Shopsmith Forums

David;

I have stared at that picture in the first post and come to a similar conclusion. If the inside washer was left off, I wonder if that would create an imbalance situation? As mentioned, these steel wheels are quite heavy.

The SS recessed washers are 0.2 inches thick, so leaving one off would bring the arbor flush with the top of the nut. You might also gain that much thread by using thinner washers, as per Russ' suggestion. More troubling, though, is that although really hard to discern, it almost looks like the OP left off the tongue washer as well, since the arbor appears to extend beyond the nut. Much as I would like to set up the sharpening jig on the SS as depicted, I don't feel confident in altering the washer configuration, so I will probably opt for a slow speed bench grinder.

Ed - Sounds like everything would have been simpler if I had opted for a 6 inch wheel!

I think it should be obvious that threads beyond the outboard surface of the nut contribute nothing to the task of holding something on the shank of the male threads.

Now how many threads thick a nut need be, that is however another matter entirely. Three seems de rigor, but more lessens the potential thread deformation/elasticity(it spreads out the stress over a larger area).

edflorence wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 7:02 pm David;

I have stared at that picture in the first post and come to a similar conclusion. If the inside washer was left off, I wonder if that would create an imbalance situation? As mentioned, these steel wheels are quite heavy.

The SS recessed washers are 0.2 inches thick, so leaving one off would bring the arbor flush with the top of the nut. You might also gain that much thread by using thinner washers, as per Russ' suggestion. More troubling, though, is that although really hard to discern, it almost looks like the OP left off the tongue washer as well, since the arbor appears to extend beyond the nut. Much as I would like to set up the sharpening jig on the SS as depicted, I don't feel confident in altering the washer configuration, so I will probably opt for a slow speed bench grinder.

Why would leaving off a round washer on a rotating arbor create an imbalance situation? SS uses various combinations of the supplied washers depending on the item installed on the arbor.

Just wondering if it might make it more likely that some degree of tilt could be forced into the wheel. Yes, SS does use various combinations of washers and spacers, but I have found no example where there isn't either a washer or the spacer on each side of whatever is installed on the arbor.

Let us talk about the purpose of the tongued washer. It prevents the inertia of the mounted device(wheel/blade . . .) from loosening the nut as the device slows down(coasting) when the driving force is removed(motor turned off). A similar purpose is when the rotation starting up is in the other direction(left hand thread, clockwise rotation).

So in this scenario it needs to be there!

I do not see an imbalance situation with normal flat washers as long as their real id is 5/8".

JPG - Agreed on all counts. Shopsmith is adamant that the tongued washer must be in place, so no question about that. The question is if an issue could be introduced by leaving off a washer or spacer entirely from just one side.

jsburger wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 8:48 pm

Why would leaving off a round washer on a rotating arbor create an imbalance situation? SS uses various combinations of the supplied washers depending on the item installed on the arbor.

What would be introduced then is more thread projection beyond the external face of the nut.

Right...I left off the inner recessed washer and the resulting projection of thread seems to match what the OP shows in his photograph. I am now thinking it will be OK to do this, since the shoulder at the base of the 5/8 bolt portion of the arbor seems to be perfectly square to the bolt portion and wide enough to provide good bearing against the side of the cbn wheel. Thanks to everybody who helped me think through this.

Let us know how it works out. Same for the Wolverine Grinding Jig if you are using that too.

- David