Shopsmith Forums

So here's what happened. I was doing some table saw work. I had the SS set on slow, turned it on, waited for it to come up to speed, then dialed it up to table saw speed. I don't remember doing so, but I must have turned the changer a little fast.

When I wound it back down to slow, the indicator ring on the outside of the speed changer (with the names of operations and "FAST" / "SLOW" markers on it) was out of alignment.

The machine seems to operate normally, and it will travel through its full range of speeds stopping at the top and bottom ends as usual. However, the speed dial is still out of alignment. I've used the SS enough to tell by sound when I'm at the right speed for a given operation, but I am wondering if this is something I should be concerned about, and, ideally, how I can fix it if need be.

Thanks in advance for your expert opinions.

Hi and welcome
It sounds like you may have stripped the gear behind the rotating portion crank handle) of the dial. If not that then the set screw holding the crank handle to the shaft may have loosened and slipped. In either case I would advise removing the crank handle to check for both possibilities.
If the gear on the back of the handle is stripped there is a guy on E-Bay that repairs them or you can contact Bill Mayo on this forum. I think that Bill keeps a few of them in his stock.
Bill V

I do not have any advice to give, but I wanted to welcome you as a fellow Shopsmith user in Canada like me.
Good luck .
Oh, you could phone All in one Tools in Mississauga. They are the Canadian Shopsmith distributor.
allinonewood.com/

info@allinonewood.com

2900 Argentia Dr. Unit 11
Mississauga, ON L5N 7X9
(Beside the HOME DEPOT - 401 & Winston Churchill Blvd.)

1-800-370-3834 (Canada Only)
(905) 826-4720
(905) 826-4780 (FAX)

wa2crk wrote:Hi and welcome
It sounds like you may have stripped the gear behind the rotating portion crank handle) of the dial. If not that then the set screw holding the crank handle to the shaft may have loosened and slipped. In either case I would advise removing the crank handle to check for both possibilities.
If the gear on the back of the handle is stripped there is a guy on E-Bay that repairs them or you can contact Bill Mayo on this forum. I think that Bill keeps a few of them in his stock.
Bill V

Yes, I agree. It takes a 3/32" allen wrench for the speed control handle set screw. I position the opening on the speed control handle around 11:00 to have easy access to the set screw. Try to seat the allen wrench firmly into the set screw as the allen wrench may strip the set screw hole if only part way in. These set screws can be difficult to break loose. I had to use a very small "easy out" to remove the set screw a few times. Yes, I have used speed control handles with the aluminum teeth or with the replacement steel gear available.

I recommend pulling the speed control assembly and checking the quadrant teeth for wear and damage. I offer a free bolt kit to replace the roll pin which prevents the one leg of the speed control bracket from bending and causing quadrant teeth damage. Send me an Email. For anyone I may have forgotten, please Email me again. Thanks.

Thanks very much for all your help!! I will try to get some time tonight after the wee one goes to bed to get in there and have a look.

Best Regards!

Steve

As it turned out, although I have a drawer full of allen wrenches, a 3/32 was not among them.


I went out at lunch today and got one - will try to get a look in there tonight or tomorrow during baby nap time