Headstock Preference

[wesneveu]

Searching the archives have given me little to no insight. Which headstock is best? Is it a matter of preference? My thoughts are the "A" headstock is heaver and better reinforced making it the better choice.

I picked up a "B" headstock, at a good price, for the 1 1/8 motor for my "A" headstock. The A was cracked at the quill feed opening on the return spring side, the spring housing had turned in the headstock causing the crack. the set screw still had the putty intact so I'm not sure why it rotated in the headstock, but that's another issue.

The A had Fafnir bearings the B had Japanese bearings, fit and finish seamed of lesser quality on the B.

Is all the upgrade arms race just a matter of having the new stuff?

[everettdavis]

If you remove the plate on the back of the "A" Headstock, you will find, unless it has been altered by someone, there is no inspection hole on the back for you to oil the speed control sheave, quadrant, and speed control assembly.

Some of the early machines did not have the oil hole drilled in the sheave, though some here have added it.

I have all three versions A B and C, and even the earliest A can be upgraded to the PowerPro DVR system upgrade. The C has the rectangular safety switch with removable key to help keep inquiring minds from powering it up without permission.

C Headstock Safety Switch.jpg (24.59 KiB) Viewed 2410 times

There are all sorts of posts on the Headstock variances so I will list one to get you started.... JPG did a great job showing the differences, and the thread will help get you grounded on what is different.

Everett

http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewt ... 63#p100263

Also take a peek at http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewt ... 90#p185690

The buying a used Shopsmith Revisited document has a bunch of information to help you find what is different.

One of the bigger issues is the change to the more powerful motor, which you have discovered, the change from the Gilmer belt system to the Poly-V belt system, and 2 bearing quill opposed to the single that was in the early Greenie (A) headstock. Then there are larger tables on the newer 505 / 510, and even further improvement in the 520 / Mark 7 Tables.

[dusty]

Which is better? Better being the operative word. I don't know because the answer is subjective. If your objective is to "restore" a headstock that was built initially with an "A" headstock the"A" is better (the only one that supports "restore".

I have two. A "B" and a "C" and since neither are damaged in any way and both have the larger motor and the polly "V" drive system, I just cannot say. If I had to give one up - it would be the "B" because I bought the "C" new.

[wesneveu]

I am familiar with the differences, in fact I have completed a few improvements to mine

https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... 71#p226771

In addition to the 1 1/8 hp motor and the improvements linked above I drilled an oil port in the control sheave over the keyway, as well as replacing all bearings with Fafnir bearings purchasing an extra for the quill so I can take it to a local machine shop to have a second bearing modification made.

Is one headstock inherently sturdier than another? I guess would be more succinct.

[JPG]

The "A" is thicker/heavier. Being a sand casting, it is also 'cruder'.