Shopsmith Forums

The the bearing retaining set screw is on the thick side of the eccentric opposite the thin face.

Do not over tighten this screw as well as it can damage the bearing.

Also the set screw has a cone point that rides in the groove in the center of the bearing external surface.

Perfect thanks JPG. I also read through your entire Mark V Headstock Reassembly last night, very helpful. I learned a lot.

Here are my casters that arrived from the US a few days ago, before and after a big clean.

I posted this on Facebook Owners Group and was told a real final finish would need me to blue all the shafts. I think I might keep it shiny and apply penetrol. I already used it on the tubes inside and out, but after reading a few forum threads on it yesterday, it seems like it might keep rust of these for a long time, and I like the look, matches the tubes!

BLO(Black Oxide) Is a recent innovation not age correct for your M5. IMHO paste wax is sufficient if restored timely.

Kudos for reassembling them correctly(lotsa wrong ways) - not sure the top one is?

Oh haha, mate it took me a good hour of fiddling to understand how it works, I only found your tutorial after I'd already sorted it. I THINK they're both good now but I haven't put the roll pins back in - I'm ordering a set of imperial roll pin punches so I don't mushroom them anymore then I have, and will need to file them down a bit.

Top one should be good, the pedal is a little different but same orientation.

It amazes me how many things you need to figure out to do this restoration property.

Hopefully I can replace my motor bearings this week and see if the motor/headstock still works 🫣

Well damn - we have some serious issues! Checkout the control sheave keyway - totally wrecked and unusable. The Idler key is also nearly shaven flat.

The motor sheaves/key look better, but there is also some play/slop in them, so I've just ordered an assembly on ebay with a full set of new items, hopefully that fixes it.

No eBay listings for Idler Assembly. I might buy from Shopsmith if nothing shows up.

I had really hoped I'd have less problems, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't properly tuned in 43 years, so it makes sense. Hopefully the motor is fine, and then she'll run like a dream.

Maurice,

I know this suggestion is a little too late for your restoration but for anyone else take lots of pictures as you disassemble things. Include close up detailed pictures where needed to point out fine details. That will help as you reassemble the different parts. The before and after pictures Maurice has of the Retractable Casters are a good example. It shows how they were assembled originally and helpful in returning them to that state. Of course, this only helps if all parts are correctly assembled prior to you getting it and have not been disassembled and incorrectly reassembled previously. Referring to parts diagrams is also helpful.

The idler key and motor shaft key stock is standard hardware(here in US) 1/8" square keystock, but the idler shaft key has one end bent slightly to drop into a recess in the idler shaft so the control sheave covers that end and thus secures the key.

Replacement of control sheave is a no-brainer fer sure.

It is the orientation of the foot pedal to the cams that I thought may be incorrect(top one in your pix).

You were totally right. The top foot pedal needed to be rotated 180° and now they're perfect.

Yes on photos - my phone has dozens. I take them at almost every stage like you said. I would be in trouble without them.

As a first-time Shopsmith owner, having only learnt what a Shopsmith was less than a month ago, AND as someone who has never taken a machine apart (I'm 36, been in IT my whole life), I have a few other tips and tricks that I think are very useful to anyone in a similar situation.

- Watch all of Jacob Anderson's videos relevant to what you're doing ahead of time, and then rewatch them when you go to do it. This gives your brain ample time to mull over some of the broader concepts, and you learn a lot more the second (and third) time you watch when you're actually doing it.

- There's usually more than one way to do something, and the "right" tool isn't always the one you have. A few examples I ran into: a cut-off nail or bolt makes a perfectly good roll pin punch in a pinch; a cheap bearing puller works incredibly well. Search for tool alternatives and you'll usually find someone who's done it with what's lying around.

- When taking stuff apart, if you don't know a component inside and out, don't force anything unless you're sure that's how it's done. Re-watch videos or find guides, because there's always a trick.

- Once you've disassembled a major assembly, reassemble it outside the body as it is, even if you plan to degrease, restore, polish, or de-rust later. This gives you a chance to learn the reassembly process right away while it's fresh, and it means everything is where it should be when you finally get to it.

- Anytime you find a really good guide with pictures, save it to a folder or bookmark it immediately. Even better, print the most useful piece right away. This helps you find it again later, and it means you're not scrolling on your phone trying to figure out what to do. Especially helpful if yours didn't come with a manual like mine (I've since ordered one, yet to arrive). For example, the PDFs posted here are so handy to have at hand: viewtopic.php?t=3806

- Whatever issue you're hitting, someone has almost certainly already covered it ad nauseam on this forum, there may even be a nice summary PDF available. That's where ChatGPT/Claude really shine - point them at the forum and they'll dig up the relevant threads fast. Just give enough context about your machine and model, and ideally the components with their proper names.

Likely obvious to veterans, but not to me.