i just posted this on lumberjocks, and in response i was directed here.
i have a shopsmith mark V that rendered itself inoperable this week. i am hoping that i can get some assistance from someone who might help me assess the problem and figure out a solution.
i bought my shopsmith second hand, so it didn’t come with all the manuals. i tried googling and looking on youtube for a solution, but no luck.
i noticed a ticking sound coming from the powerhead during some lathe work on lowest speed. the ticking sound reduced in intensity at a slightly higher rpm. i resolved to open the housing up once i finished the piece i was working on and have a look (i thought a belt might have frayed, but the belts seem to be in good condition). once i opened the back (left, smaller) part of the housing and exposed the belt drive, i turned the shopsmith back on and accelerated the speed slightly. at that point the shopsmith stalled entirely, and the unit began issuing a burning aroma.
my belief is that either a bearing froze, or the motor died.. or honestly i have no idea. the drive system and internal mechanisms on the shopsmith are unfamiliar to me.
the quill can sometimes be spun by hand, and sometimes not. the motor appears to have dropped almost entirely in power, but i cant be sure if its the motor, or if one of the pulleys freezing and stalling the motor is the cause. i didnt want to take the machine apart further as first off im not exactly sure how to go about doing that properly, and if an obvious solution can be reached without completely disassembling the machine.. well that would be ideal.
i can take photos and video if it would help, but first id like to know where best to point the camera.
i sincerely appreciate any assistance i can get on this problem. ive been pushing for months to get a portfolio together to apply to my cities art college, and i just got word back from them 2 days ago that i was accepted. so to have a tool that is part of the backbone of my workshop die is kind of crushing just now.
broken shopsmith in need of assistance
Moderator: admin
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patrickooomazing
- Bronze Member
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:33 am
- Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your troubles. If you update your profile to indicate your location there may be a member near you who can help out. Until the problem is diagnosed, don't try to run the motor or you may burn it out (if you haven't already done so). Also, don't try to move the speed dial.
The usual problems with the machine are caused by lack of maintenance, particularly lubrication of the upper and lower sheaves, which need periodic oiling. Likely a sheave is stuck and a belt is jammed. There are a set of videos on the Shopsmith.com website dealing with maintenance and repair. They are under the "Woodworking" menu and are called Sawdust Sessions. Some deal with woodworking but some are maintenance and repair. This one explains how to clean and lube the machine. http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... enance.htm I'd recommend watching all the maintenance and repair videos. They will give you confidence to tear into the machine.
Al
The usual problems with the machine are caused by lack of maintenance, particularly lubrication of the upper and lower sheaves, which need periodic oiling. Likely a sheave is stuck and a belt is jammed. There are a set of videos on the Shopsmith.com website dealing with maintenance and repair. They are under the "Woodworking" menu and are called Sawdust Sessions. Some deal with woodworking but some are maintenance and repair. This one explains how to clean and lube the machine. http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... enance.htm I'd recommend watching all the maintenance and repair videos. They will give you confidence to tear into the machine.
Al
Patrick,patrickooomazing wrote:i just posted this on lumberjocks, and in response i was directed here.
i have a shopsmith mark V that rendered itself inoperable this week. i am hoping that i can get some assistance from someone who might help me assess the problem and figure out a solution.
i bought my shopsmith second hand, so it didn’t come with all the manuals. i tried googling and looking on youtube for a solution, but no luck.
i noticed a ticking sound coming from the powerhead during some lathe work on lowest speed. the ticking sound reduced in intensity at a slightly higher rpm. i resolved to open the housing up once i finished the piece i was working on and have a look (i thought a belt might have frayed, but the belts seem to be in good condition). once i opened the back (left, smaller) part of the housing and exposed the belt drive, i turned the shopsmith back on and accelerated the speed slightly. at that point the shopsmith stalled entirely, and the unit began issuing a burning aroma.
my belief is that either a bearing froze, or the motor died.. or honestly i have no idea. the drive system and internal mechanisms on the shopsmith are unfamiliar to me.
the quill can sometimes be spun by hand, and sometimes not. the motor appears to have dropped almost entirely in power, but i cant be sure if its the motor, or if one of the pulleys freezing and stalling the motor is the cause. i didnt want to take the machine apart further as first off im not exactly sure how to go about doing that properly, and if an obvious solution can be reached without completely disassembling the machine.. well that would be ideal.
i can take photos and video if it would help, but first id like to know where best to point the camera.
i sincerely appreciate any assistance i can get on this problem. ive been pushing for months to get a portfolio together to apply to my cities art college, and i just got word back from them 2 days ago that i was accepted. so to have a tool that is part of the backbone of my workshop die is kind of crushing just now.
This a great opportunity to justify the purchase of the PowerPro DYI upgrade!!!! The best investment I ever made in my Shopsmith, the 520 table upgrade a very close second.
Jack
What is the serial number? That will tell us about what year it was built. Have ya been lubing it every 10 hours? Here is the whole listing of the sawdust sessions. http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/Sawdust_Sessions.htm
SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop.
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Bob
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Bob
patrick
When you look in the rear inspection port look at the part of the speed control mechanism that is shaped like a pork chop. There is a spring that is riveted on to the arm and also a square loop of stiff wire that should have a coil spring that acts like a roller. The opposite side of the loop goes into a small axle in the end of the control sheave bearing. If that bearing is going bad the clicking may originate at that point. The chief reason for the bearing going bad is lack of lubrication.
The second thing that can cause the binding or stalling condition is that excessive wear of the "V" belt can cause it to drop too far into the motor sheave and it will stall the motor and cause the spindle to be hard to turn even by hand. See if you can pull the motor sheave (properly called the floating sheave) apart and try to put some slack in the "V" belt to eliminate the bind. DO NOT LET THE SHEAVES SNAP BACK TOGETHER. If you do you can damage the spacer that is behind the non moving sheave.
If the motor only hums do not try to run the machine too many times as the motor windings WILL be damaged.
Pictures are worth a thousand words but here they have unlimited value.
Post some pix of all that you have and the group will guide you from there. If the motor runs, it is fixable. If the motor is toast it is still fixable but will cost a bit more:(
There is no rocket science inside the headstock and anyone with moderate mechanical skills will be able to fix it.
Bill V
PS Welcome to the best site on the web!!!
When you look in the rear inspection port look at the part of the speed control mechanism that is shaped like a pork chop. There is a spring that is riveted on to the arm and also a square loop of stiff wire that should have a coil spring that acts like a roller. The opposite side of the loop goes into a small axle in the end of the control sheave bearing. If that bearing is going bad the clicking may originate at that point. The chief reason for the bearing going bad is lack of lubrication.
The second thing that can cause the binding or stalling condition is that excessive wear of the "V" belt can cause it to drop too far into the motor sheave and it will stall the motor and cause the spindle to be hard to turn even by hand. See if you can pull the motor sheave (properly called the floating sheave) apart and try to put some slack in the "V" belt to eliminate the bind. DO NOT LET THE SHEAVES SNAP BACK TOGETHER. If you do you can damage the spacer that is behind the non moving sheave.
If the motor only hums do not try to run the machine too many times as the motor windings WILL be damaged.
Pictures are worth a thousand words but here they have unlimited value.
Post some pix of all that you have and the group will guide you from there. If the motor runs, it is fixable. If the motor is toast it is still fixable but will cost a bit more:(
There is no rocket science inside the headstock and anyone with moderate mechanical skills will be able to fix it.
Bill V
PS Welcome to the best site on the web!!!
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patrickooomazing
- Bronze Member
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:33 am
- Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
i just updated my profile for my location. i am in calgary alberta canada. im guessing that is probably pretty far out of the way for most people. shopsmiths dont seem to come up often on kijiji here.
the model number is SS 85791
im watching the videos now. im glad to see that shopsmith has that resource.. not sure why i couldnt find them last night? perhaps i just missed them while freaking out
i wont have a chance to get out to the garage till after dinner, but ill take and post some photos at that point
as for the maintenance, ill hang my head in shame. my shopsmith came with no manuals (or perhaps they got lost in a move? life has been hectic, so who knows), so i didnt know the maintenance schedule was so regular. though ive had it for a couple years now, it rarely got used till recently. maybe a total of 5 hours drilling holes and being a disk sander, but thats probably generous. then a couple months ago i started using it fairly heavily as a lathe to build some large diameter props for comicon.
the model number is SS 85791
im watching the videos now. im glad to see that shopsmith has that resource.. not sure why i couldnt find them last night? perhaps i just missed them while freaking out
i wont have a chance to get out to the garage till after dinner, but ill take and post some photos at that point
as for the maintenance, ill hang my head in shame. my shopsmith came with no manuals (or perhaps they got lost in a move? life has been hectic, so who knows), so i didnt know the maintenance schedule was so regular. though ive had it for a couple years now, it rarely got used till recently. maybe a total of 5 hours drilling holes and being a disk sander, but thats probably generous. then a couple months ago i started using it fairly heavily as a lathe to build some large diameter props for comicon.
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patrickooomazing
- Bronze Member
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:33 am
- Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
i took some photos tonight
this machine is pretty difficult to get a camera into, so i hope this helps
if you need me to take more/ different photos, ill run out and get them.. so just ask. i can also record a video, if that would help.. but it will take time for me to be able to convert it in such a way that i could upload it
i pulled the belt off the pulley on the motor. it was loose to begin with anyways, so that wasnt a problem.
the motor spins, and unattached to anything else sounds fine under power. i cant exactly put it under load, but i think its fine
the speed adjusting pulley mechanism (which is seriously neat-o) is still attached to whatever mechanism drives the quill and somewhere in there is the clicking noise. unattached from the motor, the quill spins by hand.. so now im confused.
i pulled the quill out, and the bearing in there spun freely too
i also stepped up my game on the maintenance, just so you dont judge me too harshly. i dont have any 3 in 1 oil on hand (going to canadian tire this weekend for a handful of things) but i waxed the bars that the headstock runs on and i blew out the enclosure (with the motor running, after the belt came off)
what steps do i take next?
also is the speed adjusting bar actually connected to the pulley in any way? or does it just push on the shaft to close the pulley halves, and the belt tension presses them open? cause mine isnt attached in any way
this machine is pretty difficult to get a camera into, so i hope this helps
if you need me to take more/ different photos, ill run out and get them.. so just ask. i can also record a video, if that would help.. but it will take time for me to be able to convert it in such a way that i could upload it
i pulled the belt off the pulley on the motor. it was loose to begin with anyways, so that wasnt a problem.
the motor spins, and unattached to anything else sounds fine under power. i cant exactly put it under load, but i think its fine
the speed adjusting pulley mechanism (which is seriously neat-o) is still attached to whatever mechanism drives the quill and somewhere in there is the clicking noise. unattached from the motor, the quill spins by hand.. so now im confused.
i pulled the quill out, and the bearing in there spun freely too
i also stepped up my game on the maintenance, just so you dont judge me too harshly. i dont have any 3 in 1 oil on hand (going to canadian tire this weekend for a handful of things) but i waxed the bars that the headstock runs on and i blew out the enclosure (with the motor running, after the belt came off)
what steps do i take next?
also is the speed adjusting bar actually connected to the pulley in any way? or does it just push on the shaft to close the pulley halves, and the belt tension presses them open? cause mine isnt attached in any way
To answer a couple of your questions, you can't directly upload videos. You can upload videos on YouTube and put links to those videos in your posts.
There is supposed to be a connection between the speed control mechanism and the sheave. It is a button bearing with a wire loop. See the area inside the blue quasi-circle in the photo below (the white arrow points to an oiling hole that the older Shopsmith's don't have).
[ATTACH]24393[/ATTACH]
With inadequate oiling, that bearing seizes up and either the wire loop that connects it to the pork chop breaks off or the whole bearing falls off. In either case it is probably hiding in the motor pan, under the motor. It isn't intended to be a user replaceable part. I believe it is a press fit and some users have managed to reattach. Bill Mayo who is one of the real experts here (I'm just a poser) may chime in. Otherwise buy a new sheave assembly from the mothership (hope they ship to Canada) or buy a used assembly from ebay.
Al
There is supposed to be a connection between the speed control mechanism and the sheave. It is a button bearing with a wire loop. See the area inside the blue quasi-circle in the photo below (the white arrow points to an oiling hole that the older Shopsmith's don't have).
[ATTACH]24393[/ATTACH]
With inadequate oiling, that bearing seizes up and either the wire loop that connects it to the pork chop breaks off or the whole bearing falls off. In either case it is probably hiding in the motor pan, under the motor. It isn't intended to be a user replaceable part. I believe it is a press fit and some users have managed to reattach. Bill Mayo who is one of the real experts here (I'm just a poser) may chime in. Otherwise buy a new sheave assembly from the mothership (hope they ship to Canada) or buy a used assembly from ebay.
Al
- Attachments
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- buttonbearing.JPG (39.28 KiB) Viewed 2473 times
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patrickooomazing
- Bronze Member
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:33 am
- Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
it might be a bit hard to see. the wire hoop is present, but the piece on the shaft appears to have broken off.. i would have thought it would have taken the hoop with it?
also, the ball bearings inside the bearing appear close to falling out. so thats obviously a problem
question is, is that the only problem?
ordering parts in canada is.. difficult. there is only one supplier in canada and their website doesnt list replacement parts. so before i go ordering a replacement bearing, or whole pulley assembly, i want to try to make sure i have everything covered that has gone wrong.
i do have access to a bearing press. is it inconceivable that i couldnt just buy a bearing to stuff in there?
also, the ball bearings inside the bearing appear close to falling out. so thats obviously a problem
question is, is that the only problem?
ordering parts in canada is.. difficult. there is only one supplier in canada and their website doesnt list replacement parts. so before i go ordering a replacement bearing, or whole pulley assembly, i want to try to make sure i have everything covered that has gone wrong.
i do have access to a bearing press. is it inconceivable that i couldnt just buy a bearing to stuff in there?
I'm knot sure if he can help ya, with you being in Canada. But contact Bill Mayo from here and see if he can help ya.
SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop.
.
.
Bob
.
.
Bob