Nick says the oiler is filled with 10w, Rick says it is filled with 30w.

[eldyfig]

Soon we will find out Nick and Rick are actually the same person.

[warningintruder]

Well let me think I just went thru my maintenance after watching the videos and asking the very knowledgeable people here and I will say it was very confusing so I vacuumed it out then started the motor and blew it out,used 30wt non detergent oil,silicone on the pork chop and used a good paste wax on the tables.So did I do it correctly I will do about the same next time except for the silicone I will switch to TopCote after advice from a good friend on here:)

[dusty]

Life is full of decisions and now you have to make some that involve your Shopsmith. Yes, I have heard the various apparently contradictory statements that you method here.

What to do?

1. Don't use silicon ANYWHERE that it is likely to come in contact with wood that ultimately will be finished! Since I know of nowhere that says I must use silicon, the decision is made: NO silicon in my shop.

2. Don't forget to buff the Johnson Paste Wax after you apply it! I use Johsons Paste Wax on all external metal surfaces of my Shopsmith. Sincer I can't buff it off if I put it on the speed control, I use something else there.

3. I don't want a waxey buildup of sawdust in the speed control or the pork chop (quadrant) so I use Topcote there. This is new for me. Until recently I used I light oil.

4. I have always vacuumed the heavy stuff and then blown out the rest. I'll continue to do that. Now, with the end pan off the headstock, I turn if on, AFTER VACUUMING, and blow out the inside of the headstock. Anytime I drop the motor, which is very, very seldom - I blow out the motor.

5. No one has told me that I must not clean and lubricate more often than is recommended, so I do. I probably do the entire routine five or six times a year. I do this, in part because I operate in an open air shop in sandy, windy Arizona.

6. What weight oil to use is still a decision I haven't made. When I bought my machine, many, many years ago, I bought two "Shopsmith Oiters". They are cans that look almost like the "Singer Sewing Oiler" that my wife has. I have yet to run out so I use what Shopsmith provided back in the early eighties. It does NOT feel like 30w. If I had to make the decision, it'll be 10w, non-detergent.

SWMBO has made it clear that it will not be Singer Sewing Machine Oil.

[warningintruder]

Thank you for sharing your maintenance program Dusty you have been a great help and I like the way you take care of your Shopsmith and will do the same with mine.