Shopsmith Forums

robinson46176 wrote:Actually that statement is quite wrong. I have been relubing sealed ball bearing assemblies both for myself and professionally since around 1972. ...

Francis, I read your post about lubing bearings with great interest ! I wonder, have you ever done the lower bearing on the Shopsmith band saw? After removing the lower wheel-shaft-bearing unit off the saw, I pulled the lower (spoked) wheel off the shaft with a 3 arm puller and it was EASY ~rumor was it was impossible

(to be fair here I will say that the design may be different on other year models, mine is a '59 Magna, and the shaft/wheel LOOKED pressed in rather than molded as one piece.)

...so now that I have a smaller part to work with (It's like an auto water pump bearing), would you recommend the heated submersion in the electric motor grease ?

Yes, for me it's one of those "What would Francis do?" moments

I appreciate your knowledge

John ~S.F. Bay area
10ER #39030 (+ 3 more), Mark V 1980, 10ER Jointer, A-34 Jigsaw I'm testing, 10ER SPT mount for Bandsaw, Belt sander, Scroll Saw

goodolesmitty wrote:Francis, I read your post about lubing bearings with great interest ! I wonder, have you ever done the lower bearing on the Shopsmith band saw? After removing the lower wheel-shaft-bearing unit off the saw, I pulled the lower (spoked) wheel off the shaft with a 3 arm puller and it was EASY ~rumor was it was impossible

(to be fair here I will say that the design may be different on other year models, mine is a '59 Magna, and the shaft/wheel LOOKED pressed in rather than molded as one piece.)

...so now that I have a smaller part to work with (It's like an auto water pump bearing), would you recommend the heated submersion in the electric motor grease ?

Yes, for me it's one of those "What would Francis do?" moments

I appreciate your knowledge

John ~S.F. Bay area
10ER #39030 (+ 3 more), Mark V 1980, 10ER Jointer, A-34 Jigsaw I'm testing, 10ER SPT mount for Bandsaw, Belt sander, Scroll Saw

I have to defer to others here. While I have a SS bandsaw I am not personally acquainted with that lower bearing. If I had one apart I do not recall having done so. My current bandsaw (bought with a Mark V) shows almost no use and runs so smoothly that I have done little but lube the upper bearing on it.
While I enjoy sharing knowledge I have, I try to avoid sharing knowledge I do not have.
Perhaps Bill Mayo can better answer this one...

Howdy gentlemen,
New member glad to be here. Just purchased a used Mark VII yesterday and this post caught my eye. The unit I got runs pretty good but is somewhat noisy and as such I am thinking the bearings are in need of some TLC/replacement. I think the post that Francis put up about lubing the bearings is the bees knees to quote a popular TV commercial. I have re-lubed sealed bearings myself in the past but never thought of the heat it let it cool in the grease method. Simply ingenious and thank you Francis.

I used to be a professional mechanic and worked on Mercedes and Fords and frankly when it comes to bearings if they are shot then just replace them. They don't cost much these days and can be found readily online for a very small amount of money. I have not begun the teardown of my headstock on the Mark VII yet but when I do I will measure the current bearings and then go to VXB Bearings online and order them up. They have a dizzying array of bearings available with some pretty space age options available. I wonder if fully ceramic bearings would hold up to the stresses involved in using a SS????

Anyway great thread and thanks for letting me join in.

wannabewoodworker wrote:Howdy gentlemen,
New member glad to be here. Just purchased a used Mark VII yesterday and this post caught my eye. The unit I got runs pretty good but is somewhat noisy and as such I am thinking the bearings are in need of some TLC/replacement. I think the post that Francis put up about lubing the bearings is the bees knees to quote a popular TV commercial. I have re-lubed sealed bearings myself in the past but never thought of the heat it let it cool in the grease method. Simply ingenious and thank you Francis.

I used to be a professional mechanic and worked on Mercedes and Fords and frankly when it comes to bearings if they are shot then just replace them. They don't cost much these days and can be found readily online for a very small amount of money. I have not begun the teardown of my headstock on the Mark VII yet but when I do I will measure the current bearings and then go to VXB Bearings online and order them up. They have a dizzying array of bearings available with some pretty space age options available. I wonder if fully ceramic bearings would hold up to the stresses involved in using a SS????

Anyway great thread and thanks for letting me join in.

I certainly hope it is not getting so hot as to suggest ceramic bearings!

Be careful of/with the plastic speed control cam(they are 'irreplaceable'/or at least very difficult to replace)!

Welcome!!!!!!!

BTW It would be appropriate to have started a new thread, and Where ya at? You can edit yer profile to cause automatic indication of yer 20.

My family was in the roller skating business for many years. I worked the
skate room. The rental skates all used loose bearings. Throw on a cone& a wheel, then 8 bearings, turn the skate over, add 8 more bearings, another cone, a D washer and then an axel nut. A drop of oil on either side & then the outer cones were adjusted by touch. Most people would owned their own skates had sealed bearings, mainly Fafnir & NSF. The main problems with the Fafnirs, were they would dry out. Even though there were neoprene or metal dust seals, oil would leak out. So what I'd do was use a nail & pull off on of the dust seals. Then I'd soak the bearings & used compressed air to clean the kerosene out. A drop or two of oil & the bearing often would be as good as new. I'd just mount the bearings in the wheels with the covered sides on the outside of the wheel & the skaters would be happy. Burned bearings were a different story. I'd just discard those.

Tony

JPG40504 wrote:I certainly hope it is not getting so hot as to suggest ceramic bearings!

Be careful of/with the plastic speed control cam(they are 'irreplaceable'/or at least very difficult to replace)!

Welcome!!!!!!!

BTW It would be appropriate to have started a new thread, and Where ya at? You can edit yer profile to cause automatic indication of yer 20.

JPG,
You are absolutely right and how crass of me not to introduce myself more appropriately. I will edit my info for all to gander at. I am in CT. just for the sake of answering your question. As for the cam in my Mark VII I am going to pull the headstock apart sometime this week to inspect and if need be I will have a new one made out of Kryptonite or similar spaceage material..........................

wannabewoodworker wrote:JPG,
You are absolutely right and how crass of me not to introduce myself more appropriately. I will edit my info for all to gander at. I am in CT. just for the sake of answering your question. As for the cam in my Mark VII I am going to pull the headstock apart sometime this week to inspect and if need be I will have a new one made out of Kryptonite or similar spaceage material..........................

Obviously you are not Clark Kent!:D

JPG40504 wrote:Obviously you are not Clark Kent!:D

Funny, I just went through the same thing you are.
The old Greenie head stock I have was poorly stored. Nothing
seemed to moove freely. The bearings seemed solid no TIR on the
Qill etc. but the movement just didn't feel right.

I completely broke the head stock down pulled all of the bearings(very easy to do) replaced them. I think I paid a total of $20 for the parts, and a better grade of sealed bearings. No muss, no fuss and no guessing whether the bearings are good or not.

wannabewoodworker wrote:

Kryptonite = Superman = Clark Kent;)