Planer Woes... Cutter Head Bearings

[crosscreekcraig]

Let's call a flat a flat and a keyway a keyway.

I thought that's what we were doing, JPG...

[JPG]

Let's call a flat a flat and a keyway a keyway.

I thought that's what we were doing, JPG...

Well educate me! All that makes sense only if there is both a flat and a keyway. Is that the case? I do not recall that being so and my planer is not very accessible.

[Skizzity]

[reible]

Any one know or care to guess why the flat is milled on the shaft? I don't have a shopsmith planner but common sense says you don't do machining for nothing.......... of course it adds cost which in turn raises prices.

Just wondering.

Ed

[JPG]

Any one know or care to guess why the flat is milled on the shaft? I don't have a shopsmith planner but common sense says you don't do machining for nothing.......... of course it adds cost which in turn raises prices.

Just wondering.

Ed

Well we both be learning something tonight.

A bit of thought and it makes sense.

That shaft has to fit both the pulley and a shopsmith coupler hub.

Keyway for the pulley, flat for the hub.

[Skizzity]

Any one know or care to guess why the flat is milled on the shaft? I don't have a shopsmith planner but common sense says you don't do machining for nothing.......... of course it adds cost which in turn raises prices.

Just wondering.

Ed

I thought it was so you could mount it on your way tubes and use the spindle hub and coupler like the Mark-mounted planer.

[reible]

Well that makes perfect sense now. As I said there had to be a reason to spend the money. And you save it by having one part do both deeds, one for the self propelled stand alone and the other for the shopsmith mounted version.

So I did learn something new tonight.

Ed

[crosscreekcraig]

I took it for granted that you guys knew better than me; I'm a relative newbie to all things Shopsmith. I didn't realize my planer had both until I took the drive hub off to install the pulley. I had been wondering why there are two different parts explosions/lists for the mounted vs. the pro and thought that a key vs. a flat might be the reason. Then I thought I was going to have to find a new cutter head with a key way. So milling the shaft with both features is a cost saver for the manufacturer; no need to double up on your parts inventory.

Now I'm still wondering why two different parts lists - and they aren't even numbered the same. The bearings, for instance, are number 16 on the mounted planer list and number 90 for the pro. Maybe I'll get bored enough to sort it out one day for myself - I'll let y'all know if I do!

[dgreen810]

I have a dumb question to ponder. I think it is correct that the input shaft is milled with both a flat and a keyway so the planer can be mounted as a stand alone or mounted so it can be driven directly by the SS power head, But , when using the planer why does the pulley come loose when it is tightened to the flat, but the drive hub doesn't. Or it doesn't seem to be an issue with the people that use the planer mounted on a Mark V using the drive hub.

The only thing I can see that might explain the problem would be the original pulley is cast aluminum and the drive hub is steel. and possibly the mating of the two may be less rigid in some way. SS has gone to steel pulleys. Thoughts?

Don G

[crosscreekcraig]

I have a dumb question to ponder. I think it is correct that the input shaft is milled with both a flat and a keyway so the planer can be mounted as a stand alone or mounted so it can be driven directly by the SS power head, But , when using the planer why does the pulley come loose when it is tightened to the flat, but the drive hub doesn't. Or it doesn't seem to be an issue with the people that use the planer mounted on a Mark V using the drive hub.

The only thing I can see that might explain the problem would be the original pulley is cast aluminum and the drive hub is steel. and possibly the mating of the two may be less rigid in some way. SS has gone to steel pulleys. Thoughts?

Don G

Torque. The drive hub is little bigger than the shaft itself and driven in parallel to the power source. The pulley is 3" in diameter so the torque involved turning the shaft is greater and driven perpendicular to the source via the belt. Those forces are too great for the small surface area contact on a broader flat surface by the relatively smaller set screw.