My newly purchased used Shopsmith (1980) would only run at the middle speeds. At higher speeds there was noise (rattle) and lower speeds it would just stop.
Upon disassembling the headstock, the upper sheaves, idler and the belts seem fine.
The lower sheaves are not. The key has moved forward out of the keyway and was sticking out of past the outside sheave a little bit. I had to pull it out with pliers before I was able to get the outer sheave off, which took lots of pulling. The keyway on this sheave was already damaged, the aluminum being split a little so that the keyway on the sheave is now an open channel. (I made it worse during removal, but I had decided to replace it immediately when I saw it.) I've ordered a new key and outer sheave. The sheave that is mounted on the moter shaft is firmly on there and is misaligned slightly with the keyway. I have loosened (removed) the set screw, and the sheave is still bound on there. Is a large gear puller, (mine is too short to reach), the best way to get this guy off? Or is there a good way to align it without removing it? It is just slightly off, but I have no leverage to turn it without just rotating the motor. What else do I need to know to avoid damaging the sheave or shaft? Any help is appreciated. - Mark
Misaligned Keyway
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The motor fan sheave is often difficult to remove. The method I use may not be acceptable to some people but works for me.
I turn the motor 180 so I can get into the space that is open on the bottom of the motor. I have a few different size large flat blade screwdrivers. I first remove the set screw and put pentrating oil in the set screw hole and let set for a while.
I insert the point of the screwdriver between the "hub" (base) of the fan sheave and the motor housing at the motor shaft. I tap the screwdriver until the fan sheave moves and the screwdriver no longer can wedge the fan sheave. I turn the screwdriver 90 and start again moving the fan sheave. Then I get a wider blade tip screwdriver and repeat this action. Do not do any tapping on the fan sheave itself or use any puller on it as it can break/chip and/or bends quit easy.
When the key is still in the shaft, I clamp the key to the shaft while doing this tapping.
Now, you may have another problem. The keyway in the fan sheave and the keyway in the floating sheave was machined at different times and may be somewhat mismatched. The same problem can happen with the Control Sheave and Idler Sheave. Since I have many sheaves, I do a matching of the sheaves to insure there is no binding wnen the sheaves close. If this is the problem, let me know and we can work out a solution.
I turn the motor 180 so I can get into the space that is open on the bottom of the motor. I have a few different size large flat blade screwdrivers. I first remove the set screw and put pentrating oil in the set screw hole and let set for a while.
I insert the point of the screwdriver between the "hub" (base) of the fan sheave and the motor housing at the motor shaft. I tap the screwdriver until the fan sheave moves and the screwdriver no longer can wedge the fan sheave. I turn the screwdriver 90 and start again moving the fan sheave. Then I get a wider blade tip screwdriver and repeat this action. Do not do any tapping on the fan sheave itself or use any puller on it as it can break/chip and/or bends quit easy.
When the key is still in the shaft, I clamp the key to the shaft while doing this tapping.
Now, you may have another problem. The keyway in the fan sheave and the keyway in the floating sheave was machined at different times and may be somewhat mismatched. The same problem can happen with the Control Sheave and Idler Sheave. Since I have many sheaves, I do a matching of the sheaves to insure there is no binding wnen the sheaves close. If this is the problem, let me know and we can work out a solution.
Bill Mayo bill.mayo@verizon.net
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
Thanks
Thanks Bill,
My parts came today, so now I really have to figure this out.
I haven't taken the motor bolts out. Right now, it is in "drill press" configuration, and I was hoping to do this, without actually removing the headstock. I will try your suggestion. Thanks,
Mark
And thanks for the offer of help later.
My parts came today, so now I really have to figure this out.
I haven't taken the motor bolts out. Right now, it is in "drill press" configuration, and I was hoping to do this, without actually removing the headstock. I will try your suggestion. Thanks,
Mark
And thanks for the offer of help later.
You must drop (not really) the motor and motor pan from the headstock to get to the fan sheave set screw. Place in "lathe" position. I set the speed to FAST, walk the motor belt off and remove the switch nut so the switch can be removed. I place cardboard on the bench tubes to rest the motor pan on. The I remove the 5 screws holding the motor pan to the hedstock casing. Then I carefully raise to the "drill press" position making sure motor and switch wires clear everything. I disconnect the motor wires from the switch and the power wire ground from the motor. Then turn the motor pan over and remove the four 1/4" screws. You can now get to the fan sheave set screw and hub now.mhn1957 wrote:Thanks Bill,
My parts came today, so now I really have to figure this out.
I haven't taken the motor bolts out. Right now, it is in "drill press" configuration, and I was hoping to do this, without actually removing the headstock. I will try your suggestion. Thanks,
Mark
And thanks for the offer of help later.
Since the key was able to be removed, I would believe the fan sheave may have rocked on the motor shaft making the fan sheave even more difficult to remove. The fan sheave set screw is what holds the key on the motor shaft and the fan sheave on the motor shaft.
There is a small thin spacer between the fan sheave hub and front motor bearing that tends to fall off the motor shaft and get lost. Sometimes, this spacer will embed into the hub center and let the fan sheave rub againest the motor casing. Shopsmith now has the thicker spacer available for replacement that allows you to save the fan sheave if the thinner spacer has embeded into the fan sheave hub.
Bill Mayo bill.mayo@verizon.net
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
Speed control from factory - tips?
I didn't actually have to take the fan sheve off the spindle, once I got it unstuck. So in reassembling I decided to replace the speed control, because the gears looked bad on both the spiral worm gear and the rack that moves the sheve, and I wasn't getting the full range of operation. The speed control I got from shopsmith has a clear stiff grease on it. Do I need to do anything before I reassemble and start him up? (I also had my speed control handle "regeared", and am very happy with that.)