Trying to oil an old "greenie"

[johnm]

I picked up an old "greenie" recently (s/n <310000) so I've been trying to do some cleanup, alignment and oiling. It all seems pretty straightforward except that I've read a caution about trying to remove the SS emblem on the back side of the headstock to get to the access hole for the speed control and sheave...something about "if you try to remove it, you'll probably break it".

If you can't remove the emblem or there is no access hole, how do you oil that sheave or remove the speed control yoke? Dropping the motor seems like one option but that seems like a lot of work.

What do the experts say?

Thanks from a SS newbie!

[billmayo]

There are 2 clips holding the Logo plate and can only be removed from inside the headstock plus there is no access hole in the 50s headstock. Dropping the motor pan is required and may only be the first step. I have found most greenies made in the 50s that I serviced or repaired do not have an oiling hole in the floating sheave or in the control sheave. On all the non-hole sheaves, I drill a 5/32" hole about 3/16" from the sheave and into the key way. If the customer lets me, I use a 3" metal cutting hole saw centered between the Logo holes (a jig) to cut an access hole. I can either use the Logo plate from 60s and later Shopsmith or drill a hole at the top and bottom of the 50s Logo plate and use #6 screws tapped into a holding piece of flat aluminum to hold the Logo plate on the headstock.

Please let us know what you find.

Bill Mayo

[RobertTaylor]

i agree with bill. in all my 50's shopsmiths the first thing that i do is make them serviceable by disassembling them and drilling the holes in the keyways of the sheaves and cutting the access hole behind the logo cover. i use the screw method to reattach the cover. i also upgrade the power cord with a three wire grounded 12gage and a strain relief. you won't be sorry as it will save time in the future. bob

[Greenvilleguy]

I have a '54 greenie without the access hole or the oiling hole. I've never thought about drilling an access hole and the oiling hole. The current process is so laborious that I only oil the sheaves about every two years. I guess it must be enough since it's still going strong -- original speed control and control sheaves. The motor sheaves were still original and working well, but I upgraded to the higher HP motor this year and it came with new sheaves.

Anyway, thanks for the idea. I'd like to be able to oil the sheaves more often.

On another note, I'd recommend replacing the gilmer belt with the newer V belt. For some reason, I used to strip out the gilmer belts periodically (lathe catches) and replacing them is a job for a contortionist.

[johnm]

Thanks for the info; it sounds like I ought to dig into the headstock and see what I've got. I do know that there is an oil hole in the floating sheave (the one on the motor shaft) so I oiled it. Not having an access hole will make checking the speed control and oiling the control sheave a real chore. I do note that my emblem has a small slot in near the bottom that looks like a place for a screwdriver to pry, but I've been reluctant to do it per the posted caution. Maybe I'll drop the motor pan and see what I can with a flashlight.

I do need to do something because the speed control is really difficult to turn from low to high speed. The headstock makes a fair bit of noise at high speed, and I note that the gilmer belt seems a bit loose too.

Looks like I have lots of exploring to do. Good thing that the manuals are on the way.

Thanks again!

[Greenvilleguy]

Well, there is an easier solution. Find your serial number and determine the year of your machine. I believe I read somewhere on this forum that the access hole was added in 1955 -- call customer service and they can tell you for sure.

Mine doesn't have anything even wildly resembling a place to pry with a screwdriver.

BTW, dropping the motor pan isn't really as bad as it sounds, just follow the instructions. It's a piece of cake compared to replacing the gilmer belt. (However, I will admit that the first time I did it, I had to call customer service and have them walk me through getting the motor sheave to open so I could get the lower belt back on.)

You'll find that the folks in SS customer service are a hugh asset. They are friendly and extremely knowledgable -- a far cry from the "order takers" that staff customer service desks at other companies.

[johnm]

Well, there is an easier solution. Find your serial number and determine the year of your machine. I believe I read somewhere on this forum that the access hole was added in 1955 -- call customer service and they can tell you for sure.

Mine doesn't have anything even wildly resembling a place to pry with a screwdriver.

BTW, dropping the motor pan isn't really as bad as it sounds, just follow the instructions. It's a piece of cake compared to replacing the gilmer belt. (However, I will admit that the first time I did it, I had to call customer service and have them walk me through getting the motor sheave to open so I could get the lower belt back on.)

You'll find that the folks in SS customer service are a hugh asset. They are friendly and extremely knowledgable -- a far cry from the "order takers" that staff customer service desks at other companies.

Thanks, Doug. I'll check the s/n tonight and give them a call.

It's nice to see that there are still some companies that believe in customer service. I mention barbecuing in my signature and I use Weber grills; they're another company that still believes in exemplary customer service. They all deserve our support.

And then there's the company that makes my wireless router...but that's another story :-)

[billmayo]

I have only found one Gilmer Drive Sleeve Assy that does not have a clutch. I find the clutch has frozen in many cases which can cause the Gilmer belt to strip if the quill quits turning. I disassemble the clutch and sand the plates and disks. Once reassembled, I find it should only take 15-25 ftpds. to make the clutch slip. More is not good and I rebuild the clutch again. This will not strip the Gilmer belt if the quill stops. I am able to use the 12" sanding disk on the quill and by holding the joiner/idler hub with a socket and torque wrench, turn the sanding disk and/or torque wrench to check the torque before and after any work is done.

Bill Mayo

On another note, I'd recommend replacing the gilmer belt with the newer V belt. For some reason, I used to strip out the gilmer belts periodically (lathe catches) and replacing them is a job for a contortionist.

[Nick]

FYI, our repair people have on occassion added an access hole and removable nameplate to older Shopsmith headstocks. Call for a quote, if interested.

With all good wishes,

[johnm]

There are 2 clips holding the Logo plate and can only be removed from inside the headstock plus there is no access hole in the 50s headstock. Dropping the motor pan is required and may only be the first step. I have found most greenies made in the 50s that I serviced or repaired do not have an oiling hole in the floating sheave or in the control sheave. On all the non-hole sheaves, I drill a 5/32" hole about 3/16" from the sheave and into the key way. If the customer lets me, I use a 3" metal cutting hole saw centered between the Logo holes (a jig) to cut an access hole. I can either use the Logo plate from 60s and later Shopsmith or drill a hole at the top and bottom of the 50s Logo plate and use #6 screws tapped into a holding piece of flat aluminum to hold the Logo plate on the headstock.

Please let us know what you find.

Bill Mayo

Well, I finally got a chance to open 'er up this weekend and see what's what by dropping the motor pan. I found out that I do indeed have an access hole in the headstock, but the cover is held on by those two clips that Bill mentions. The floating and motor sheaves both have oiling holes in them, and they look in good shape. I also found out that the three screws which mount the speed control mechanism use internal "speed nuts", when they dropped into the motor pan :-)

Got it all cleaned up, oiled, and thought I was home free. Plugged it in, flipped the switch, and...nothing! No hum...nothing. I must have pulled a wire off of the switch while in there, or else something in the motor circuit just happened to fail while I was in there.

Oh, well, at least it should be easier to open it up the second time around...