Speed control outer ring turning on it own

midnightshadow · Post by **midnightshadow** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:08 pm

While I was checking to see if the new quill bearing was going to quiet my machine, and it did, I was turning my old greenie speed control knob when I noticed that the outer ring, the ring that says A, B, C D etc. was rotating on it own clockwise.

Once I had the machine up to warp speed I was able to rotate the ring till it lined up to where it should be with the speed crank itself. However, if I run the speed control down the ring again takes off on it own rotating clockwise.

So I am wondering if there are some screws that are loose that I need to tighten to keep it in place or what is going on.

Can I just pull of the speedcontrol knob or button to get a look at it or I guess the really question is what do I do to fix the problem?

Thanks in advance for the help,
Midnight Shadow

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:26 pm

midnightshadow wrote:While I was checking to see if the new quill bearing was going to quiet my machine, and it did, I was turning my old greenie speed control knob when I noticed that the outer ring, the ring that says A, B, C D etc. was rotating on it own clockwise.

Once I had the machine up to warp speed I was able to rotate the ring till it lined up to where it should be with the speed crank itself. However, if I run the speed control down the ring again takes off on it own rotating clockwise.

So I am wondering if there are some screws that are loose that I need to tighten to keep it in place or what is going on.

Can I just pull of the speedcontrol knob or button to get a look at it or I guess the really question is what do I do to fix the problem?

Thanks in advance for the help,
Midnight Shadow

The outer ring is driven through an idler gear by a gear on the speed control knob. More than likely your speed control knob gear is stripped or you are missing the idler gear and/or its bushing. You can see the parts behind the knob here.

There is a fellow on Ebay that does a great job of repairing the stripped gear on the speed control knob.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:15 pm

HEre's the link for that guy.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHOPSMITH-MARK- ... 0417862%26

midnightshadow · Post by **midnightshadow** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:01 pm

Is there a way for me to take the speed control off so I can see what is happening? The speed control turns clockwise and counterclockwise just fine but as it is doing it the big ring with the writing and letters on it will turn when I have reached the speed I want.

I can hand turn the ring with the letters on it it back to where it should be by turning it clockwise but then it will start doing it again on it own even when I am not changing the speed.

I would like to take it the handle and the part that says Shopsmith off and see what I can tell once that is off. So is it possible to do this without taking the whole speed control out? If not is there somewhere I can find directions to take the speed control unit out on this old greenie machine?
Midnight Shadow

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:14 pm

midnightshadow wrote:Is there a way for me to take the speed control off so I can see what is happening? The speed control turns clockwise and counterclockwise just fine but as it is doing it the big ring with the writing and letters on it will turn when I have reached the speed I want.

I can hand turn the ring with the letters on it it back to where it should be by turning it clockwise but then it will start doing it again on it own even when I am not changing the speed.

I would like to take it the handle and the part that says Shopsmith off and see what I can tell once that is off. So is it possible to do this without taking the whole speed control out? If not is there somewhere I can find directions to take the speed control unit out on this old greenie machine?
Midnight Shadow

With the Shopsmith running turn the speed control knob until the slot on the outside rim is at around the 1 o'clock position and shut the machine off. Insert a 3/32" allen wrench in the slot on the rim into the allen screw that secures the knob to the shaft. A flashlight is beneficial to find the screw. Loosen the screw and pull the knob off of the shaft.

billmayo · Post by **billmayo** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:55 pm

beeg wrote:HEre's the link for that guy.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHOPSMITH-MARK- ... 0417862%26

He does an outstanding job. I have used quite a few of them from him in my repairs.

midnightshadow · Post by **midnightshadow** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:04 pm

Thanks I now got he control arm off. I noticed as I was taking it off, before I loosened the set screw that the set screw was loose and allowed me to put it a bit out.

So I now have the speed control lever off and the gears inside look good. So I am wondering if it was just a loose set screw that allowed the outer ring, the big ring with the letters on it to rotate on it own.

I would like to try putting the speed control lever back on and see if that stops the large ring from rotating on it own. However, since the outter ring was rotating I don't know exactly where it should be located to be in the correct position to line up with the speed control lever.

Lately, before I took off the speed control lever I could turn the speed control lever to the fastest speed the machine would go but the larger ring would not indicated that I was at the top speed.

So I am now trying to figure out where to spin the large ring with the letters and things like works such as "Saw, sanding etc." where that ring should be set so that I can place the speed control lever back on and see if the only real problem was the set screw was loose and allowed the handle to move so that the large ring would rotate on its own.

I checked the screws that are on the piece you can see once the speed control handle is off and they are tight. I also checked the nut that is there and it is tight. I can rotate the large ring without the speed control lever clockwise so I am thinking if I can set it in the right position with the little triangle that says where the speed is it just might work.

If not I guess I will need to get a new gear on the speed control lever and see if that does it but again I don't know where the two should be set to be correct.

I appreciate the help I have been given and look forward to getting my shopsmith working well.

Thanks in advance,for your thought,
Midightshadow

fredsheldon · Post by **fredsheldon** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 3:28 pm

Yes, I just finished putting my headstock back together and found that if I didn't push the speed adjuster all the way in before tighening the set screw the speed dial would disengage and rotate on it's own. Trying to stab the allen wrench into the tiny set screw which is way down inside behind the speed control is a real challenge. Be sure you push the speed control dial all the way onto the shaft and move it around a bit to engage the speed dial idler gear completely before tighening the set screw. Also, don't lose that little tension spring or anti rattle spring or whatever it is behind the speed control as you put it back together.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:38 am

The speed control shaft has a small depression(hole) and that is where the set screw is supposed to seat.

Tis easier to put the allen wrench into the screw before attaching the dial. A long allen wrench with a handle makes that much easier.

That leaf spring under one of the three screws will resist pushing in on the dial. It can also get in the way of the allen wrench.

Make sure you push the dial in far enough so that the set screw drops into the shaft depression.

If the loose set screw has boogered the shaft, ya might consider cleaning that up with a file.

midnightshadow · Post by **midnightshadow** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 2:41 pm

I know now that I have the speed control lever off that it was slipping because I looked at the 1 o'clock position to get the lever off and the actual divit or place where the set screw goes is at about 4 o'clock.

So I don't know where I should set the ring with the words on it like saw sander etc to that it will line up with the correct spot, divit, where the set screw is to go.

If I just put the set screw in the depression, which as I said about is at about 4 oclock won''t the large ring be out of sink with the actually speed?

At least that is what I am thinking so I am trying to figure out where I should turn the large dial to line up with the point where the set screw should actually be set?

I could do it be trial and error I guess but I figure there must be some way to know what the relationship is between the where the set screw is susposed to be and where the large ring telling me what speed is approprate on the large ring.

Does anyone know the placement of the big ring, Letters or operations, where the when the set screw is at 4 o'clock or at 1 o'clock?

If I don't get thenm in the correct position the large ring will be out of sink with the rpm of the motor.

Thanks,
midnightshadow