Shopsmith Forums

Sometimes you just set yourself up for failure or injury. I saw two videos and read posts and the teardown instructions PDF about taking the spring off using a drilled piece of wood. I drilled the piece of wood as suggested, only I thought I'd use up a crappy piece that was right there in reach.

I got it in position, started pressing, struggled a bit with the awkwardness, and then the wood split. I hadn't noticed but seems it was already a bit cracked.

Well, instead of swapping it out for another properly drilled piece, I focused on the problem I was having with leverage. I found if I cut out a notch in the end and stood the board on end I could press down on the cup washer and remove the clip. Of course the obvious happened: as soon as my focus shifted to the clip, which came off easily, the board slipped. The spring launched off the shaft, sending the washer ahead to clear the way for it. The way in this case being my left ear. At least it wasn't my eye, so it was just ego and temporary physical pain and not real injury.

What I learned: There is a right way of doing things. Recognizing the limitations in our knowledge and insight is important. I need to recognize that I very likely don't know it and won't necessarily think of the flaws in my plans in time, and therefor to do things the way the experts suggest. I'm not used to power tools, just hand powered braces and planes and chisels. They're sharp but much more forgiving.

Just thought I'd throw this out there in case someone like me searches on how to remove the sheave spring.

Fitzhugh

fitzhugh wrote:Sometimes you just set yourself up for failure or injury. I saw two videos and read posts and the teardown instructions PDF about taking the spring off using a drilled piece of wood. I drilled the piece of wood as suggested, only I thought I'd use up a crappy piece that was right there in reach.

I got it in position, started pressing, struggled a bit with the awkwardness, and then the wood split. I hadn't noticed but seems it was already a bit cracked.

Well, instead of swapping it out for another properly drilled piece, I focused on the problem I was having with leverage. I found if I cut out a notch in the end and stood the board on end I could press down on the cup washer and remove the clip. Of course the obvious happened: as soon as my focus shifted to the clip, which came off easily, the board slipped. The spring launched off the shaft, sending the washer ahead to clear the way for it. The way in this case being my left ear. At least it wasn't my eye, so it was just ego and temporary physical pain and not real injury.

What I learned: There is a right way of doing things. Recognizing the limitations in our knowledge and insight is important. I need to recognize that I very likely don't know it and won't necessarily think of the flaws in my plans in time, and therefor to do things the way the experts suggest. I'm not used to power tools, just hand powered braces and planes and chisels. They're sharp but much more forgiving.

Just thought I'd throw this out there in case someone like me searches on how to remove the sheave spring.

Fitzhugh

This may be a good subject for a UTube video.

I have let to do this maneuver but I can certainly image the opportunies for error.

Glad you did not get injured. My most frequent ego injuries occur right after a glue up.

That spring is really long when uncompressed. Many have had issues when letting up the pressure.

The other half of the lesson learned?

Safety glasses.

beeg wrote:Maybe this will help ya next time.

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Thanks, I have to admit I started by following that path, only got dumb when my punky board split. That was my first error - using punky wood. I didn't realize it was cracked, nor that it was even punky on that end. It was both.

I think the board in the instructions could be improved by adding three screws, such that they are around the hole outside the spring and keep the spring from sliding if the board is not controlled quite well. Of course, having a helper and a proper board would have saved me a good whack in my ear.

Eye protection is vital. For most things I've done my glasses with shatter resistant lenses have seemed enough. No longer. Got a neighbor who is quickly losing her sight, awful to see her distress and vast adaptation it calls for.

I figure I can share what not to do if I don't have the experience to share what TO do.

At least you could find the retaining clip. Not everyone has been that fortunate!:D

If you mean after everything launched and bounced off my head, well, it sure too a while. Even the big spring was hard to find! I'm doing this part of the work in the kitchen and it was over on the side of the stove. Hard to explain so trust me, it was a weird place to find it.

Oh, I guess it was the odd retaining clip on, uh, well, some other part I just took off - oh, the quill I think, that was hard to find on the end of the shaft. The one that is a simple overlapping round flattened circle of metal. I had no idea it was there since I looked for a split ring. finally read instructions here.

I did have to file down the points of the swappable end split ring pliers so they were small enough. none it came with were.