Shopsmith Forums

Hello all,

I know I read about this somewhere in passing but didn't pay too much attention to the solution. Now it's happened to me and I can't find the thread.

I was oiling my sheaves and cleaning my speed control knob. It was sounding very nice and smooth. Ran it to low speed then up to high the turned it off. Now it won't turn back on. I remember from the thread some switch or something that needed something from somewhere. Haha.

Can you guys give me some guidance?

Help!

Kelly

kcmoore wrote:Hello all,

I know I read about this somewhere in passing but didn't pay too much attention to the solution. Now it's happened to me and I can't find the thread.

I was oiling my sheaves and cleaning my speed control knob. It was sounding very nice and smooth. Ran it to low speed then up to high the turned it off. Now it won't turn back on. I remember from the thread some switch or something that needed something from somewhere. Haha.

Can you guys give me some guidance?

Help!

Kelly

There be two switches. The one you turn it on/off is one. If the motor hums when that switch is turned on, that switch is working(do not let it hum more than a second or two).

The second switch is internal to the motor(there are exceptions). If it is not closed when the other switch is turned on, the start circuit will fail to start the motor.

The switch not closing is often the result of dust getting between the points. Blowing air through the motor (while tapping it to dislodge the crud) often clears it up.

Yes it requires dropping the motor pan.

Hummmmm ... I ran it on high for about 30 seconds and during that time, dust was coming out of the housing. I wonder if that is the culprit.

Ya think it is?

kcmoore wrote:Hummmmm ... I ran it on high for about 30 seconds and during that time, dust was coming out of the housing. I wonder if that is the culprit.

Ya think it is?

I hope that was before it stopped running.

If so most likely.

Where did it exit the housing?

Ok, I dropped the motor pan and blew out all the remaining dust. I tapped on the motor housing with a rawhide hammer while blowing air thru. Nothing.

I hate to ask, but what is my next move? Remover the motor and bench run it?

JPG40504 wrote:I hope that was before it stopped running.

If so most likely.

Where did it exit the housing?

Oh, kind of everywhere. It was the shopsmith housing, not the motor housing. Just random sawdust inside.

kcmoore wrote:Ok, I dropped the motor pan and blew out all the remaining dust. I tapped on the motor housing with a rawhide hammer while blowing air thru. Nothing.

I hate to ask, but what is my next move? Remover the motor and bench run it?

Please define that! No run obviously. No hum? No nothing? Switch on(and wires still attached to it?)? Plugged it? Breaker not tripped?

kcmoore wrote:Oh, kind of everywhere. It was the shopsmith housing, not the motor housing. Just random sawdust inside.

Do the shafts turn normally by hand?

If you were running at 'fast' then stopped with it still set to fast, the motor belt may be jammed in the idler pulley.

Yes, no hum, no nothing. I have been using the shopsmith since the early eighties and as recently as last weekend with no issues. I just decided to lube it up and adjust the speed dial since it got our of whack. I cleaned it and oils everything, put it back together and was going to do a high speed adjustment. I ran it up to high and some dust was exiting the hole of the access panel so I let it run for a bit thinking it was expelling some hidden dust. The I turned it off. It spooled down nicely and I heard the motor break come on. And that was it. It would not turn on again. I have tried multiple outlets that I know are live.

Yes, the belts and pulleys all turn easily by hand. The belt is off now since I dropped the motor pan and it still won't turn on.