Shopsmith Forums

Quote: "By the time you buy the paint and acetone you will have more than the $11.18 a new speed dial will cost."

So very true..,

HOWEVER

I find that every time I work on restoring my Shopsmith, I learn a lot more about the SS mechanics. For those of you who are highly experienced it must seem elemental but I have not done much wooodwork since the 9th grade. Just think about it, how do people learn about cars -- they work on them. Taking your car to the shop teaches nothing, but pop the hood and learning will occur. Even changing your own oil teaches you something.

Simply painting a dial is teaching me quite a lot, how the speed dial works, and now I am getting a lot of input about sanding and finishing (thanks, by the way). Just taking the dial off was a challenge for me, my 3/32 hex wrench was just a tad too short.

After all, if cost were the only consdieration, I would have chucked the old Mark V and gone to IKEA!;)

blockhead-mark-v wrote:Quote: Even changing your own oil teaches you something.

I might have learned yesterday, after changing the oil. Next time TAKE IT SOMEWHERE.

I would avoid chemical paint strippers as aluminum is reactive stuff and you may not be happy with the results.

As Bill mentioned a wire brush might be the way to go. The brush you want isn’t available at your local hardware store, these are far too aggressive and you will likely damage or destroy your wheel. Try jewelry / clock suppliers. I like Jules Borel:

http://www.julesborel.com/Tool/TC05page61.htm

The wheels mount on a tapered spindle that attaches to the arbor of your grinder. A low speed grinder works best. You can also mount felt or cloth wheels for polishing. Be sure to wear gloves and eye protection, especially with a new wheel as many of the bristles are loose. This is a handy set up to have in the shop.

Once you clean the wheel, mask the edges of the wheel and paint. Instead of a solvent to remove the paint from the top of the wheel, I would use a piece of sand paper glued to a sheet of glass with a grit that leaves scratches comparable to those left by the factory. I suspect this is how Shopsmith does it, a simple process that gives crisp edges.

This is similar to how you refinish clock dials.

Troy