Shopsmith Forums

I have a Mark V, I can not extend the Quill. It's like it's froze, I have my machine in the garage and I'm thinking that it may have rusted because I had some health issue and didn't use the machine for several years. I checked what the troubleshooting guide suggests and everything there is OK.

I know that this will sound dumb but did you loosen the quill lock? If the quill lock is loosened but the quill will still not move I would suggest that you put some penetrating oil on the quill where it enters the headstock casting and also on the pinion shaft where it enters the headstock behind the quill lock. Allow it to penetrate completely and put on several applications. Eventually it should come loose.
Bill V

PapaJo welcome to the forum.

I bought a used Mark V one time and ran into a problem where the quill would not extend or retract. It turned out to be the Allen guide screw that keeps the quill in place. Someone had replace the special Allen guide screw with a regular set screw and it resulted in the problem. A regular Allen set screw with cause a burr along the groove in the quill. But that might not be the problem in your case.

I watched a video last week with Nick Engler doing quill maintenance. It's from one of the Saw Dust Sessions. Here is a link:
http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... enance.htm

backhertz wrote:I bought a used Mark V one time and ran into a problem where the quill would not extend or retract. It turned out to be the Allen guide screw that keeps the quill in place. Someone had replace the special Allen guide screw with a regular set screw and it resulted in the problem. A regular Allen set screw with cause a burr along the groove in the quill. But that might not be the problem in your case.

I watched a video last week with Nick Engler doing quill maintenance. It's from one of the Saw Dust Sessions. Here is a link:
http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS107/SS107_Quill_Maintenance.htm

Since that half dog set screw just barely clears the bottom of the keyway slot on the top of the quill, it may just need to be removed, cleaned etc. and put back. Once the screw is removed, you can 'see' down to the keyway. The only other things possibly stuck are the quill shaft(both sides of the headstock) and the return spring(very unlikely). Most of this stuff is steel to aluminum, so rust seized parts are unlikely.

If is absolutely amazing just how small a burr or amount of crude can seize some of these parts. Clean every thing you can get to and try to avoid a lot of impact like tactics. Finesse it. It will come loose.

Patience Grasshopper.

[PHP]Most of this stuff is steel to aluminum, so rust seized parts are unlikely.[/PHP]

Steel parts due tend to expand somewhat due to rust. I broke down an old Basket Case Mark VII over the weekend. And, I found that the upper way tubes were so rusted that the headstock and castings were frozen in place. I found I had to grind down the rust on the way tubes to get them to slide off. However, Dusty is right. The aluminum will not take excessive abuse. So, patience and oil is your master.

dforeman wrote:[php]Most of this stuff is steel to aluminum, so rust seized parts are unlikely.[/php]
Steel parts due tend to expand somewhat due to rust. I broke down an old Basket Case Mark VII over the weekend. And, I found that the upper way tubes were so rusted that the headstock and castings were frozen in place. I found I had to grind down the rust on the way tubes to get them to slide off. However, Dusty is right. The aluminum will not take excessive abuse. So, patience and oil is your master.

Yep! If there IS sufficient clearance for air moisture to get between them. However nothing like rust growing from both sides of the gap.;)

I liked MickyD's 'solution - electroysis rust removal to get the headstock off the tubes.