BigJohn wrote:Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions. I've turned this thing every-way but loose but it still jams. I called Shopsmith and spoke with the supervisor who inspected the carriage that was sent me as part of the 520 upgrade.After some discussion, she said the problem was probably a deformation in the support tube (maybe caused by tightening the headstock or carriage too tight in the past, but who knows?)
I still don't understand how one carriage hole slides down both tubes easily, but one hole(the one near the handle) jams halfway down. The old carriage assembly moves smoothly down both tubes as does the headstock. The replacement carriage jams in the same place as the the original one they sent.
They gave me a discount on a new tube and asked me to try that. Should arrive in a week or so.
I think i'll take a dremel tool with a grinding disk to the sticky tube and see if that loosens things up while I'm waiting.
You speak only of the carriage. Does the headstock slide end to end with a consistent amount of resistance as you pass over "the bad spot".
If the tube(s) was/were damaged enough to jam the carriage, I would think you could feel and/or see that.
Good Luck with this.
+1.... Why didn't I think of that?
Chris Neilan
Shopsmith Mark 7, Shopsmith Mark V 1982, shortened, Shopsmith 10 ER; Craftsman table saw (1964); Powermatic 3520B lathe
The old carriage and headstock move smoothly along the tubes with no problem. I sent the headstock off to be rebuilt and I have not unboxed it yet. I wanted to get the new carriage on first. When I put the old carriage back on the tubes, it moves smoothly with no jamming. One side of the new carriage will slide along both tubes with no problems. The other side will jam on only one of the tubes.This happened with 2 different replacement carriages sent by Shopsmith.
Its a puzzle, but I'm hoping the new tube will solve the problem.
BigJohn wrote:Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions. I've turned this thing every-way but loose but it still jams. I called Shopsmith and spoke with the supervisor who inspected the carriage that was sent me as part of the 520 upgrade.After some discussion, she said the problem was probably a deformation in the support tube (maybe caused by tightening the headstock or carriage too tight in the past, but who knows?)
I still don't understand how one carriage hole slides down both tubes easily, but one hole(the one near the handle) jams halfway down. The old carriage assembly moves smoothly down both tubes as does the headstock. The replacement carriage jams in the same place as the the original one they sent.
They gave me a discount on a new tube and asked me to try that. Should arrive in a week or so.
I think i'll take a dremel tool with a grinding disk to the sticky tube and see if that loosens things up while I'm waiting.
?!
Do not use a dremel On the tube. Try gentle sanding around the tube in the sticky area.
However, I think more attention to the carriage is called for.
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╟JPG ╢
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
I agree with JPG on this. It is hard for me to see the tubes as a cause.
Just a thought. Turn the carriage 180 and see if it is the same tube that drags. If it is suddenly the "other tube" the carriage becomes prime suspect.
"Making Sawdust Safely" Dusty
Sent from my Dell XPS using Firefox.
So appreciative to all you guys for your suggestions and comments.I have tried it with the tie bar on and off, same result the carriage jams about halfway down. I tried rotating the carriage in 30 Degree intervals around the tube, no effect on the jam. I pulled the tube out of the machine and laid it down on a laminate top table in the workshop to see if it rolled smoothly. It did, however when I put a bright light behind the tube I could see light under the middle of the tube. Tube has a slight bend in it. This machine sat idle for 10 years with the weight of the headstock and carriage on it. Maybe this bent it over time? Perhaps the old carriage had been worn in to accommodate the bend. Still don't have a clue why this tube will slide down one side of the carriage and not the other. Did the same thing on both the new and replacement carriage. Hope the new tube fixes this problem.
John, maybe I did not make myself clear. I meant to suggest that you rotate the carriage 180° so that the tubes were riding on the opposite sides of the carriage.
I contend that it is going to take more than a "slight" bend in the tubes to cause the jam you describe.
However, it would still be good to hear that your problem is resolved.
"Making Sawdust Safely" Dusty
Sent from my Dell XPS using Firefox.
Hey guys. Thanks again for helping a complete newbie with this carriage issue. Still scratching my head on this one. I took the carriage and flipped it upside down. This has the effect of putting the tubes in the opposite holes. If i put in only one tube at a time, and load that tube in the hole that is farthest from the handle, the carriage slides smoothly down the tube. If i go back and put the other tube into that same hole, it again slides smoothly all the way down its length.
Now if I go back and switch to the hole in the carriage that is nearest to the handle, it will slide down one tube smoothly, but then jam tightly in the middle on the other tube. If I use a different new 520 carriage(shopsmith sent me a replacement), the same result. Does this suggest that the problem is with the carriage and not the tube? Note the carriage lock assembly is not in the carriage.
Both carriages exhibit the same binding now? Ise confused, I thought the 'original' carriage did not bind?
The last post suggests a funky tube.
I am not clear if it only binds when the other tube is in the carriage.
With the carriage mounted upside down, it should be easy to see how the clearance between the tube and the carriage bores varies along the tube.
Marking the tube so that the bind removes the mark may help isolate it.
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╟JPG ╢
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
sorry for the confusion. I'm very new to this and may not be explaining what is going one clearly. I have 2 new 520 carriages that came directly from shopsmith. Both exhibit the same binding behavior with the same tube when it goes in the hole closest to the handle. If I put that tube in the other hole it slides smoothly the whole length. The other tube slides through both holes smoothly.
When the carriage is upside down, I can see it moving along the tube until it binds, and can mark the tube with a sharpie where the carriage starts and end. What should I be looking for? Could there be a difference in the diameter of the forward and rear hole in the carriage? Since both carriages exhibit the same behavior (jaming on the identical tube in the hole closest to the handle), does this point to a problem with the carriage?
