John4337 wrote
JPG wrote
I think that replacing ALL the ball bearings is a prudent move. Get rubber sealed ones.
Including the motor bearings, that is only 6 bearings(5 if single bearing quill). I am ignoring bearings on the idler shaft.
Are the ones from Shopsmith rubber sealed, or should I look elsewhere?
Shopsmith doesn't usually sell individual bearings, so elsewhere. They prefer to sell assemblies, so it'd be a motor, upper drive, and quill. (Relatively expensive approach, and likely to include at least some shielded bearings rather than sealed.) Generally you'll find a generic bearing number, then look for '2RS' or 'RS' as a suffix, indicating rubber sealed. Most of our bearings are either 'ZZ' (shielded) or 'RS' (sealed). Several folks sell headstock bearing sets, those may or may not be sealed. You'd generally need to know motor brand and which version quill you have to get the right set. IIWM I'd buy them individually so you can be sure you're getting sealed bearings.
- David
