Just bought a shopsmith saturday novembe 8th 2008, test run it for a short time. Brought it home clean the unit ( body only) then the unit could not retart.
When turn it on i hear the motor hums the shaft struggle to turn i held by turning and it spin at extremely low speed. My speed dial was very hard to turn pass 1/4 turn , frustrated i turn a little hardewr still no luck.
I am in houston texasan trying to find someone localy to check or repair.
How much and overhaul might cost?
How long it take? what do i need?
Any ideas ?
motor hums
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Ed in Tampa
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- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:45 am
- Location: North Tampa Bay area Florida
I wonder if during your clean up you managed to blow some dust into the motor and it is keeping the start contacts from making? It sounds that way if you can turn the motor by hand and it starts to turn. I would try blowing out the motor. Another thing you could try is taking the drive belt off the motor and see if the motor turns without the belt. If it doesn't the problem is the motor, probably what I mentioned above. If it does then perhaps something is stuck in the drive train and you should be able to pinpoint it with the belt off.
One other thing you mentioned the speed changer is hard to turn. If the motor isn't running you shouldn't turn the speed changer. And that might be your problem you turned it with the motor stopped. Mount a sanding disk and turn the spindle by hand then as you turn the disk by hand slowly turn the speed changer and see if you can get the spindles back in sync.
I hope Bill Mayo jumps in here as he usually has the fix.
Ed
One other thing you mentioned the speed changer is hard to turn. If the motor isn't running you shouldn't turn the speed changer. And that might be your problem you turned it with the motor stopped. Mount a sanding disk and turn the spindle by hand then as you turn the disk by hand slowly turn the speed changer and see if you can get the spindles back in sync.
I hope Bill Mayo jumps in here as he usually has the fix.
Ed
I recently took a headstock to Bill Mayo. It had not been run in a long time. Left on the slow speed setting, the belts had dried up and were stuck in place on the sheaves. This headstock also did nothing but hum when we first energized it. Bill installed new belts and cleaned the sheaves, and it now runs great.
You may have another problem. Last year I looked at a used Shopsmith. It would start up, but the crank could only be turned so far. I suspect that someone had tried to turn the crank when the motor wasn't running and damaged the speed control.
AsEd said, if it still hums when the motor is disconnected from the headstock, there may be a problem with the centrifugal switch, the starting winding, or the capacitor.
You may have another problem. Last year I looked at a used Shopsmith. It would start up, but the crank could only be turned so far. I suspect that someone had tried to turn the crank when the motor wasn't running and damaged the speed control.
AsEd said, if it still hums when the motor is disconnected from the headstock, there may be a problem with the centrifugal switch, the starting winding, or the capacitor.
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Ed in Tampa
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 5834
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:45 am
- Location: North Tampa Bay area Florida
Motor Hums
Thanks guys, your suggestions are right on. If the Speed Control Handle is turn from Fast toward Slow without the motor operating, the motor drive belt will stick/jam/compressed very tightly between the Control Sheaves. You can slowly turn the Speed Control Handle from Slow toward Fast without any damage and it will free up a stuck belt most times. If there are noticable vibrations after beening unstuck, then the motor drive belt will need replacing. I have seen many Shopsmiths with this problem.
All Shopsmiths should be operated for a couple minutes monthly when possible to prevent the belts from sticking to the sheaves and/or taking a set which increases vibrations. I change the speed setting a little so the belt is riding in a different spot on the sheaves each time. I have found a couple Poly-V belts along with the motor belt stuck(like glue) that I had to be cut off when the Shopsmith was not operated for a few years.
Bill Mayo
All Shopsmiths should be operated for a couple minutes monthly when possible to prevent the belts from sticking to the sheaves and/or taking a set which increases vibrations. I change the speed setting a little so the belt is riding in a different spot on the sheaves each time. I have found a couple Poly-V belts along with the motor belt stuck(like glue) that I had to be cut off when the Shopsmith was not operated for a few years.
Bill Mayo