Drive center sourcing

phillsam · Post by **phillsam** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 4:47 pm

So I bought my shopsmith a few months ago and have really enjoyed getting to know it.

I am now comfortable with most functions and have gone through the cleaning/lubrication procedures.

The other night I wanted to give the lathe a try.

Turns out the guy I purchased it from didnt have the drive center or live cup center (one with the bearing)? Sorry I am unsure of the lingo.

Other than the mother ship, are there any places out there you can find these pieces, hopefully locally?
I have tried craigslist but no one wants to sell just those parts.

Or do any of you guys have extras laying around you might be able to send a shopsmith newbie?

--If you are in the portland, oregon-ish area and have experience tuning/lubing the bandsaw, I could really use help on that (mine screams like a banshee and I cant seem to figure it out)

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 11:27 am

The mothership is your best bet.

Then eBay and/or craigslist. Be wary of eBay, a lot of parts end up being more expensive than new.

Make sure the drive centers are shopsmith for a 5/8" arbor.

Another option is to get a scroll chuck, the one SS sells is actually a good value and If I had it to do over again, I would go with that one. I like my PSI Barracuda 2 but the Nova G3 is a great chuck, and the price including the adapter and pin jaws is comparable in price to anywhere else. Once you have a scroll chuck, steb and spur drive insert can be purchased and used with the chuck.

As for live centers, any Morse Taper 2 (MT 2) live Center will do the trick and these can be had just about anywhere.

Lathe Accessories I recommend
Spur Drive and Live Cup Center especially A and C from here http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/l_lathecenters.htm

Lathe Arbor for holding the drill chuck http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/l_lathearbors.htm

Face plates are very handy.

A Scroll Chuck

If you don't have anything for turning, this is a good deal. and includes most of what I have recommended (Except the Chuck)
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/l_turningpackage.htm

holsgo · Post by **holsgo** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 3:05 pm

Just bite the bullet and get them from shopsmith. They are really the same price as on ebay and you are sure to get the right thing. Once you have some time with the machine you can be more comfortable buying used stuff. I got great used deals once I knew what to look for, but if I tried that in my first few months of ownership I would have gotten snaked.
I bought a belt sander for 70 bucks cuz it had a broken mounting plate. But since I knew the range of travel I also knew I could fix it.

db5 · Post by **db5** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 7:42 pm

holsgo wrote:Just bite the bullet and get them from shopsmith. They are really the same price as on ebay.

Can't agree with this at all. eBay is a great source]http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=sh ... .A0.Xshops[/url]

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 7:53 pm

phillsam wrote:So I bought my shopsmith a few months ago and have really enjoyed getting to know it.

I am now comfortable with most functions and have gone through the cleaning/lubrication procedures.

The other night I wanted to give the lathe a try.

Turns out the guy I purchased it from didnt have the drive center or live cup center (one with the bearing)? Sorry I am unsure of the lingo.

Other than the mother ship, are there any places out there you can find these pieces, hopefully locally?
I have tried craigslist but no one wants to sell just those parts.

Or do any of you guys have extras laying around you might be able to send a shopsmith newbie?

--If you are in the portland, oregon-ish area and have experience tuning/lubing the bandsaw, I could really use help on that (mine screams like a banshee and I cant seem to figure it out)

I should have an extra drive center, dead cup center, and maybe a live center. My email is below or you may contact me via this webpage.

greitz · Post by **greitz** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 8:14 pm

Oneway makes a "safe-drive" center for Shopsmith 5/8" spindle. It's great for beginning turners, since the wood just stops turning if (when!) you get a catch. Look on the middle right side of the web page.

http://www.oneway.ca/spindle/safe_drivers.htm

Gary

holsgo · Post by **holsgo** » Thu Nov 21, 2013 5:59 am

Well, with shipping, most stuff I got was comparable to SS pricing. Your luck has obviously been better.

algale · Post by **algale** » Thu Nov 21, 2013 7:06 am

greitz wrote:Oneway makes a "safe-drive" center for Shopsmith 5/8" spindle. It's great for beginning turners, since the wood just stops turning if (when!) you get a catch. Look on the middle right side of the web page.

http://www.oneway.ca/spindle/safe_drivers.htm

Gary

Interesting. Do you have one? If so, is the set screw hole drilled at an angle, like on Shopsmith accessories (permits set screw to sit flat on tapered flat machined on Shopsmit spindle)?

greitz · Post by **greitz** » Thu Nov 21, 2013 12:15 pm

Yes, I have one of those Oneway centers. I'm not at home now to verify the set screw angle, but either way I don't think it's a problem for this drive center. It doesn't take much of a catch to stop the wood from spinning, so I can't imagine a situation where there would be sufficient torque or vibration to cause the set screw to loosen. I don't think this drive center is useful for bowl turning, just spindle work.

Gary

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Thu Nov 21, 2013 1:18 pm

greitz wrote:Yes, I have one of those Oneway centers. I'm not at home now to verify the set screw angle, but either way I don't think it's a problem for this drive center. It doesn't take much of a catch to stop the wood from spinning, so I can't imagine a situation where there would be sufficient torque or vibration to cause the set screw to loosen. I don't think this drive center is useful for bowl turning, just spindle work.

Gary

Add to this the fact that a drive spur is ALWAYS used with tail center of some sort to provide compression, that drive spur is not coming off.