Lubricating the main spindle

[earlmorton]

I have a 1983 Mark V that I have upgraded with the 520 table and fence and with the PowerPro (gen 1). It hasn't been used in about five years. I just turned it on and ran the speed up to a couple thousand RPMs and back down a couple of times, once in forward and once in reverse. It runs, but it sounds "dry" to me. I suspect that the main spindle needs to be lubricated, but I couldn't find detailed instructions for doing that in either my original printed manuals or in this forum. I also couldn't find it on the YouTube channel. I'm sure that I've had the quill and spindle assembly disabled, but it's been a while. In fact, I have replaced the quill twice in the past, so I think I can figure out how to disassemble the quill and spindle. But I would appreciate reminders of anything tricky to watch out for in either disassembly or reassembly. (I remember about slowly releasing the quill lever to release tension on the spring and how to rewind the spring when putting the quill back in.) Also, where should the spindle be lubricated and with what? Oil? Wax? something else?

Thanks!

[JPG]

The spindle bearings do not require any lubrication. The bearings are sealed and lubricated for the life of the bearing.

That said the grease can over extended time 'dry' out. Replacement (of the bearings) is the 'solution'.

What does a dry bearing sound like?

[earlmorton]

It is a light scraping sound, like parts continuously rubbing on each other, but I can't tell if it's metallic or plastic or something else. It is not a banging, and it is not a squealing sound (like a loose belt). I was thinking that it sounded like it was coming from the quill area of the headstock. However, to answer your question better, I just went out and listened to it some more. I ran the speed up higher (3000+ RPM), and I can't hear that sound at the higher speed, but that might be just because the motor is louder. Also, I tried harder to determine where in the headstock the sound was coming from, and now I can't be sure. The sound doesn't change when I extend the quill. (By the way, I have nothing attached to the spindle.) I'm wondering now if I'm being overly sensitive because I haven't heard the "normal" sound for so long. And frankly, I haven't used it very much since upgrading to the PowerPro, so maybe I'm just not that familiar with what the "normal" sound is now. I felt the headstock while it was running, and there is no excessive vibration. I tried blowing out the headstock with some canned air, but didn't see any dust come out. I know this isn't being very helpful. I need to cut up a little bit of plywood for a project. I'll pay attention while I'm actually using it, and see how it goes.

[RonKlein]

Scraping sound? Check that the fan sheave isn't rubbing on the motor.

[earlmorton]

Oh, that's a good idea! I have not taken off the belt cover, but I can do that easily.

[chapmanruss]

All the powered shafts in a Power Pro Headstock are sealed Bearings. From the Motor to the Idler Shaft Assembly to the Drive Sleeve Assembly and the Quill Assembly. If the noise is coming from one of those bearing replacement would be indicated. Running it with the Belt Cover moved away from the rest of the Headstock may help pinpoint any problem. You can also check the tension on the Belts at that time.

[DLB]

There is no fan sheave on the PowerPro, instead you have a poly-v style pulley on one end of the motor and a fan on the other end. Check that the pulley is positioned all the way out and is adjacent to the snap ring on the motor shaft and not rubbing on the motor housing. Both the fan and pulley setscrews are known for coming loose, seems more prevalent in some motors than others. Loctite solved that problem for me, and IIRC that's the Shopsmith recommendation. I don't recall if the fan can move enough to rub on anything, but IIRC it is likewise positioned out from the motor housing and in contact with a snap ring. (There is a fan cover/shroud that would have to be removed to see this.) The PowerPro should be very quiet, especially at low speeds. Also check that the belts are running true and not rubbing anywhere. If you have a dry bearing I would look at the Idler Shaft pretty early on, but there's nothing wrong with checking the quill first as it is easy to access. I have run headstocks with the quill removed without adverse effects, this can be helpful for noise problems.

- David

[earlmorton]

I think everything is fine. I just took the belt cover off and blew the dust out of the headstock with canned air. I also ran the motor with the cover off so I could see and hear better. The belts are running true and seem to be properly tensioned. I can't see anything rubbing. I was starting it at the lowest speed, and frankly, I've probably never used it at that speed, and with not having used the machine at all for some time, I think I had just forgotten what it was supposed to sound like. It purrs nicely at normal speeds.

I have a quick project I need to do right away: it will just require a few table saw cuts. (Most of the project will be on the scroll saw.) When that's done, I think I'll clean and wax the tubes, tables, etc., and check all the alignments. Then it should be ready for summer and fall projects.

Thanks for all the advice!